Dani Román and Fred Fugen set two Guinness records with human catapult launch from Slovenian chimney

Summary

The Washington Post YouTube short shows BASE jumpers Dani Román (Spain) and Fred Fugen (France) being launched vertically from a custom 60 m human catapult installed inside the 360 m Trbovlje chimney in Slovenia. The November 5, 2026, feat set two Guinness World Records: greatest height by human catapult (Román at 100.36 m above launch) and greatest combined height (151.72 m when launched together). The clip features countdowns, screams during acceleration to 180 km/h, and post-jump interviews describing the sensation as an intense new roller-coaster-like experience that became playful after the first launch.

Sourcing relies on the athletes' direct quotes and footage from the Red Bull-supported project developed over 2.5 years by Slovenia's DD Squad engineering team. No anonymous sources; the broadcast presents the certified record numbers on-screen and in description without additional expert commentary.

Editorial Assessment

The short is accurate and effectively conveys the visceral thrill of the record-setting launches while sticking to verified measurements from the official Guinness certification and project documentation. Viewers receive the core facts on speeds, heights, and the novel mechanical launch method but miss fuller context such as the 4.2 G forces experienced, the precise safety engineering of the spring system, and that the athletes had over 32,000 combined parachute jumps between them. The framing emphasizes wonder and shared adrenaline rather than risk, which could slightly skew perception toward pure excitement while underplaying the two-and-a-half-year engineering effort required for safe execution. Overall high production quality for a 64-second clip with no material inaccuracies.