World · Europe · 4 hrs ago
Two athletes set records with human catapult launch from Slovenian chimney
Dani Roman and Fred Fugen were launched skyward from a chimney in Slovenia on November 5 using a specially built 60-metre catapult.
The chimney in Trbovlje is 360 metres high and is described as Europe’s tallest.
They reached 180 km/h in 2.15 seconds before rising above the launch point.
Organisers say Roman reached 100.36 metres above the launch point alone, while the pair reached a combined height of 151.72 metres on a second launch.
The two launches earned them Guinness world records for the highest height reached by a person using a catapult and the highest combined height.
After reaching the top of their flight, they went into free fall, opened their parachutes and landed safely.
The catapult put them under acceleration forces of up to 4.2 G as they left the chimney.
Spanish wingsuit pilot Dani Román and French BASE jumper Fred Fugen set two Guinness World Records in a human-catapult stunt in Slovenia.
On 5 November, a 60-metre catapult launched them from the upper section of the former Trbovlje Power Station chimney.
Román rose 100.36 metres beyond the launcher in a solo launch, setting the record for the greatest height achieved by a human catapult.
In a simultaneous launch, the pair reached a combined height of 151.72 metres beyond the launcher, setting a second record.
Both opened their parachutes after entering freefall and landed safely.
- Who
- Spanish wingsuit pilot Dani Román and French BASE jumper Fred Fugen.
- What
- They used a human catapult to set two Guinness World Records for height.
- When
- 5 November. The year is not stated.
- Where
- The former Trbovlje Power Station chimney in Slovenia, home to Europe's tallest chimney.
- Why
- To carry out a stunt that set records for the height achieved by a human catapult.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Román and Fugen carried out the catapult stunt at the former Trbovlje Power Station in Slovenia.
Il Fatto Quotidiano and 20 Minuten published reports about the stunt and records.
Africanews published a report on the stunt.
- Solo height
- Román rose 100.36 metres beyond the launcher.
- Combined height
- Román and Fugen reached 151.72 metres beyond the launcher.
- Catapult length
- 60 metres.
- Maximum speed
- 180 km/h.
- Acceleration
- Up to 4.2 G.
3 sources
What people are saying
You just hear a bam and go from zero to 180 km/h in two or three seconds, shooting straight upwards out of the chimney. It's simply surreal and really very fun
What happened here is really crazy. With a catapult of this size, we are venturing into completely unknown territory
This project became our life for two months. We worked on the chimney six days a week, about 14 hours a day, and during construction we even slept one night at the top of the chimney