It's official: top powerlifter Vladimir Bondarenko (Russia) is the mysterious Mister X who will be competing in the upcoming World Strongman Cup contest in Moscow.


Is he the next superstar in strongman? Top powerlifter Vladimir Bondarenko will be joining the field in the World Strongman Cup contest in Moscow on July 1. IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.
 

The multi-titled Bondarenko is 191 cm tall (about six feet three inches) and weighs 154 kg (just under 340 pounds), and according to no less an authority than two-time IPF World Champion Brad Gillingham, "looks pretty athletic."

World Strongman Cup Manager Vlad Redkin told IronMind® that he has high hopes for Bondarenko as a strongman competitor and views him as a potential superstar in the sport.

Brad Gillingham, incidentally, was the first person to correctly guess the identity of Mister X and he wins a gift certificate for one Captains of Crush® Gripper and one IMTUG® for being so quick and accurate.

It was filled with surprises, but when the dust settled at the end of the first day of the finals at the 2007 Britain's Strongest Man contest, Mark Felix was in the lead, two points ahead of Terry Hollands.

The day kicked off with the Farmer's Walk and while Mark Felix was expected to win, things didn't turn out that way: Terry Hollands was hauling, so in an effort to nip him at the finish, Mark Felix dove for the line, but came up just short - forcing him to regroup, pick up the anvils and get them fully over the finish line.

Next, in the Car Walk, Terry Hollands went first, posted what seemed to be a blazing time, but Mark Felix, going last, really hit the gas and won the event.

The last event of the day, the Deadlift, gave Felix a clear win, as he was the only competitor to complete the challenge, and he finished the day in first place, with Terry Hollands two points in arrears.

The Gododdin Games will debut on TV this Sunday in the UK, so get ready to see the latest from the godfather of strongman, Dr. Douglas Edmunds.

Hardly a shrinking violet, Douglas Edmunds is the driving spirit behind much of what now stands as modern strongman, but especially because he's a mighty Scot, it should be no surprise that the Edmunds' roots in the Highland Games are mult-generational.

Earlier this year, Edmunds re-invented the Highland Games Heavy Events, by combining what he saw as its best elements with those from strongman, and cast the package in the warrior-themed setting that appeals to his basic instincts. The resulting package - The Highlander Challenge - kicked off with The Gododdin Games on May 27 at Scotland's Blair Castle, backed by Event Scotland, and the resulting program is now ready to hit the airwaves.

"In the UK, the IFSA Strongman supported Highlander Challenge - The Gododdin Games will debut on television this Sunday at 8:00 am on Channel 4," IFSA Managing Director Christian Fennell told IronMind® today.

"IFSA is committed to strongman," Fennell said, and "this is another application of strength and it represents another outlet for the assets we manage. It's new and exciting . . . Douglas has been playing with this for a while, and now he has the perfect formula."

Fennell also explained that this year IFSA is seeing very strong growth in its television coverage of strongman.

"The IFSA Strongman 2006 television series surpasses the 500 million household mark with a 12 x 26-minute episode series now running in 180 markets, carried by 24 major networks and broadcast in 15 different languages," Fennell said, and "in addition to this distribution platform, IFSA will have seven hours of our GP series running exclusively on Eurosport. There is good demand for strongman on television," Fennell said, "and we are happy to fill it."

The Highlander Challenge only adds to this, Fennell emphasized, so if you want to see the latest from the godfather of strongman, and if you're in the UK this weekend, tune in to Channel 4 at 8:00 am.

Anyone who read the start list just posted for the upcoming World Strongman Cup contest in Moscow must be asking, "Who's Mister X?"


2000 World's Strongest Man winner Janne Virtanen, shown in the 2006 WSMC Moscow contest, will be competing again in Moscow this weekend. IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.

His exact identity can't be revealed yet, but IronMind® can tell you that he has a very significant powerlifting background and that Vlad Redkin said, "I hope he will be a new super star!!"

Stay tuned.

IronMind® has just received the official list of competitors and events for the next stage of the World Strongman Cup, which is set for July 1, in Moscow's Luzniki Sports Stadium.

