CHANGSHA, July 12 (Xinhua) — 3,009 people carried out a 3-minute rope skipping exercise on Thursday morning in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province, making a new Guinness record for rope skipping involving the most people.

    The people aged from five to 68 were arranged in 57 squares, each with a banner for the Beijing Olympic Games.

    The previous Guinness record was set by 2,474 people on January23, 2005, in Hong Kong.

    Participants included the parents of Olympic gymnastic champion Li Xiaoshuang, and Hu Pingshen, who is renowned in China for his rope skipping skills.

    The 3,009 ropes used on Thursday will be sent to 30 elementary schools in rural Hunan to spread the Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger” there, sponsors said.

    Guinness officials in China witnessed the mass rope jumping and acknowledged the new record at the site.