Adam Vinatieri makes record high-altitude field goal in the Swiss Alps
The Patriots released video of Vinatieri’s 33-yard kick at Jungfraujoch, which the team says set a Guinness World Records mark.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
The New England Patriots’ video shows Adam Vinatieri making a 33-yard field goal on a snowy Swiss Alps site, a kick the team says earned the Guinness World Records title for the highest-altitude American football field goal made.
The Adam Vinatieri high altitude field goal was struck at Jungfraujoch, known as the Top of Europe. The Patriots put the elevation at 3,449.64 meters, or 11,317 feet 8 inches, and said former Bayern Munich soccer player Giovane Elber handled the hold.
UPI reported that the former Patriots kicker completed the attempt Tuesday and described Jungfraujoch as a saddle in the Swiss Alps. The outlet also reported the kick was 33 yards.
Where did Adam Vinatieri make the record field goal?
Vinatieri made it at Jungfraujoch in Switzerland, a high-altitude mountain location the Patriots refer to as the Top of Europe. According to the Patriots, the record applies to an American football field goal made at the greatest altitude, rather than to the length of the kick.
The Patriots organized the filmed attempt as promotion for their upcoming game against the Detroit Lions at Allianz Arena in Munich, UPI reported. Yahoo Sports likewise reported that the stunt was tied to the Nov. 15 matchup in Munich.
Vinatieri said in a Patriots news release that the altitude changed his breathing, heart rate and rhythm. He said he had not faced those conditions during an NFL kick.
There is a small mismatch in the reported elevation. The Patriots’ video lists 3,449.64 meters, or 11,317 feet 8 inches, while Yahoo Sports reported 3,454 meters and 11,332 feet. UPI reported the 11,317-feet-8-inches figure but quoted Vinatieri referring to 3,454 meters. The Patriots’ precise measurement is the one used here because it appears on the team’s video page.
The video is a quick look at the setup, Elber’s hold and Vinatieri’s successful kick against the Alpine backdrop. The Patriots and UPI described the result as a Guinness World Records achievement; the supplied reporting does not include a separate Guinness account of the measurement.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.