New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- On 3 May, in the peak of the Mumbai summer, an average suburban school was the site of an extraordinary record. A 44-year-old athlete, bare torso, took his position just ahead of a wooden pole that stood 8ft, 5 inches above the ground.

He gripped the pole with his right hand; the left jutted out straight to the side, parallel to the ground. Next to him, a stop clock hit 1:00 minute. He sprang into action, latching on to the pole with his right elbow, anchoring his entire body weight on it, he flipped into the air. With his core as a fulcrum, he completed a rotation, his arms and legs ticking like a clock. The process was repeated over and over with practised, hypnotic ease.

The man: Ashwin Rawal. The mission: to do ...