Vlad Redkin's World Strongman Federation is holding a competition in Silichy, Belarus on August 3 and Mariusz Pudzianowski is among the officially-listed competitors.


Vlad Redkin's World Strongman Federation has a field of top strongmen ready to compete in Belarus on August 3. Logo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.

Here is the full, official list of competitors:

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski (Poland)
2. Janne Virtanen (Finland)
3. Dave Ostlund (USA)
4. Christian Savoie (Canada)
5. Elbrus Nigmatullin (Russia)
6. Mikhail Sidorichev (Russia)
7. Stojan Todorchev (Bulgaria)
8. Tarmo Mitt (Estonia)
9. Mark Felix (UK)
10. Gregor Stegnar (Slovenia)
11. Sergej Rjumin (Belarus)
12. Rolands Gulbis (Latvia)
13. Artis Plivda (Latvia)
14. Farzad Mousakhani (Iran)

Vlad Redin also sent IronMind the official list of events:

1. Arm over arm
2. Conan's wheel (350 kg)
3. Shield carry (175 kg for distance)
4. Hercules hold (2 cars)
5. Medley (duck walk, 200 kg, and tires flips, 340 kg )
6. Atlas stones (120 - 170 kg)

our-time World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Ver Magnusson isn't starting a new career as an art dealer, but he is selling a limited edition statue of Jon Pall Sigmarsson, also a four-time World's Strongest Man winner.


This Jon Pall Sigmarsson statue is being offered for sale by Magnus Ver Magnusson, who told IronMind that he has been working on this project with Jon Pall's son. Photo courtesy of Magnus Ver Magnusson.

This is the same statue that was used for the 2006 and 2007 IFSA World Championships, Magnus Ver Magnusson told IronMind. It's a bronze shell, Magnus Ver explained, and the 50-cm (about 20 in.) tall statue weighs a little under 8 kg (about 17 lb.). Not inexpensive, the statues go for US$3,000 each and because it's a limited edition, Magnus Ver said there might be a short waiting period for buyers. IronMind will be happy to forward serious inquiries.

Incidentally, don't think this means that Magnus Ver will be any less active on the strongman circuit this year: he is running a contest this weekend, next week he is off to referee at the Strongest Nation competition in the Ukraine, and August 14 - 16 it's time for his biggest competition, the East Coast Giant.

In 1991, Richard Sorin became the first person who got certified for officially closing the fearsome Captains of Crush® No. 3 Gripper, and in 1998, Joe Kinney became the first person to get certified on the Captains of Crush® Gripper No. 4, and today IronMind launched a certification program for the Captains of Crush® No. 3.5 Gripper.


If you've already been certified on the Captains of Crush® No. 3 Gripper and are eyeing the No. 4, but you're not quite there yet, here's a new challenge: close the Captains of Crush® No. 3.5 Gripper under official conditions and IronMind® will certify your prodigious feat of grip strength. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Everyone who earns this remarkable distinction will have proven himself to have world-class grip strength, but only one person will be the first, and that's forever.

Who will it be?

IronMind has received the official results of the 2008 Quebec Cup strongman series, courtesy of Hugo Girard.

Overall results for the 2008 Quebec Cup:

1. Christian Savoie 356.5 points
2. Louis-Philippe Jean 344.5 points
3. Jessen Paulin 341 points
4. Jean-Francois Caron 294 points
5. Martin Primeau 225.5 points
6. Corey St-Clair 215.5 points
7. Carl Falardeau 132 points
8. Jose Plante 128.5 points
9. Guillaume�Dupuis 120.5 points
10. Claude Verrier 113 points
11. Guillaume Rioux 103 points
12. Daniel Gagne 96.5 points
13. Jason Cullin 27 points

It's a made-for-Hollywood story, but it's true: Matthias Steiner is ready to ring the bell big time in Beijing. This top young super heavyweight seems to be doing everything right, and by all accounts, he's peaking for Peking.


