VLADIVOSTOK — The Guinness Book of World Records said Thursday that it was re-examining the recently adjudicated record for largest human flag in Vladivostok.
The city's administration said last Sunday that 26,000 people gathered to make the largest human flag during the celebrations for the city's official day, beating the previous record of 24,000 people set in Pakistan. The city's Mayor, Igor Pushkaryov, received a certificate confirming the record from Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday on the same day, a city spokesman said.
However, the true number of participants was questioned by local bloggers, who said there could have been fewer of them than initially thought. An independent expert who analyzed photographs from the event said it gathered only 9,600 people.
"Following concerns raised around the counting method used during the recently adjudicated record for largest human flag on Sunday, July 7 in Vladivostok, Russia, Guinness World Records will be undertaking a thorough review of all evidence received," the organization said in a written response to a RIA Novosti request. "This will involve gathering expertise from a number of sources and is likely to take a number of weeks to complete."
"During this investigation the current record holder's status remains the same and once our review is completed we will be in a position to comment further," the statement reads.
A spokesman for the Vladivostok city administration declined to comment on Guinness World Records statement.
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