Here is the start list:

1. Janne Virtanen (Finland)
2. Stoyan Todorchev (Bulgaria)
3. Dominic Filiou (Canada)
4. Ronalds Gulbis (Latvia)
5. Boris Haraldsson (Iceland)
6. Dave Ostlund (USA)
7. Florian Trimpl (Germany)
8. Derek Boyer (Australia)
9. Pavel Soroka (Belarus)
10. Sebastjan Wenta (Poland)
11. Mostaba Maleki (Iran)
12. Dmitry Kononec (Russia)
13. Kirill Shimko (Belarus)
14. Mister X (Russia)

The events are: Farmer's Walk (2x150 kg), Truck Pull, Atlas Stones (5 stones), Conan's Wheel, Deadlift, and a Medley (barrels 2-3 x 90 kg + Duck Walk 200 kg for 20 meters + Tires Flip - 15 meters)

"Unfortunately, after the European Championship in Poland, Vidzis, Abrutis and Nigmatullin were injured," said Vlad Redkin, WSMC Manager.

IFSA Managing Director Christian Fennell told IronMind® today that the 2007 IFSA World Championships will be held in South Korea, September 11 - 16, just outside of Seoul.

This contest is one of five international contests that make up the 2007 IFSA television series, Christian said, along with the:

European Championships (July 21 - 22),
Four-Man Team World Championships (August 4 -5),
Two-Man Team World Championships (October 7 - 9), and the
Open World Championships (to be held in September).

The top twelve finishers from the IFSA European Championships, along with the top six finishers from the IFSA USA Championships, have qualified for the IFSA World Championships, Fennell explained, and the Open World Championships allow any other athletes to compete for the top three spots, which will also qualify for a berth at the IFSA World Championships in Korea.

IFSA is continuing to grow, said Fennell, noting, "We had 12 half-hour TV shows in 2005 and again in 2006, and we have 26 episodes this year, with national distribution in the USA, Russia, Canada and the UK."

Returning to what he calls "a federation's body of events," and citing that as an index of its vitality, Fennell said, "IFSA has already held more contests this year than any other federation will probably hold all year."

And as far as what reaches the athletes, Fennell said that while it's premature to get too specific about the prize money at the 2007 IFSA World Championships, the total purse will be a minimum of US$125,000.

For full details on the upcoming IFSA contests and related developments, please check the official IFSA website.

With the last two events in the qualifying round of Britain's Strongest Man held today, it was Terry Hollands who produced a pair of the best times.

First up was Fingal's Fingers and later it was the Atlas Stones - Hollands had the fastest time of the day in both events. Continuing as expected, Terry Hollands, Mark Westaby, Darren Sadler and Mark Felix have made it though to the finals, where they are seen as likely to command the top places.

Watch for details on the official World's Strongest Man website.

A high-ranking source close to the negotiations told IronMind® that the deal for the 2007 IFSA World Championships is "signed and done."

This news will make a big splash in the strongman world, where the recent feeling was that IFSA was quietly folding its tent and leaving the field. Instead, IFSA now seems to have regained its legs and if anything, is going into the remainder of this season in better shape than last year.

"The turning point was Iceland last year," an insider told IronMind®, referring to the 2006 IFSA World Championships, a seemingly last-minute affair that was the apparent result of the combined efforts of Magnus Ver Magnusson, Douglas Edmunds and Christian Fennell.

In terms of IFSA's survival, even more important than the contest itself merely being held, was the subsequent distribution of the resulting TV programs and by all appearances, IFSA is very happy with its success in this arena.

IronMind® can't announce the details of the 2007 IFSA World Championships yet, but we have been cleared to say that the contest will be held in September, "in a sunny location."

The west coast of Iceland will be the setting for Iceland's Strongest Viking this weekend, the organizing committee told IronMind® today.


The Honda VT1300 might be billed as "the cruiser for cruising off into the sunset," but don't count on four-time World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Ver Magnusson doing that on his bike just yet - he might be lacing up this weekend. IronMind® | Photo courtesy of The Comity.
 

The organizers set the stage for this weekend's contest with words that would make the local tourist bureau proud, saying, "Surrounded with mountains and amazing nature, the modern Vikings of Iceland will do battle about who is the strongest . . . ," and the competitors include "Benedikt Magnusson, Georg Ogmundsson, Jon Valgeir Williams, Petur Bruno, Sigfus Fossdal and possibly Magnus Ver Magnusson."