Matthias Steiner made this 246-kg clean and jerk at the European Weightlifting Championships. A couple of weeks ago, he made 250 at a competition in Heidelberg. This man's on a roll. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Whether you're a hardcore weightlifting fan or can barely tell a power clean from an upright row, if you're into strength, mark August 19 on your calendar because that's when the supers will strut their stuff in weightlifting at the Olympic Games. No smoke and mirrors, no need for plastic props, special effects or pro-wrestling jive, this event is the proving ground for the strongest of the strong, and the man who's most captured IronMind's attention is Germany's Matthias Steiner. It's not just a great story that leaves you wanting to cheer for this guy or the results he's posted so far this year: more than any of that is the all-important momentum factor.

Matthias Steiner is on a roll: he did 193/230 in Beijing in January at the Olympic test event, and then he uncorked 200/246 in Lignano Sabbiadoro in April, at the European Weightlifting Championships. And if that wasn't enough to get him on your radar screen, there was his performance earlier this month, when he made 201/250 at a "the last official test competition," in Heidelberg, explained chief German weightlifting coach Frank Mantek.

Speaking from their training camp in Germany's Black Forest, Frank Mantek told IronMind: "Matthias is in excellent form," and regarding those lifts from his most recent competition, Mantek said that Matthias Steiner made them "quite easily."

Frank Mantek likes Matthias Steiner's chances at the Olympics, putting him in with "the favorites in his weight class in Peking." Mantek, a 1980 Olympic bronze medalist in weightlifting, sees the possibility of Matthias Steiner joining the legacy of German +105-kg weightlifters winning medals at recent Olympics, where Mantek has been the coach: "With him I would have, after Manfred Nerlinger and Ronny Weller, the third superheavy since 1992 who fights for an Olympic medal."

"And wins," is what we would add.

"It was a hard race for the top three guys," Louis-Philippe Jean told IronMind, as Christian Savoie won the 2008 Quebec Cup strongman series.

Savoie finished six points ahead of Louis-Philippe Jean, who ended up two points ahead of third-place finisher Jessen Paulin. "He worked hard for a long time," Louis-Philippe Jean said of Christian Savoie, quick to give credit to Savoie for his victory.

Christian Savoie also won the final leg of this strongman series, the contest in Amos, Quebec, where Louis-Philippe Jean said that the townspeople showed strong support for the contest. Louis-Philippe Jean was second, Jean Francois Caron was third, Jessen Paulin was fourth and Corey St. Clair was fifth.

And don't think you had to win the overall title or this contest to get noticed.

"Corey did something amazing, 9 tire flips with a 950-pound tire, 80 feet, in 37 seconds," Louis-Philippe Jean said. "I have never seen that before! He was doing it so easy that each time he was doing a flip, he put his hand up for�the crowd yelling!"

Not all the top Highland Games athletes and officials were in Scotland this weekend.


Enumclaw Seattle Highland Games by Francis Brebner

A strong field of athletes competed at the 2008 Enumclaw Seattle Highland Games, under the watchful eye of head judge Steve Conway.

All distance events were thrown from an AstroTurf platform, and the weight for height and caber events were hindered by rain from the previous night, but that did not stop the record-breaking action that followed.

In the opening event, the 28-lb. Braemar stone, Daniel McKim won with a throw of 39' 7", which also established a new field record; in second was Canadian Matthew Doherty at 37' 8.75" and in third, Kerry Overfelt at 37' 7.5".

Going into the 17-lb. open stone, Doherty went ahead of McKim with a throw of 53' 9.5" for the win, which should also be a new Canadian national record. McKim was second with 52' 2.25" and Mike Pockoski third with 49' 5.5".

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, it was a very close competition between Ryan Vierra and Overfelt, with Vierra taking the win with a distance of 80' 3" and Overfelt in second with 80' 1.5"; Eric Frasure was third with 79' 10".

