Vytautas set a new world record in the squat event in the qualifying heats at the 2012 WSM by squatting 700 lb (320 kg) for 11 repetitions.[5]
Vytautas has a younger brother, Marius Lalas, who is also a professional strongman competitor who achieved a 3rd place finish at the 2012 Strongman Champions League Russia contest.[6]
Ahola set world records for the Hercules hold (45.7 sec, 197 kg) and Atlas Stones (215 kg).[3]
He is one of only seven men to be a repeat champion in the World’s Strongest Man competition.[3]
Jouko was a very successful strongman competitor, at 6′ 1″ (1.85 m) and 275 lbs (125 kg), corresponding to a BMI of 35.8, which is low by WSM standards.[3]
Jouko appeared in the music video for Robin‘s “Faija skitsoo” in 2012.[5] He also made a cameo appearance on the second season of The Dudesons TV series, which aired worldwide in 2008.
Vasyl Virastyuk competed in the finals of the World’s Strongest Man contest in 2003 and 2004. He finished third in 2003 behind then-defending champion Mariusz Pudzianowski and runner-up Zydrunas Savickas.[2] The following year Virastyuk won the 2004 World’s Strongest Man title, placing ahead of Savickas and Pudzianowski (Pudzianowski would later be disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance).[2]
After this victory there was a split in the world of Strongman competition. While some of the competitors such as Virastyuk and Zydrunas Savickas started competing for the IFSA Strongman title (with Savickas winning the title in 2005 and 2006), others such as Pudzianowski remained and competed for the Met-Rx World’s Strongest Man title (with Pudzianowski winning in 2005, 2007, and 2008 Phil Pfister in 2006).
After finishing 2nd in 2005 and third in 2006, at the 2007 IFSA World Championship in Geumsan, South Korea, Vasyl defeated the 2 time IFSA World Champion Zydrunas Savickas. With this victory Vasyl become the first athlete in the history of strongman to win both a World’s Strongest Man title and an IFSA World title. Zydrunas would be the second to accomplish this feat after winning the 2009 World’s Strongest Man title in Malta.[3]
Virastyuk has also achieved a podium finish on three occasions in three consecutive years (2005, 2006 and 2007) at the Arnold Strongman Classic coming second on each occasion to Zydrunas Savickas. At the 2008 Arnold Strongman Classic, Vasyl was forced to withdraw due to injuries, and finished in tenth place with only 8.5 points.[4]
Svend Karlsen (born October 6, 1967) is a former Norwegianstrongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder. He is well known for shouting his catch phrase “Viking Power!” during competitions.
Powerlifting/Bodybuilding
Svend started out as a powerlifter in 1986, winning a number of titles and setting 30 Norwegian records, 3 European records, and 1 world record. Soon after, Svend began pursuing a career in bodybuilding. He traveled on the road doing posing exhibitions with some bodybuilding friends to help pay the bills. Svend won the Mr. Norway title, and took second place at the World Games. This victory earned him his IFBB pro card and he could now compete as a professional. Svend moved to California to focus on his bodybuilding career, and his first pro show was the IFBB Night of Champions. Svend suffered a severe muscle tear that forced him to retire from bodybuilding, and in 1996 he quickly moved on to strongman competitions.
Svend competed in one of the 1996 World’s Strongest Man qualifying heats and narrowly missed qualifying for the finals. In the 1997 World’s Strongest Man contest, Svend qualified for his first of 7 consecutive finals from 1997, 1999-2004(did not compete in 1998). Svend was leading the finals on points, but during the warm-up for the squat event, he tore his hamstring and had to withdraw from the rest of the contest. Svend returned in 1999, finishing in third place, and finished in second place in 2000. Svend finally became victorious at the 2001 World’s Strongest Man competition in Victoria Falls, Zambia.
Some of Svend’s other notable strongman titles include Europe’s Strongest Man 2001, 3 time runner-up at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2002-04, World Muscle Power Championships 2001 winner, and 3 time Norway’s Strongest Man in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Svend was the second athlete inducted into the World’s Strongest Man Hall of Fame in 2010 as voted by the fans. He has a larger than life personality, and is known for shouting his catchphrase “Viking Power”.
Svend is the event organizer for the Norway’s Strongest Man competition, introducing events, interviewing participants and commentating. Svend was a co-commentator for the final event at the 2010 Arnold Strongman Classic. Svend also ran the Viking Power Challenge event in Norway, which was a part of the Giants Live tour for qualification into the World’s Strongest Man competition.
In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class. His achievements in powerlifting also include Icelandic records in the bench press (with 192.5 kg, 195 kg, 210 kg and 222.5 kg) and the squat (with 320.5 kg, 330 kg, 342.5 kg and 357.5 kg), but his best performances were usually in the deadlift event, in which he set the European record many times (with 350 kg, 352.5 kg, 360 kg, 362.5 kg and 370 kg) and multiple world records in strongman competition deadlift variations, such as the rectangular handled wheel and one handed deadlift.[4]
In 1986, Jón first wrestled English Author and Guinness World Record Holder Sir Brian Sterling-Vete in a demonstration match for the TV news and print media held at Finnur Karlsson’s gymnasium in Reykjavik, Iceland. Halfway through the match Jón and Sterling had plotted to surprise the audience with a supposed angry outburst leading to the two of them demonstrating their skills as martial artists. This very typical ‘showmanship’ became synonymous with both Jón and Sterling.