"I'm thinking about it," Magnus Ver told IronMind®, when asked whether he was really going to compete this weekend. "I am one of the organizers, but the boys have kind of been pressuring me to take part. I tested my powers last weekend and they were still there, so I might jump in."

Magnus explained that he had originally been thinking about competing in the East Coast Giant competition, as he had last year, but now, he might join the action a couple of months earlier than scheduled.

Incidentally, this will be the 15th edition of the Iceland's Strongest Viking contest and guess who has won about 11 of them? With more victories than he can remember exactly, Magnus Ver will be on familiar territory this weekend and while he told IronMind that he would not be entering with the expectation of winning, he added, "but you never know. . . ."

The events are: Hercules hold, silver coin deadlift, loading in water, tire flip, overhead stones, stone loading, tractor pull, throw for height and farmer's walk.

Time was if you wanted to see a really heavy strongman contest, Finland was at the top of your list, and longtime strongman promoter Ilkka Kinnunen told IronMind that this year's IFSA Finnish Grand Prix will be in that tradition, "high quality and heavy."


Jani Illikainen, coming off his victory at the recent Finland's Strongest Man contest, will be competing in the IFSA Finnish Grand Prix later this year. IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Illka Kinnunen and Jani Illikainen.
 

Although the full field has not yet been invited, Kinnunen told IronMind® that the athlete list will include Jani Illikainen, Robert Schepanski, Jarno Hams, Vidas Bleikaitis and Andrus Murumets. A total of ten athletes will compete, Kinnunen said.

Log lift for max, truck pull with harness, farmer's walk, hand-over-hand pull, Hercules hold and a medley will be the events, said Kinnunen.

Set for September 1, "The competition is the main event of the Oulu City Festival," Kinnunen told IronMind®.

The second day of the qualifying round of Britain's Strongest Man has just ended and the pre-competition favorites are upholding their end of the bargain.

Heavy rains marked the day and this morning's squat and deadlift were performed in what was described as "torrential rain."

At this point, the four heat leaders are Mark Felix, Terry Hollands, Mark Westaby and Darren Sadler, with Mark Westaby getting the nod for the standout performance so far, for knocking off 15 reps on the overhead safe lift (115 kg).

Westaby, who is 42 years old, stands about six feet five inches tall and reportedly weighs 27 stones (about 378 pounds). Westaby is a pig farmer from York, England and only has about four years of strongman training under his belt, so considering everything, it is little wonder that he is the talk of the contest.

Watch for details on the official World's Strongest Man website.

The action continues tomorrow.

Indianapolis - Reese Hoffa didn't just win the men's shot title at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships today - he also had a handful of the best throws.


Reese Hoffa sailed to victory in the men's shot put today, with a best throw of 70 feet 5.25 inches. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

The star-studded field had to compete in the rain, but that didn't seem to faze Reese Hoffa as he launched the top five throws (all over 21 meters), with a best effort of 21.47 meters (70 feet 5.25 inches). Hoffa was going for ownership of the top six throws, but he fouled on his last throw.

Dan Taylor was second with 21.00 meters (68 feet 10.75 inches), and Adam Nelson was good for third place with 20.54 meters (67 feet 4.75 inches), even though he only took his first two throws.

Fouls were a big factor today, as Christian Cantwell, who finished fifth, struggled with four fouls, and John Godina fouled out in the qualifying round.

Indianapolis - Cementing his position as the top American hammer thrower, A.G. Kruger won the USA National Outdoor title last night with a throw of 78.10 meters.


A.G. Kruger on his way to the men's hammer title at the USA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Kibwe Johnson was second (75.12 meters) and Thomas Freeman was third (74.39 meters).

In the wake of heated conversations about the scoring system used at the WSMSS Muscle Beach Grand Prix, IronMind invited Odd Haugen, the contest's organizer and a very worthy competitor himself, to comment on what he calls "Double Points! WSMSS-style."




