The Guinness World Records (GWR) announced on Thursday (June 29), that a 39-year-old French firefighter has set a new record for “fastest full body burn 100 m sprint without oxygen”. The new record was set by Jonathan Vero, also described as the “human torch,” who ran a full body burn 100-metre sprint without oxygen.
Two records in one attempt
The GWR took to Twitter to make the announcement and said that Vero not only set the record for the “fastest full body burn 100 m sprint without oxygen” which he completed in 17 seconds but also the “farthest distance ran in full body burn” at 272.25 metres.
Disclaimer: This stunt has been performed by a trained professional under supervision. Please do not attempt to copy or re-create without proper training as it could lead to serious injuries.
New record: The fastest full body burn 100 m sprint without oxygen – 17 seconds by Jonathan Vero (France)
Jonathan also set the record for the farthest distance ran in full body burn during this attempt at 272.25 metres! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/J0QJsPNkPf
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) June 29, 2023
The French firefighter wearing a protective suit ran 272.25 metres while he was on fire and also broke the previously set record of 204.23 metres.
Additionally, while doing so, Vero also broke the fastest full body burn 100-metre sprint without oxygen at 17 seconds breaking the previously set record of 24.58 seconds.
Vero officially attempted the record-breaking run in his hometown of Haubourdin, France, as he wanted to do it in “the city that saw me grow up,” on the same athletics track which he trained on in his youth, he told GWR.
Previously set records in the category
Notably, both the previous records were set by British escapologist and stunt performer Antony Britton back in 2017 at Huddersfield, West Yorkshire surrounded by a crowd of people in a stadium.
It is also worth noting that while people might think who would want to set themselves on fire and run to break a world record it has actually been described by the GWR as a “highly competitive” category with records set by seven people since 2009.
Vero also covered three times more distance than British amateur stuntman Keith Malcolm who first set the record 14 years ago, according to the GWR.
‘Pushing the limits’: Who is Jonathan Vero?
French fighter and professional stuntman, Vero told Guinness World Records he’s “always had a passion for fire,” and “never stopped playing with it” ever since he was a child. It was also his childhood dream to achieve a Guinness World Records title.
The professional stuntman also spoke about how he attempted these records because he enjoys “pushing the limits.” According to GWR, Vero also performs at fire shows which include stunts like fire juggling, fire eating, and the “human torch” (setting his whole body ablaze).
Speaking about the preparation for the newly broken record, Vero said that he just spent three months preparing for the record-breaking run, focused on training his “endurance, explosiveness, and breathing.”
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