Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep set a new world record.

At 1 PM on December 23rd, Spanish time (7 PM Vietnamese time), in front of a large audience and the press, brothers Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep successfully set a new Guinness World Record with their head-balancing circus performance, walking up 100 steps in just 53 seconds, at the Girona Cathedral in Spain.

Màn trình diễn lập kỷ lục Guinness của Quốc Cơ - Quốc Nghiệp. - Ảnh: HAI VU NGUYEN — Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep's Guinness World Record-breaking performance. - Photo: HAI VU NGUYEN

In 2016, the two artists Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep broke the world record with their head-balancing performance, climbing 90 steps of Girona Cathedral in Spain in 52 seconds. This achievement caused a sensation not only in Vietnam but also worldwide. This is also the reason why the two brothers were invited to Spain in early November by the Circus Arts Foundation to try to break their own world record.

According to artist Quoc Co, the church originally only had 90 steps, but to add more challenge to the performance, the event organizers constructed 10 new steps.

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Artist Quoc Co said: "The 10 newly designed steps have significantly different heights and materials compared to the existing 90 steps. We didn't get any prior practice with these 10 steps. Both of us used our years of skill and experience, maintaining a steady breathing and footwork at a moderate pace to successfully reach the finish line."

Anh em nghệ sĩ xiếc Quốc Cơ - Quốc Nghiệp trong trang phục áo dài dân tộc trước nhà thờ Girona - Ảnh: HAI VU NGUYEN — Circus artists Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep in traditional Vietnamese ao dai costumes in front of Girona Cathedral - Photo: HAI VU NGUYEN

Earlier, on December 17th, the two artists flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Spain to prepare for the performance. Because they only had 6 days to rehearse, they faced many difficulties, especially in the 2°C weather and humid air.

In a video posted to Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep's official YouTube channel, they shared that they were only able to climb 60 steps of the Girona Cathedral during their first training session after arriving in Spain, which made them extremely anxious. Furthermore, the organizers only added the final 10 steps 2-3 hours before the record attempt, so the two brothers didn't have the opportunity to practice with those 10 steps beforehand.

Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep's success this time has added another milestone to the field of Vietnamese circus art. After the event, the two brothers will continue to stay in Spain to interact with artists from other countries in a series of New Year's festivals in Spain.

The performance by brothers Quoc Co and Quoc Nghiep set a new world record: