Thursday, September 13, 2012

From the human Popeye to the tallest Mohican: The weird and wacky entries in this year's Guinness Book of Records


It's been a record-breaking summer thanks to the incredible efforts of our athletes. But even the likes of Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis would struggle to compete with some of the entries in the latest Guinness Book of World Records.
Among the wacky wonders to find a place in the 2013 edition is Popeye lookalike Moustafa Ismail and his monstrous biceps, and a man with the tallest mohican hairstyle, measuring a towering 3ft 8in.
It's not just humans either, with all creatures great and small snatching a few records — from a mighty Great Dane to a teeny bull.
Biggest biceps: Popeye lookalike Moustafa Ismail, 24, from Massachusetts, has spent ten years pumping iron twice a day to get his 31in biceps. He eats lots of chicken rather than spinach - which he hates
Biggest biceps: Popeye lookalike Moustafa Ismail, 24, from Massachusetts, has spent ten years pumping iron twice a day to get his 31in biceps. He eats lots of chicken rather than spinach - which he hates
The 57th version of best-selling reference book also features new verified entries for the world's heaviest sportswoman and the most conquests of Mount Everest, as well as the tallest ever dog.
Being published in 22 languages in more than 100 countries, the 2013 Guinness World Records is expected to sell around 2.7 million copies and documents numerous new extremes relating to the human body.
These include 86-year-old Johanna Quaas, a retired PE teacher from Leipzig, Germany, who is named the oldest gymnast; Egyptian-born Moustafa Ismail, recognised for having the largest 'guns' - biceps and triceps - with a circumference of 25.5in; and London-based sumo wrestler Sharran
Alexander, who weighs 203.21 kg (32 stone), who was named the world's heaviest sportswoman. Bodybuilder Mr Ismail, now living in Franklin, Massachusetts, has arms with a greater circumference than the average human head.
Biggest horse: Big Jake, a nine-year-old Belgian gelding, from Winsconsin, U.S., tops 20 hands - or almost 7ft
Biggest horse: Big Jake, a nine-year-old Belgian gelding, from Winsconsin, U.S., tops 20 hands - or almost 7ft
A 29-year-old bull called Archie, from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, measures just 30in from his hooves to his withers
A 29-year-old bull called Archie, from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, measures just 30in from his hooves to his withers
Tallest dog: Three-year-old Great Dane Zeus and his owner Denise Doorlag in Michigan. On his hind legs, he towers over her at 7ft 4in
Tallest dog: Three-year-old Great Dane Zeus and his owner Denise Doorlag in Michigan. On his hind legs, he towers over her at 7ft 4in
The 24-year-old, originally from Alexandria, Egypt, hopes his record-breaking status will be a springboard to become a professional body-builder. Among the new edition's animal-based records are new bests for the shortest bull and the tallest dog, a Great Dane measuring 44in from foot to withers.
Archie, a 29-month-old Dexter breed bull owned by a County Armagh-based farm, measures just 76.2 cm (30in) from hoof to withers.
Farmer's son Ryan Lavery, 15, bought Archie at five months old and admits that the bull's fate would have been different if he had been of a normal stature.
Ryan said: 'When we bought Archie, he was destined for beef. However, by Christmas time, he still hadn't grown and because we had become so fond of him we decided to keep him.
Heaviest female athlete: British sumo wrestler Sharran Alexander wolfed down a high calorie diet of takeaways and fried chicken to get into the record books at 32st
Heaviest female athlete: British sumo wrestler Sharran Alexander wolfed down a high calorie diet of takeaways and fried chicken to get into the record books at 32st
Biggest Barbie collection: Blonde Barbie fan Bettina Dorfmann, 52, from Germany, has 15,000 dolls she¿s collected since 1993 ¿ they fill a room
Tallest mohican: Japanese designer Kazuhiro Watanabe¿s spear-like hairdo peaks at more than 3ft 8in, thanks to three cans of hairspray and a large bottle of gel
(Left) Biggest Barbie collection: Blonde Barbie fan Bettina Dorfmann, 52, from Germany, has 15,000 dolls she's collected since 1993 - they fill a room. (Right) Tallest mohican: Japanese designer Kazuhiro Watanabe’s spear-like hairdo peaks at more than 3ft 8in, thanks to three cans of hairspray and a large bottle of gel
Fastest sheep: Zippy Lambourghini, from a farm in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, won't bleat after winning 165 out of 179 races
Fastest sheep: Zippy Lambourghini, from a farm in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, won't bleat after winning 165 out of 179 races
Largest hotdog: Feeling peckish? This 7lb, 16in monster on sale in Chicago will set you back £24
Largest hotdog: Feeling peckish? This 7lb, 16in monster on sale in Chicago will set you back £24
'His size saved his life and now he's going to live out the rest of his life as a pet. It's brilliant and amazing to have Archie in the new Guinness Worlds book.'
Other records in the 57th edition of the book include the lowest roadworthy car - a vehicle created by students and teachers in Asakuchi, Japan, which measures 45.2cm (17.79in) from the ground to its highest part.
The City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, also enters the new edition, with a record enrolment of 39,437 pupils for the 2010-2011 academic year.



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