French tightrope walker says he sets a new record of 2.2 km

PARIS

French tightrope walker Nathan Paulin has claimed to have set a new world record by successfully covering a 2.2-kilometer (1.3-mile) long walk along a tightrope across the famed Mont Saint-Michel island.

Paulin broke his previous world record of 1.6 km (1 mi) after completing the walk on the slackline across the Mont-Saint-Michel, a UNESCO world heritage site on a tidal island in Normandy, on Tuesday evening.

The 28-year-old adventurist was suspended at an elevation of over 100 meters (328 feet) height on the 20 mm (0.78 inches) slackline wire that was connected on the land with a crane and the bell room of the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey.

Towards the finishing mark, he fell, while still being attached to the safety straps. Pauline told the BFMTV news that the fall was intentional as he had surpassed the 2.2-km mark and stopped 4m (13 ft) from the end.

The record-breaking feat, reportedly the longest ever, took him two hours to complete. “It's the most complex crossing I've had the opportunity to imagine. It's incredibly beautiful!” he said on social media following the barefoot tightrope walk.

In 2017, Nathan walked 1.6 km above the Cirque de Navacelles canyon in southern France.

He told BFMTV that his next challenge would be to complete the tightrope walk from the Montparnasse Tower to the Eiffel Tower in Paris covering a distance of 2.7 km (1.6 mi) if he secures the necessary authorization.