In 1987, a contest called Pure Strength 1987 was held on the grounds of Huntly Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.[5] In this event, Jón Páll, Bill Kazmaier and Geoff Capes competed to crown the strongest man of all time, where Jón Páll won 8 out of 10 events.[3] A famous quote, “there is no reason to be alive if you can’t do deadlift” was shouted by Jon Pall when he won the deadlift event at this contest.
During the deadlift event at the 1985 World’s Strongest Man competition, someone in the audience called him an eskimo. Sigmarsson shouted back: “I am not an Eskimo, I am a Viking!”.
Two other famous quotes are, “I am in seventh heaven” which was his translation of an Icelandic saying, and “Ekkert mál fyrir Jón Pál” which roughly translates as “No problem for Jon Paul”.
Hjalti Arnason, a lifelong friend of Jon Pall, created the Jon Pall Sigmarsson Classic international strongman contest in 2010 in honor of Jon Pall.[6] The event is held annually during the Icelandic fitness & health expo in Reykjavik, the inaugural winner was America‘s Brian Shaw in 2010.[6]
Jón Páll Sigmarsson died on the 16th January 1993 of a heart attack. He was deadlifting in his gym in Iceland when he suffered the heart attack, caused, it is thought, by a torn aorta which was related to a weakened heart, a problem that was known to exist in his family.
The day started out good. I made 198 pounds, went back to the hotel room and began rehydration. Not gonna lie, the weigh-ins was a lil intimidating, the lifters from around the World camp to do battle.
The Squats started out with some high lifts. The Ukrainian Champion took the early lead, with the American Champion in second. The Ukrainian Champion is a former World Champion in Squats, and it showed here. I was in third place after the first attempts, and despite great efforts I was still in third place after the second attempts. I tried my best to close the gap before the Squat event was over, and I managed to be tied for second place.
Heading into the bench press I was in the bronze medal position. The American Champion turned out to be the better bencher of the field, by a lot, and came storming back to take the lead. The Ukrainian Champion finished off in second place, and despite out benching the Ukrainian I was still behind him in total because of the huge lead he had from the Squat event.Entering into the deadlift event I needed to gain some ground if I was going to win. The deadlifts is my best lift of the three events, and I had failed to win any of the two previous events. I was in third place with my total weight lifted over the first two events, and I needed a HUGE comeback if I was going to win with the over all highest weight lifted. However, I was looking more and more assured of a medal (something I always wanted in the Powerlifting World Championships).
The deadlifts were competitive, and it was a battle. In the end I was still in third place when our third and last attempt was to be made. The Ukrainian and American were ahead of me by a sizable margin. My friend from the Canadian team gave it to me bluntly when I was going to attempt my last deadlift, and the last deadlift of the competition for any one (could it be any more dramatic?)
He told me I could play it safe and go for a deadlift I had pulled before and take 3rd place, or I could go for 61o.5 pounds and go for the Gold. I had tried 600 pounds just 2 months ago and could only manage to get it an inch off the floor. Plus for that previous attempt at 600 lbs two months earlier I was not drained from a hard weight cut of 22 pounds. I didn’t think I could possibly do it. In the end my goal was to get a medal, and bronze is a medal…But a true Champion does not settle when victory is within his grasp. When victory is one lift away, you go for the opportunity, regardless if it means if you miss your lift and you leave without a medal. I could play it safe and be assured a bronze, or I could risk it all to win.
I risked it all to win.
I am proud to tell all my supporters that I am now a World Champion. I hope any one reading this gets the message…Always go for the Gold, always believe in yourself, and never settle for less than the fantasy ending.
You know, pressure can be a funny thing. It is hard to put yourself out there, and have people believe in you, and then feel the possibly of letting them down. It’s funny, when I was there in that arena, you could count the number of people who supported me on one hand. And even my biggest supporters figured I was going to go for the sure bronze and not risk it all for the hailmary last ditch effort deadlift to win it all.
But I have found sports are a funny thing. Underdogs come from the most remote places (I doubt any one there knows where Guelph Ontario is) and come from behind victories happen on the biggest of stages. While the American team was all but celebrating their victory before I even took my last attempt, no one could know the army of supporters I truely had behind me. I would always try to go for the win for them, and never would let them down. Some times it means more than just yourself, when you are representing your country and every one who believes in you. It is because of every one that is watching and looking for the update how you did that you extend yourself beyond your limits and go for the win when every one else has written you off.
This is a victory for all of us. Because without you, I would be alone in that arena.
6 Pack Lapadat 