An eight-year project
For eight years, a French man, Richard Plaud, has dedicated his time to the construction of a replica of the Eiffel Tower with 700,000 matches, with the aim of breaking the Guinness Record.
The denial of the Guinness Record
Despite the efforts, the jury has denied Plaud the Guinness World Record after discovering a breach of the rules, which require the use of matches sold in supermarkets.
The ‘trap’ detected
Plaud tried to streamline the construction process by asking a manufacturer to send him only the wooden part of the matches, rather than hand-cutting the red phosphorous at the end of the stick, as required by the rules.
Reactions and future aspirations
Despite admitting the facts, Plaud considers the denial of the prize disproportionate and seeks other forms of recognition for his work, such as inclusion in the Paris Olympic Games.
