Indian is world’s shortest living woman

AFP

Nagpur, 17 December 2011: An Indian student measuring just 62.8 centimetres was on Friday confirmed as the world’s shortest living woman, the Guinness World Records said.

 

Jyoti Amge took the title as she celebrated her 18th birthday with family and friends here.

 

Official adjudicator for the Guinness World Records Rob Molloy told AFP, “She’s 62.8 centimetres. She was measured three times over the last 24 hours as height can vary slightly according to the time of day. Doctors measured her in our presence at three different times, both standing up and lying down. We took an average.”

 

Shortest teenager

Ms. Amge, who is also the world’s shortest teenager, wept in joy as she was presented with a certificate, watched by her father, Kisan, 55, and mother, Ranjana, 50.

 

The teenager, wearing a sari, said: “I’m very happy to get this record.” Mr. Molloy said he was honoured to witness the record.

 

“It’s such a symbolic record and one of the most popular. I’ve worked at the Guinness World Records for eight years and I feel quite proud that I was the one to oversee the presentation of the certificate.”

 

Ms. Amge, who has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia that has restricted her height to that of an average four-month-old baby girl, has just finished her high school exams.

 

Bollywood dreams

She has expressed the hope of becoming a Bollywood actor, her father said.

 

The previous holder of the title was 69.49-centimetre-tall Bridgette Jordan from Illinois, U.S., Mr. Molloy said.