Three-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski had a seven-point lead going into the final event at the WSMSS Muscle Beach Grand Prix, yet Dave Ostlund was able to overtake him for the overall victory. Was Mariusz robbed? IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"Let me first say, if it was up to me personally," Haugen said, "I would prefer that if 14 guys started the contest, 14 guys should complete contest.  Fourteen points for first place, 1 point for last place, and zero if the athlete didn't score a measurable result.  However, practical considerations such as TV production and keeping the live audience engaged necessitate reducing the field of athletes as the contest proceeds.  Even if we keep the scoring the same as we reduce the field to 6 or 8, you are now going from a 14-point spread from first to last to a 6- or 8-point spread from first to last which makes it difficult for someone to come from behind to catch the leader, or just move up in the standing.

In many contests you may as well eliminate the final events because the final standing is pretty much finalized without running the final event!  But of course, we don't want that, and therefore giving extra credit for the last event will keep the competition alive. 

At this past weekend's World's Strongest Man Super Series Venice Beach Grand Prix, we awarded double points for the final event, 16 for first place and 2 for last place as we did at Mohegan Sun Grand Prix in April.  This was specifically explained to all the athletes in the Friday night's rules briefing, and interestingly, the only protest or argument against it was voiced by David Ostlund, the eventual beneficiary of the rule.

David won because he is an outstanding athlete that had an equally outstanding day, Mariusz Pudzanowski got second because he tried to win the final event, instead of cautiously securing the overall victory, which he easily could have done.  But that is NOT Mariusz.  Mariusz is a fighter and he tries to win every event in every contest, and usually does!"

In discussing this situation, Dave Ostlund told IronMind® that it was ironic that he - the sole athlete to object to this scoring system at the rules briefing - was the largest beneficiary of it, although it should be understood that even when Dave raised his objections he fully understood that the final event, stones, is one at which he excels. This should make it clear that Dave Ostlund's objection was based not on his self interest, but on his belief that all events should be weighted equally, and it bears on the larger question, Ostlund explained, of how much the contest itself should be shaped by TV considerations.

Since 1985, Iceland's Strongest Man contest has featured marquee names in the sport - Jon Pall Sigmarsson, Magnus Ver Magnusson, Hjalti Arnason and Torfi Olafson are among the winners - and this weekend, Kristinn Oskar (aka Boris) Haraldsson repeated as the strongman king in the Land of Fire and Ice.


The field from the Iceland's Strongest Man (and a future winner?) lines up. IronMind® | Hjalti Arnason photo.
 

This is the original contest, Hjalti Arnason explained to IronMind®, and this year the field included several top guest competitors: Terry Hollands, Rene Minkwitz and Don Pope.

Arnason filed this report:

"Boris wins again; he had a great start, winning in the squat with 602 kg (13 cm) and in the log lift with 165 kg. Then Terry Holland won Atlas stones, and Hercules hold.  Rene Minkwitz won the Toyota Hilux hand over hand on a grass, Terry won the yoke race, the truck pull and the medley. Boris won forward hold and had 1/2 point lead for the final event, the Husafell stone. Two thousand people went mad when Boris did a dance with the Husafoll stone Jon Pall-style.'

"Lafur Gudjonsson did win the Husafell stone; he is 108 kg and he did a walk of close to 50 meters."

Here are the final places and point for the top four:

1. Boris 68 points
2.Terry Hollands 64.5
3. Don Pope 56.5
4. Rene Minkwitz 55.

"The first part of the contest will be on Syn in Iceland next Thursday and the second part will air one week later," Arnason said.

"Finally, a Dutch winner again!" Marcel Mostert told IronMind®. "I'm happy!"

Veteran Dutch strongman promoter Marcel Mostert, said it was "a fantastic sunny day," with 4,000 spectators on hand to cheer for Jarno Hams as he won the IFSA Grand Prix of Holland over the weekend. Mostert has been running this event for more than 10 years, "always with a great crowd and enthusiastic athletes."

The international field included competitors from New Zealand, Australia and the USA, and the events included a Viking press for maximum weight, which Mostert said was a first in any grand prix . . . Jarno Hams and Agris Kazelniks tied for first in this event, with 240 kg.

"Jarno was in his best shape and very happy to take his first place ever in the Grand Prix of Holland," Mostert said.

