Japanese Boy Set to Skip into Record Books after Octuple Under

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:45 JST, July 18, 2023

YAMAGUCHI — A 15-year-old boy who performed a jump-rope octuple under on Monday is set to earn a place in the record books after surpassing the current record of a septuple under.

An “under” refers to the number of times a skipping rope passes beneath the feet during a single leap.

Ehime Jump Rope Association judges observed Kirato Hidaka accomplish the feat at Kawanishi Junior High School’s gymnasium in Yamaguchi. After 20 or so jumps, Hidaka succeeded in pulling off an octuple under. The young athlete plans shortly to contact the Guinness World Records organization.

Hidaka became enamored with skipping as a fifth grader in elementary school. He practiced staying aloft as long as possible while working on his wrist-rotation speed.

Hidaka, who marked his birthday on the day, was cheered on by classmates as he attempted to break the record.

“I learned that even if I’m not good at something, I can achieve results if I work hard at it,” Hidaka said with a smile. “I want to continue practicing my skipping.”