Student's four-hour splits verified as world record

A former student at a Bournemouth school has been officially verified as having broken the world record for doing the splits.

Nadia Aksenova, 18, held the centre split position for four hours at Bournemouth Kings school in March.

She beat the existing record of three hours and 40 minutes.

Ms Akesnova, who is an enthusiast of the circus art of contortion, admitted her feat of endurance was "not comfortable at all".

"I'm not going to lie - that hurt a lot, but it was so, so worth it," she said.

Ms Akesnova kept herself herself occupied during the record attempt by putting on a long Avatar movie and listening to music.

She also used the challenge as an opportunity to raise funds for child education charity, Theirworld.

Russian national Ms Akesnova has now received her official certificate from Guinness World Records confirming she had maintained the centre split pose - also known as the Samakonasana yoga pose - for four hours.

The school described it as a "display of remarkable endurance and perseverance".

Principal Andrew Roper said staff and pupils were "so proud" of their former A-Level student.

Ms Akesnova is now at university in Cyprus, studying marketing.

"I'm not sure about my future job - we'll see how contortion will affect my life in future.

"If someone beats [the record], it's fair, it means there's someone stronger than me.

"Maybe if that happens, I might actually try to beat it again," she said.