Here are the final places and points:

1. Jarno Hams (Holland) 71.5 points
2. Etienne Smit (South Africa) 63.5
3. Georg Odmundsson (Iceland) 58.5
4. Agnis Kazelniks (Latvia) 55
5. Steve MacDonald (USA) 47.5
6. Levi Veoga (New Zealand) 41.5
7. Tom Jansen (Holland) 38
8. Jeremy Hogg (Australia) 31.5
9. Adam Darasz (Hungary) 22.5
10. Boris Milosevic (Slovenia) 21.5
11. Jimmy Laureys (Belgium) - Injury

"The event will be broadcasted two hours on Dutch and European channels, as well on Eurosport soon," Mostert said.

Looking ahead, Mostert told IronMind®, "We are making the IFSA Bulgarian Grand Prix in Sofia this coming weekend , 23 June, where again Jarno Hams and Agris Kazelniks can measure their strength with other top athletes like the recovered Robert Schzepanski from Poland."

Wes Peart has just been certified on the No. 3 Captains of Crush® Gripper, making if official that he has a world-class grip.

IronMind® is proud to recognize Wes Peart's accomplishment and his name has been added to the official roster of the people certified on the world famous No. 3 Captains of Crush® Gripper.

Way to go, Wes!

Venice, California - Dave Ostlund trailed Mariusz Pudzianowski going into the final event, the Atlas Stones, and they were the final pair to go.


Dave Ostlund wins the Atlas Stones and the WSMSS Muscle Beach Grand Prix today. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Pudzianowski had been tagged as the contest favorite from the outset and Ostlund had sleeper status because there was talk that he was in really good shape and was capable of a top finish - not even his believers would have been likely to say that Ostlund would end up claiming all the marbles, though.

The final positions and places were:

1. Dave Ostlund 64 points
2. Mariusz Pudzianowski 63
3. Jesse Marunde 60
4. Karl Gillingham 47
5. Mark Philippi 43
6. Kevin Nee (injured) 40
7. Tarmo Mitt 39
8. Corey St. Clair 38

As a result of their placings, Dave Ostlund, Jesse Marunde and Karl Gillingham have now qualified for the 2007 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest (Mariusz Pudzianowski had already qualified, based on the WSMSS Mohegan Sun Grand Prix).

The Venice area of southern California has more muscle history than any other piece of real estate in the world, so when three-time World's Strongest Man winner Bill Kazmaier says, "There has never been this much muscle there before," it's time to listen up.


"Were very lucky to have Mariusz in strongman . . . he could have been a bodybuilder," said Bill Kazmaier. Mariusz might have the muscular development of a bodybuilder, but looks alone didn't produce his three World's Strongest Man victories . . . Mariusz Pudzianowski is in the most elite stratum of strongmen and he'll be competing at in the WSMSS Muscle Beach Grand Prix this Saturday. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

Talking about the rich history of Muscle Beach - an international magnet for bodybuilders, lifters and acrobats/hand balancers for more than half a century - Bill Kazmaier was quick to give credit to the leading bodybuilders who have called the area home. "This is the mecca of bodybuilding," the Kaz told IronMind®, "but for this much muscle to be there is monumental . . . they should put up another plaque [commemorating the occasion]. There have been some buff guys there and some guys who have pumped a little iron, but there has never been anything like this before. All this contest is missing is [Phil] Pfister."

Bill Kazmaier is talking about the World's Strongest Man Super Series Muscle Beach Grand Prix, and it's this Saturday in Venice, California, with a start time of high noon.

He was the 2005 Junior World Champion, but more than even that, Arsen Kasabiev (Georgia) was the latest star lifter being groomed by Ivane Grikurovi, the Georgian weightlifting coach who has been the force behind such top tier competitors as Kahi Kahiashvili (Akakios Kakiasvilis), George Asanidze and Szymon Kolecki.


Showing his mettle, Arsen Kasabiev might have bombed in the snatch at the 2006 European Weightlifting Championships, but he came back to make this 220-kg gold medal clean and jerk in the 94-kg category. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"Before Arsen was injured, I expected the fight for the gold medal in Beijing to be between Arsen, Szymon and Ilya Illin," Grikurovi told IronMind®, referring to upcoming Olympic battle in the 94-kg category. With Kasabiev hurt, things were pointing toward a two-horse race, but that might be changing again.