In the 56-lb. weight for distance, Frasure showed great form with a 49' 0" throw for a new field record; Harrison Bailey was second with 42' 7.25" and Overfelt third with 42' 2.5".

In the 20-lb. sheaf toss, Frasure won with a height of 26'; Vierra was second with 23' and Overfelt third with 20'.

In the 16-lb. hammer, Overfelt took the win with 122' 8"; Canada's Doherty came in second with 121' 3" and Mike Pockoski was third with 121' 1.5".

But in the 22-lb. hammer, Overfelt won with 102' 6", which also set a new field record; McKim was just behind with 100' 10.75" and Vierra in third with 99' 4.5".

The 56-lb. weight-over-the-bar was hard-fought, with the outcome going to Overfelt for the win with a height of 16' 9"; Doherty and McKim tied for second place at 16'.

In the open caber, which was 130 lb. and 18 ft., Overfelt snatched yet another win with a toss of 11:55; McKim took second with a toss of 11:45 and Vierra was third with 12:30.

Overall aggregate points for the top three were: Kerry Overfelt, 27.5 points; Daniel McKim 33.5; and Ryan Vierra 38.5.

American Highland Games professionals Sean Betz and Larry Brock were hot this weekend, with both men breaking field records at the Halkirk Highland Games in Scotland.


Larry Brock (left) and Sean Betz (right) rewrote the field records book at the Halkirk Highland Games this weekend. Photo courtesy of Francis Brebner.


The Halkirk Highland Games by Francis Brebner

It was a smashing day at the Halkirk Highland Games this weekend--for records, that is. A crowd of several thousand�spectators and cheering fans were entertained and�thrilled by�a fierce competition between�Americans Sean Betz and Larry Brock and some of Scotland's finest: Bruce Aitkin, Alistair Gunn, and Murray Gunn.

In the 20-lb. open shot, Betz with a nimble put of�46' 11" took the win over�Aitkin,�who placed second at 44' 8", with Brock in third at�44' 6".

In the 16-lb. open shot, again Betz came out ahead with a put of 53' 10" over Brock, this time placing second at 49' 10" ahead of Aitkin,�who had a putt of�48' 6".

In the�56-lb. weight for distance, Brock, who has been having a great season this year with the weights,�established a new field record with a throw of 46' 11"; Betz was second with 43' 7" and Murray Gunn third with 37'.

In the 28-lb. Weight for Distance Scottish Championships, Betz made a world-class throw, smashing Matt Sanford's record of 90' 3" that stood since 2003, with a whooping throw of 90' 6"; Brock was second with 85' and Gunn third with 74'.

In the 22-lb. hammer,�Aitkin took the win marginally over Betz with a distance of 112', with Betz in second at 111' and Brock in third at 107'.

Again,�in the�16-lb.�hammer Aitkin showed his dominance�with a throw of 139' for the win, with Betz in second at 138' and Brock in third with 132'.

The caber was won by Alistair�Gunn, with a 12:04 toss; Brock was in second with�12:05 and Betz in third with 12:07.

In the 56-lb. weight-over-the-bar, Betz took the final win of the competition with a toss of 15' 6", with Brock in second at 15' and Aitkin in third at 14' 6".

The overall placings were first, Betz; second, Brock; and third, Aitkin.

Francis Brebner reported that Sean Betz broke Matt Sandford's 2003 field record in the 28-lb. weight for distance at the Halkirk Highland Games with a throw of 90' 6", tacking 3" on the previous best throw.

Also busy was Larry Brock, who set a new field record in the 56-lb. weight for distance with a throw of 46' 9", according to Brebner. A full report will follow.

The strongman world has been whispering about it for months, but the curtain has just been raised: minutes ago, World's Strongest Man producer Tim Kowalski sent IronMind the IMG press release naming "Charleston, West Virginia as the host city for the upcoming 31st season of the �MET-Rx World's Strongest Man,'" with filming to begin on September 6.

