A Chinese man has broken a Guinness World Record by spinning 33 hula hoops while hanging upside down in Guilin, Guangxi. Yan Yanjia performed the unusual feat on playground equipment. Two friends helped pull the hoops over his head and position them around his hips. Guinness World Records confirmed that Yan now holds the title for the most hula hoops spun while suspended upside down. The record attempt took place on November 29, 2025. Guinness released details and footage of the feat this week. Its official record page says Yan maintained the movement for roughly 20 rotations. His total of 33 hoops beat the previous record by 10. Weight-loss exercise turns into record attempt Yan, who works as a farmer, started hula hooping in 2018. He initially took up the activity after a health warning encouraged him to lose weight. “In 2018, I was diagnosed with fatty liver due to obesity, and my doctor advised me to lose weight. At that time, I bought a 2-kilogram [4.4-pound] hula hoop for exercise, and in a month, I went from 80 kg [175 pounds] to 63 kg [132 pounds],” he told Guinness World Records. Read More: Man Pulls 21,000-Pound Bus With Neck to Break Guinness Record Yan also stressed that exercise was not the only factor behind the weight change. “Of course, the main factor in successful fat loss is gradual control of diet.” What began as a fitness activity gradually developed into an unusual skill. Guinness said Yan later watched a viral video featuring Hong Kong actor and singer Nicholas Tse hula hooping in a difficult position. Three to four years of upside-down practice The video encouraged Yan to test whether he could perform the exercise while hanging upside down. “I suddenly wondered if I could practise hanging and spinning hula hoops upside down, and it took me about three or four years to reach this level,” Yan said. For the record attempt, Yan climbed onto the playground structure and hung from it by his feet. His two friends then moved all 33 hoops into place. Read More: A Chicken That Beat the Odds: Guinness Crowns Texas Hen as World’s Oldest Chicken He successfully kept them spinning for the required period. Guinness now officially lists 33 as the record for the category. The footage drew wider attention after Guinness published it on August 11. UPI also reported the unusual achievement the same day. Yan already targets another world record Yan has no plans to stop after securing his first title. He is now considering another challenge involving hula hoops and pull-ups. “This exercise consumes many times more force than dozens of hula hoops upside down, requiring much greater core stability,” he explained. Guinness said Yan has already practised other hula-hooping moves and believes he can challenge additional records. His world record marks an extraordinary transformation of a hobby that began eight years ago as a fitness activity. Years of practice eventually turned the weighted hoop exercise into a Guinness-recognised achievement.
254 People, One Giant Game: Canada Creates Foosball History
Canada has kicked off its FIFA World Cup celebrations in record-breaking fashion after hosting the world’s largest game of human foosball, bringing together hundreds of participants in a unique football-themed event near Toronto. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) organised the event on May 23 at Humber Polytechnic’s Lakeshore Campus West in Etobicoke, a district in Toronto. The initiative formed part of celebrations leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Canada will co-host alongside the United States and Mexico. Guinness World Records has officially confirmed the attempt as the largest human foosball match ever held. The event attracted 254 participants who took positions on giant horizontal poles designed to replicate the layout of a traditional tabletop foosball game. Players remained attached to the poles while attempting to manoeuvre a football and score goals against the opposing side. Organisers transformed a large outdoor field into an oversized version of the popular table game, creating a spectacle that drew spectators, football fans and community members. World Cup Excitement Builds in Canada The record-breaking event comes as Canada prepares to host matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first tournament to feature 48 teams and 104 matches. Toronto and Vancouver will serve as Canada’s host cities. Toronto is scheduled to stage six World Cup matches, including Canada’s opening game of the tournament. Officials said the human foosball challenge aimed to generate excitement ahead of the competition while encouraging community participation through sport. Neil Lumsden, Ontario’s Minister of Sport, highlighted the symbolic value of the event. “Soccer is about teamwork, energy and shared experience, and a human foosball Guinness World Records attempt brings those elements to life in a fun and unforgettable way,” he told Guinness World Records. Football has experienced rapid growth across Canada in recent years. Increased participation at youth and community levels, combined with Canada’s qualification for recent World Cups, has helped boost the sport’s popularity nationwide. The country also hopes the 2026 tournament will leave a lasting legacy through improved sporting infrastructure, tourism growth and greater community engagement. Guinness Confirms Historic Achievement Representatives from Guinness World Records reviewed the attempt and later confirmed that organisers had successfully broken the previous mark. The official recognition adds another milestone to the growing list of World Cup-related activities taking place across North America before the tournament begins. Human foosball events have gained popularity worldwide as entertainment attractions and team-building activities. However, organisers say no previous event matched the scale of the Ontario attempt. Participants described the challenge as physically demanding but highly entertaining because players had to coordinate movements while remaining attached to fixed poles, similar to figures in a foosball table. For organisers, the successful record attempt served as both a celebration of football culture and a preview of the enthusiasm expected when the FIFA World Cup arrives in Canada next year. With the countdown to the tournament underway, officials hope similar community-focused events will continue building momentum and inspiring new generations of football fans across the country.