Arsen Kasabiev had surgery on his knee in December, Grikurovi said, and he is back in training now, so it might be too early to count him out of the hunt. In the meantime, if all goes well, look for him to start at the World Weightlifting Championships later this year.

Athletic Director Steve Conway and the rest of San Francisco's Caledonian Club crew have come up with another terrific T-shirt design for the 2007 Pleasanton Highland Games and the pro line-up reflects the world-class status of this major heavy events competition.


San Francisco's Coit Tower looms in the background of the official T-shirt for the 2007 Pleasanton Highland Games. IronMind® | Courtesy of Steve Conway.

"The pro line-up is Ryan Vierra, Dave Brown, Sean Betz, Larry Brock, Harrison Bailey III, Andrew Hobson and new pros Eric Frasure and Daniel McKim. It should be a great comp . . . Eric is ready to tear up the pro class and Daniel has some really strong events (stones)," Conway told IronMind®.

Pleasanton has always fielded a premier women's field as well, and 2007 will be no exception, including "last year's US Champ Andrea Thornton, new World Champ Summer Pierson and Canadian Champ Josee Morneau as well as some new faces from back East," said Conway.

It's going to be huge - something of a World's Strongest Man tune-up. 


Terry Hollands, shown on the deadlift at the 2006 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest, will be one of the favorites at the upcoming Britain's Strongest Man contest, and from what we hear, there' s a new competitor, about Terry's size, who will also be a man to watch. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Colin Bryce told IronMind® that as big as Terry Hollands is (about six feet six inches tall and 190 kg in bodyweight), don't think he's the only guy there who will fill a doorway - Mark Westerby stands about six feet seven inches tall and weighs about 180 kg, Bryce said, and watch for big things from the big man. Doing the introduction, Bryce said, "He came from nowhere and has to be regarded as one of the favorites."

Darren Sadler and Mark Felix are also men to watch, said Bryce, although he quickly added, "This one will be tough to call with all the new faces. We have six or seven competitors who are 25 or under, which is very, very rare in strongman, and Jay Hughes, who won the South of England qualifier, which some people consider the hardest of the qualifiers, is only 23."

Geoff Capes, the world-class shot putter who won World's Strongest Man in 1983 and 1985, will be on hand, awarding a six-foot William Wallace sword to the winner, in honor of the great Scottish warrior (whose death, when finally captured by the English, makes mere execution sound like a piece of cake).

Along with top competitors, this contest will feature World's Strongest Man events and equipment, with Jouko Ahola (1997 and 1998 World's Strongest Man winner) in charge of events and Svend Karlsen (2001 World's Strongest Man winner) refereeing.

Underscoring the elite status of Britain's Strongest Man, TWI told IronMind® that the winner is assured an invitation to the 2007 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest.

Britain's Strongest Man will be held in Butlins Minehead (England), June 24 - 29.

Successfully defending their titles, Jani Illikainen won Finland's Strongest Man and Kati Luoto won Finland's Strongest Woman in Turku, Finland this weekend.

"Both competitions were tough," Ilkka Kinnunen told IronMind®, and besides the heat from their fellow athletes, the competitors had to deal with +31 degree (Centigrade) temperatures (about 88 degrees Fahrenheit), Kinnunen said.

In addition to taking home top honors in the men's contest with 78 points, Jani Illikainen set a new Finnish record in the log lift (172.5 kg). Jani Kolehmainen was second overall in the men's competition (71 points), and Janne Hartikainen was third 66.5 points).

Kati Luoto won the women's competition with 53 points, followed by Kirsi Jarvi (46 points) and Niina Jumppanen (45 points).

Think you are fit, bold, ready for a big adventure, want to be in a TV series about tribal sports and can handle what is being billed as "the challenge of a lifetime?"

She's looking for "athletic, western adventurers to send to the most remote corners of the globe to live with indigenous peoples, train with them, and take part in their ancient sporting festivals," said Louisa Griffith-Jones, Casting Producer for Last Man Standing, a BBC (UK) and Discovery (US) series.

"I would really like to reach out to the World's Strongest Man community for this," Griffith-Jones told IronMind®. "I think the skills and discipline required would work well."

The first first series will be broadcast in late summer and Griffith-Jones told IronMind®, "The three selected American sportsmen had an incredible adventure living with tribes in places like Africa, Brazil and Mexico."

