A French man reached for the sky trying to build the tallest matchstick sculpture, but world record officials may have caused his dream to shatter to pieces.
Richard Plaud said he spent eight years crafting a 23.6-foot model of the Eiffel Tower using 706,900 matchsticks and over 50 pounds of glue. However, the Guinness Book of World Records said he used the wrong type of matchsticks, disqualifying Plaud from beating the standing record.
Plaud, a council worker for a local authority, said Guinness told him that because the matchsticks were not commercially available and not recognized as matchsticks, his attempt would be disqualified. He added that the organization said the matches can not be cut, disassembled or distorted beyond recognition.
“The Guinness Book judges have delivered their verdict, without actually seeing my turn,” Plaud wrote in French on his a Facebook page. “BIG DISILLUSION, DISAPPOINTMENT AND INCOMPREHENSION😟🥺. Tell me that the 706,900 rods stuck one by one are not matches!!?? And they are too cut to the point of being unrecognizable!!??”
The current record holder is Toufic Daher, from Lebanon, who made a matchstick Eiffel Tower that reached 21.4 feet tall in 2009 with 6 million matches. Plaud’s replica is about two feet higher.
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Guinness will review Plaud’s tower afterall
However, Plaud’s structure still stands tall and so does his attempt at beating the record.
Mark McKinley, director of Guinness’ central records services, said judges may have been too quick to dismiss the Plaud’s structure, according to NBC News.
“It’s the job of our records management team to be thorough and fastidious in reviewing evidence to make sure the playing field is level for everyone attempting a Guinness World Records title, however it does appear we might have been a little heavy-handed with this application,” McKinley told the outlet. “We will make contact with the record holder again as well as review rules for similar records as a priority, to see what can be done.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Guinness World Records and Plaud for comment on the latest status of the review.
‘Having a world record was a childhood dream’
Since December 2015, Plaud has been long at work at making the tower match by match, according to French newspaper Le Parisien. With each piece he placed and glued, he stuck to his goal of surpassing the 2009 record.
“Having a world record was a childhood dream. I always had that in the back of my mind,” Plaud told Le Parisien.
Plaud initially bought his matches at the supermarket and cut off the sulfur heads of each one, a process that grew frustrating. Le Parisien reported that he eventually reached a deal with a manufacturer and received 33-pound boxes of headless matches. However, that convenience came at a cost as the matches could not be bought by regular customers, ultimately leading to the Guinness dispute.
He finally completed the project the project on Dec. 27, 2023, which notably is the 100th anniversary of French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel’s death. Eiffel developed the iconic Paris tower named after him.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
