Estonian sets world record for longest LED slackline walk in Qatar

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Red Bull athlete Jaan Roose on Sunday completed the world’s longest LED-lit, single building slackline walk in Qatar. (Supplied)
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Red Bull athlete Jaan Roose on Sunday completed the world’s longest LED-lit, single building slackline walk in Qatar. (Supplied)
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Red Bull athlete Jaan Roose on Sunday completed the world’s longest LED-lit, single building slackline walk in Qatar. (Supplied)
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Updated 31 July 2023
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Estonian sets world record for longest LED slackline walk in Qatar

  • Three-time world champion Jaan Roose says challenge was his ‘toughest ever’
  • ‘Sparkline’ walk stretched more than 150 meters at Iconic Towers in Lusail

DOHA: Red Bull athlete Jaan Roose on Sunday completed the world’s longest LED-lit, single building slackline walk in Qatar.

The Estonian national and three-time world slackline champion achieved the feat, titled “Sparkline,” at the first attempt between the two sides of the scimitar-shaped Iconic Towers in Lusail that house the Raffles and Fairmont Doha hotels.

Covering a distance of more than 150 meters, the walk was not only the longest on a single building, but also Jaan’s highest urban walk to date, at an elevation of more than 185 meters on a line just 2.5 cm wide.

“When I first saw the Iconic Towers, I knew this was a building that I had to walk. Anything worth achieving comes with its fair share of challenges, and I’m proud to complete this one,” Roose said.

“Per meter walked, this line was my toughest ever. As an athlete, I’m always looking to push myself further and defy the odds. In this case the heat and wind conditions added a different element that I needed to react to and manage spontaneously while I was on the slackline.

“The warm LED lights and their extra weight also changed how the line interacted with me and my body weight. It’s like skateboarding on a big heavy tree trunk rather than a light board.

“The Iconic Towers are an incredible place to be completing this feat and mark a very special visit for my first time in Qatar.”

Christian Hirt, managing director of Raffles and Fairmont Doha, was full of praise for the Estonian.

“Raffles and Fairmont Doha have always celebrated the extraordinary and this event embodies that spirit,” he said.

“The project serves to underline our commitment to showcasing high-caliber talents that defy the impossible. As this daring athlete Sparklines across our towers, we hope it captivates the world and inspires others to push their boundaries.”

Berthold Trenkel, chief operating officer of Qatar Tourism, said: “Qatar has built a sporting legacy for itself and is now a true hub for international sporting events. We’re delighted to support the exhilarating slackline walk event and champion renowned athletes.

“By fostering a culture of athleticism, we strive to create opportunities for athletes to showcase their skills and reach new heights in their athletic careers. In addition to its world-class sporting facilities, Qatar is home to a fresh and diverse suite of incredible hotels that make Qatar a global destination of choice for all travelers.”


Second doctor in Matthew Perry overdose case sentenced to home confinement

Updated 17 December 2025
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Second doctor in Matthew Perry overdose case sentenced to home confinement

  • Dr. Mark Chavez, 55, a onetime San Diego-based physician, pleaded guilty in federal court in October
  • Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett also sentenced Chavez to 300 hours of community service

LOS ANGELES: A second California doctor was sentenced on Tuesday to eight months of home confinement for illegally supplying “Friends” star Matthew Perry with ketamine, the powerful sedative that caused the actor’s fatal drug overdose in a hot tub in 2023.
Dr. Mark Chavez, 55, a onetime San Diego-based physician, pleaded guilty in federal court in October to a single felony count of conspiracy to distribute the prescription anesthetic and surrendered his medical license in November.
Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett also sentenced Chavez to 300 hours of community service. As part of his plea agreement, Chavez admitted to selling ketamine to another physician Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 44, who in turn supplied the drug to Perry, though not the dose that ultimately killed the performer. Plasencia, who pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful drug distribution, was sentenced earlier this month to 2 1/2 years behind bars.
He and Chavez were the first two of five people convicted in connection with Perry’s ketamine-induced death to be sent off to prison.
The three others scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks — Jasveen Sangha, 42, a drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen;” a go-between dealer Erik Fleming, 56; and Perry’s former personal assistant, Iwamasa, 60.
Sangha admitted to supplying the ketamine dose that killed Perry, and Iwamasa acknowledged injecting Perry with it. It was Iwamasa who later found Perry, aged 54, face down and lifeless, in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023.
An autopsy report concluded the actor died from the acute effects of ketamine,” which combined with other factors in causing him to lose consciousness and drown.
Perry had publicly acknowledged decades of substance abuse, including the years he starred as Chandler Bing on the hit 1990s NBC television series “Friends.”
According to federal law enforcement officials, Perry had been receiving ketamine infusions for treatment of depression and anxiety at a clinic where he became addicted to the drug.
When doctors there refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous providers elsewhere willing to exploit Perry’s drug dependency as a way to make quick money, authorities said. Ketamine is a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties that is sometimes prescribed to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders. It also has seen widespread abuse as an illicit party drug.