This casting call is for the second series.

If you have a "a passion for sport and competition, a thirst to explore some of the most remote places on the planet, a desire to live with traditional tribes, and to learn from them," plus if you are available "to go on a series of adventures from September or October 2007 for 24 weeks of the next 52," please toss your hat (spear?) into the ring by sending an email to: LastManStandingCasting@gmail.com.

Want to pull for fun, bucks and a really big state title? 


Even at rest, the right forearm of John Brzenk says something about why he's the top dog armwrestler that he is. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The California Armwrestling Championships are this weekend in Red Bluff (at the Tehama District Fairgrounds), and here's your chance to see if your claim of "never being beaten at armwrestling" really means you've never pulled against anyone stronger than your little sister.

Pro/Open, Juniors, Amateur and Ladies' classes. This contest is being put on by Bill & Ginger Collins/ArmWorld Promotions, and for full details, please call (209) 826-2873 or email billco1@pacbell.net.

His name commands instant attention in the weightlifting world - Ivan Abadjiev is a peerless weightlifting coach, the man who developed the sometimes body-breaking, always record-shattering training system that led the Bulgarian national weightlifting team to so many gold medals that it's no wonder he is feeling very comfortable in the Golden State. 


Ivan Abadjiev at a dinner hosted by IronMind® at Paragary's restaurant in Sacramento on Saturday. Chris Krychev, son of Abadjiev's former weightlifter Alex Krychev, had won the silver medal in the shot put at the California High School Championships a couple of hours earlier. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Ivan Abadjiev is the guest of Alex Krychev, his former lifter whose credits include a 1972 Olympic medal, but he's not here for holiday - Ivan Abadjiev is the cornerstone of an effort to rekindle the fortunes of American weightlifters, once the best in the world but somewhat off the pace in recent years.

Those familiar with Ivan Abadjiev know that he is like no other weightlifting coach in the world and not just because he has produced weightlifters who have cleaned and jerked triple bodyweight - he's a coach who when asked a training question doesn't give a quick formulaic answer in the form of so many sets of so many reps at thus and such percent of the lifter's maximum. Instead, the professorial Abadjiev is likely to draw a diagram of a cell and begin to describe the relevant molecular and metabolic processes that underlie his training ideas. That's the theory, and the practice that follows is a rugged story of heavy, heavy training sessions, typically done two or three times per day.

"Adaptation is my speciality," Abadjiev told IronMind®. "I am probably the best in the world in this subject," explaining what it is that sets him apart from his colleagues and why his advice is sought by athletes and coaches from around the world. This writer can personally attest to a staggering array of leading lifters and coaches from around the planet whom he has seen seek advice from and pay obeisance to the man called the pope of weightlifting.

Alex Krychev arrived in the US as what he calls "a typical immigrant."

"I didn't speak a word of English and had $20 in my pocket," Krychev told IronMind®. Krychev began working as the janitor in a San Francisco area BMW repair shop and ten years later he owned it, and that became the springboard for bigger and better business ventures.

Speaking with passion, knowledge and conviction, Krychev said he is working to establish an elite weightlifting academy in Northern California, "not just for weightlifers," Krychev explained, "but also for throwers, football players and other power athletes." And the coaching brains for this institution? Ivan Abadjiev, no less. Krychev said that there is significant investor interest in this concept already and the blueprint is targeted for completion in one month. Meanwhile, word of Abadjiev's presence here is creating a groundswell of interest among American coaches and weightlifters who are begging to have a chance to learn from the man called the greatest weightlifting coach in the history of the sport.

Stay tuned for more developments.

"Champions come and go, but a Legend never dies . . . ." 


The new website dedicated to the bigger-than-life Iceland strongman Jon Pall Sigmarsson has just launched its English version. IronMind® | Image adapted from the Jon Pall movie poster, courtesy of Hjalti Arnason.

So declares the poster advertising the Jon Pall Sigmarsson film made by Hjalti Arnason and Steingrimur Thordason last year, and a new website dedicated to Jon Pall is both reflection of this sentiment and a tribute to the man who caused such a stir in the many lives he touched.

And to make things even better, webmaster Agust Schmidt just told IronMind® the big news, "The Jon Pall website in now in English version."