News from the Natural World: Filbert the Froghopper has claimed the high jump world record.
A Froghopper by the name of Filbert has launched an extraordinary claim that could shock the sporting world. If verified it will shatter the perceptions of what is physically possible. Furthermore it will shine a light on human arrogance and ignorance in the face of the natural world. Filbert the Froghopper has stated that he has obliterated the world high jump record.
Froghoppers are an insect with a dark black body covered in red spots. Nymphs (baby Froghoppers) are commonly known as spittlebugs due to the foam they leave behind on the stems of plants. They are the greatest jumpers of the animal kingdom and constantly leap from plant to plant. Some can jump as much as 70cm vertically and accelerate 4,000 mm/s2 over 2 mm as they jump (experiencing over 400gs of acceleration).
Froghopper claims high jump record
In the animal kingdom jumping prowess is measured by how high you can jump over your height. This is the global measurement to let all animals compete fairly in jumping competitions. Filbert was always a keen jumper even by Froghopper standards. He would wake up early in the morning, eat the same breakfast every day and be the first on the training field. Then he would leap as if his life depended on it. Leaping left, leaping right, leaping everywhere! All across the Froghopper community he was revered and idolised because of his high jumping prowess.
One morning Filbert saw a news article about the Olympic Games. He was in awe as images of athletes leaping and jumping against each other in fierce competition flashed across the screen. They ran, leapt and competed like their life depended on it. The crowd went wild and thousands cheered the athletes names. Filbert knew that this was his destiny. But email after email and call after call he was ignored. He kept asking to be invited to compete, after all he was the unified world champion high jumper in the animal kingdom. But the humans ignored him.