Gymnast breaks backflipping world record

A former British gymnast has set a new world record for backflipping.

Lucie Colebeck, from Binfield in Berkshire, completed 17 standing backwards somersaults in 30 seconds on the roof of the O2 arena in London.

She comfortably beat the previous record for women, which stood at 14 backflips, to claim the Guinness World Record.

The 29-year-old, who won world and European medals during her tumbling career, said it was "one of the biggest challenges" she had faced.

Colebeck said she had trained doing backflips on pavements to get used to the firm surface at the O2.

She said: "I love a challenge and I thought 'it is only 30 seconds – how bad can it be?'

"It was actually extremely windy, I've never really done backflips outside so I didn't really think about the external factors.

"I knew it would be really cold and I knew the surface of the O2 would be really firm but normally I'm used to being on a trampoline or a softer surface."

Lucie Colebeck broke the existing world record of 14 backflips in 30 seconds

Colebeck said initially she had only been aiming to complete 15 flips.

"Adrenalin just took over and 17 came out of nowhere," she said.

The gymnast began her career at the age of eight, training at Pinewood Gymnastics Club in Wokingham.

After retiring from competitive sport in 2018 , she performed as tumbler with Cirque du Soleil.

It is not her first Guinness World Record - she previously performed the most handsprings on a trampoline in 30 seconds.

"I think to be able to do a Guinness world record in something that I love, like gymnastics, it is just really incredible," she added.