Guinness World Record Day 2021: Mid East athlete sets new somersault record

An athlete in the Middle East has just smashed a Guinness World Record for the most single leg backward somersaults in 30 seconds.

Experienced gymnast Ayoub Touabe managed 12 somersaults in 30 seconds, breaking a new, never-previously-attempted world record. He performed the challenge in Qatar.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

A somersault is a movement in gymnastics in which a person flips in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head.

Ayoub is said to be among a few people globally who can do this movement on a consecutive basis on one leg. In fact, the movement puts a lot of pressure on a single leg plus the lower back, making it very challenging even for experienced gymnasts.

The Moroccan national developed this skill during his 23-year career and managed to set a world record at the age of 32.

Ayoub started his journey by mimicking his father’s gymnastic moves at the age of almost eight years young in 1998. He started professional training at a later age, but also got his degree at a medical institute. He suffered from multiple injuries during his training career.

“I don’t think I spared any part of my body without some sort of an injury,” he said.
“I managed to do my first somersault in 2009, but it took me another 18 months to do another one consecutively. By 2011, I uploaded a video on YouTube doing 10 consecutively. After thorough research, I realized there is no one globally who can do as many.”

Ayoub is currently training people to do gymnastics. His most experienced student has managed to do the first somersault.

“The moment you realize how to balance and work out your back flexibility and leg stability is when you know how to do it,” he said. “I am 5 ft 8 in tall and weigh 89kg, which makes somersaults physically very challenging.”

Ayoub’s goal now is to teach more people the value of doing sports and stand against society’s resistance to sports.
“Throughout the years, I have been told multiple times to give up my sports career, and focus on my university degree, but I refused and today with a Guinness World Records title, I am glad I didn’t give up.”

His achievement came as Guinness World Record Day was marked across the globe on Wednesday.

Celebrating the theme of Super Skills, record-breaking hopefuls from across the globe have put on a jaw-dropping display of dedication, persistence and elite-level talent.

First held in 2004 to mark Guinness World Records becoming the best-selling copyright book of all time, GWR Day has inspired some now iconic record-breaking achievements. This year over 1000 applications were received from aspiring record breakers across the world, hoping to attempt records on GWR Day to secure their place in the next edition of the book.

During GWR Day, many Guinness World Records titles are being attempted.

In the Middle East, Alireza Sadeghi Barzani managed to secure a world record for the farthest basketball shot hit from the ground with the hand.

In a heart-warming twist, GWR officials said the 50-year-old man, who suffers with a disability, had been trying to break the record for 5 years.

Barzani managed to set the record at 15 meters creating a heart-warming moment for his family and friends during an attempt that took place in Dubai with the presence of Kanzy Defrawy, an official adjudicator from Guinness World Records.

He described the moment, saying: “Alireza’s attempt was one of the most emotional adjudications of my career at Guinness World Records.”

“His dedication is on a different level, and I have never witnessed so much support during a world record attempt such as his. The belief he could make it happen was exceptional and it was truly a memorable experience that will stand out for a long time.”

Read more:

Turkish woman breaks world-record for being the tallest female at 7ft

World’s oldest identical twins, aged 107, now Guinness World Record holders

Saudi Arabia to build world’s largest Lego of a Formula One car ahead of F1 event