‘A little heavy handed’: Guinness reverses decision on modified matchstick Eiffel Tower

A French man spent eight years building his dream of being a world record holder stick by stick, only to have judges disqualify him for using the wrong materials for the tallest matchstick sculpture record. But days after news of his disappointment made headlines around the world, Guinness World Records opted to reverse it’s ruling, multiple outlets reported.

Richard Plaud said he spent eight years crafting a 23.6-foot model of the Eiffel Tower using 706,900 matchsticks and more than 50 pounds of glue. However, Guinness initially said he used the wrong type of matchsticks, disqualifying Plaud from beating the standing record.

But days later, Guinness reversed its decision, and director of records Mark McKinley told the New York Times in an interview that they had been “a little heavy handed” with regulations for a matchstick.

Guinness did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment, but McKinley shared with Reuters, “We’re really excited to be able to approve it… Richard’s attempt truly is officially amazing.”

Plaud posted about the award on Instagram: “The matchstick Eiffel Tower is finally recognised as the tallest matchstick structure in the world 🏆 Thank you all for your support 🙏 The adventure is just beginning… 😁”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2IPzXyMiwR/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=2f02d71b-fd11-4ae1-b500-4059872147c1

Plaud ordered custom matchsticks without sulfur head

Plaud, a council worker for a local authority, said Guinness told him that because the matchsticks were not commercially available and not recognized as matchsticks, his attempt would be disqualified. He added that the organization said the matches can not be cut, disassembled or distorted beyond recognition.

Plaud initially bought his matches at the supermarket and cut off the sulfur heads of each one, a process that grew frustrating. French newspaper Le Parisien reported that he eventually reached a deal with a manufacturer and received 33-pound boxes of headless matches. However, that convenience came at a cost as the matches could not be bought by regular customers, ultimately leading to the Guinness dispute.

He took to social media after the ruling: