Sun Punan, a fitness influencer from Hangzhou, China, who boasts nearly three million followers across all of his social media platforms, has smashed the world record for the highest kneeling jump (male).
Starting from a kneeling position, Sun performed a staggering 76-cm (29.9-in) jump, which is around the same height as five steps on a staircase!
The previous record stood at 70.16 cm (27.6 in), achieved by Tyler Lutz (USA) in 2021.
Sun performed this record-breaking jump on 9 September, during a livestreaming event at home, surrounded by his friends and family.
However, the process was far from smooth sailing. In his first two attempts at the challenge, although he managed to jump onto the platform, he couldn't maintain his balance and fell off.
According to the rules for this record, he must land and stand firmly on the platform.
These two failed attempts took a toll on Sun's spirit, but after receiving encouragement from everyone and taking a brief rest, Sun broke the record on his third attempt.
Sun's interest in this record was sparked in 2019, when he saw a box-jumping challenge online. After giving it a go himself, he quickly discovered a knack for the kneeling jump.
"I noticed that people around me couldn't jump high without using their feet, relying solely on core power," Sun said.
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"My first attempt was just for fun; to make a video and take a shot at the record. I didn't expect to get so close to the world record right away! Even I was surprised.
"Later on, I decided to officially apply for the record attempt, sort of putting a satisfying exclamation mark on over a decade of my training journey."
Starting his fitness journey in the first year of junior high school, Sun maintained a daily training routine.
"No one forced me; I did it because I enjoyed it, wanted to push my physical limits, and strive for better health. I trained over 300 days a year, and I've been doing it for thirteen years," he explained.
Despite his passion for sports, he admits he rarely won championships or achieved any notable feats, often being the underdog in the competitions he entered.
So, for Sun, achieving this Guinness World Records title gives him a well-deserved sense of pride and fulfilment.
"I've been through countless failures in competitions almost all my life," he said. "It wasn't until the university sports meet that I occasionally won a championship. But when it came to national-level competitions, I was always outclassed. Failing in my specialty made me very frustrated, feeling hopeless at times."
Sun believes that if his record inspires more people to attempt it, that will also be an achievement in itself.
He is also eyeing up other records to break. He said: "Now that I've secured a world record in lower-body strength, I want to see if I can break a record related to upper-body strength. I want to push my limits and compete with challengers from abroad."
Sun wants to use his position as a fitness influencer to keep guiding people, especially young ones, to transform their bodies because "with great ability comes great responsibility."
Once, I was a kid who didn't care about others. After being a sports influencer for two or three years, thousands of young people started training with me. When I saw how my sports videos could help others make such significant changes, I felt a heavier burden on my shoulders. So, I hope to keep sharing energetic and meaningful knowledge to help young people. - Sun
Besides the highest kneeling jump, there are several other Guinness World Records titles which could be broken by those with a spring in their step:
- Highest seated box jump: 1.54 m (5 ft 0.6 in), achieved by Albert Louw (South Africa)
- Highest standing jump (one leg): 1.38 m (4 ft 6.4 in), achieved by Harinder Sekhon (Malaysia)
- Farthest standing jump sideways: 2.83 m (9 ft 3 in), achieved by Lorenz Wetscher (Austria)
- Longest standing jump between two objects (parkour): 3.40 m (11 ft 2 in), by Lorenz Wetscher
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