World's Strongest Man is simply called "World's" by the biggest names in a world populated by guys who often stand about 6' 6'' (two meters) tall and weigh about 350 pounds (160 kg) - these are the guys who pull planes and buses, and who casually lift rocks that most people would think of as forklift material. After Bill Kazmaier retired, Americans were not known for being especially good at this sort of thing, but when a Charleston firefighter named Phil Pfister won the title in 2006, that was just the spark needed in the U.S.

With Pfister's win as the catalyst, the mayor of Charleston, Danny Jones, the governor of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, and numerous businesses rallied in full support of the cause, and Pfister's hometown is about to host a sports-entertainment event unlike any other.

The World's Strongest Man contest is the brainchild of Barry Frank, Executive Vice President, Media Sports Programming at IMG, a show so successful that it's embarking on its 31st season, with worldwide broadcasts - and it's the stuff that fills some big strong men's heads with visions of greatness as they fight gravity in many forms for television broadcasts around the globe.

For more information on this year's contest and the history of this show, please check the official World's Strongest Man website: www.theworldsstrongestman.com and for more information on IMG, "the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming," please check www.imgworld.com.

In a press conference featuring the mayor of Charleston, West Virginia, the 2008 World's Strongest Man Contest was officially announced today.

Contest dates are September 6 - 14, and event locations will feature a combination of urban yet scenic settings, 2006 World's Strongest Man winner Phil Pfister told IronMind today. "Charleston is the perfect-sized city to to host the World's Strongest Man contest," Pfister said, "and I am very happy to have it held in my hometown, both for the live contest and for the re-broadcast."

Yesterday's announcement that Iran's superstar weightlifter Hossein Rezazadeh would not be competing in Beijing sent a buzz through the international weightlifting world and ended speculation about whether the two-time Olympic champion would be suiting up in Beijing, let alone be capable of becoming the first super heavyweight in history to win three Olympic gold medals in weightlifting.


Rashid Sharifi is jumping in to fill the big shoes of Hossein Rezazadeh in Beijing next month. Sharifi's winning performance in the 2008 Asian Weightlifting Championships included this 190-kg snatch. Randall J. Strossen photo.

There have been few details released even within Iran, but IronMind was able to confirm previous reports that the superstar's training had not been going as well as was hoped, with one insider telling IronMind that Rezazadeh had been plagued by a series of injuries, adding that while, "He is not old for life, he is old for weightlifting."

Filling in for Rezazadeh in Beijing will be Rashid Sharifi, who is coming off a win at the 2008 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Kanazawa, Japan. At the time of Sharifi's victory in Japan, a number of people close to the Iranian weightlifting team had told IronMind that Hossein Rezazadeh's training had not been going well, and although there was hope that the great champion - who holds all the weightlifting world records in the super heavyweight class - would be able to defend his Olympic title in Beijing, the truth was that Rashid Sharifi's performance at the Asian Weightlifting Championships was not far below what Hossein Rezazadeh was said to be hitting in training. Currently, Rashid Sharifi is reported to be snatching about 190 kg, although his personal record is 200 kg, and cleaning and jerking 240 kg. Incidentally, taking nothing away from Rashid Sharifi as he steps in for Hossein Rezazadeh in Beijing, keep your eyes open for the return of Iran's Ali Hosseini Saeed later this year when his suspension ends - the junior, who has shown signs of becoming a sensational super, is said to have done 205/245 in training.

Along with Rashid Sharifi, Iran will be entering two other lifters in Beijing: Ashgar Ebrahimi (94 kg) and Mohsen Biranvand (105 kg).

IronMind also confirmed today that, unfortunately, Hossein Rezazadeh is facing significant health problems. Diabetes, hypertension, and kidney problems have hampered Rezazadeh's training, and despite the opinions of the medical doctors attending him that he could not train hard any more, the Iranian star is said to have persisted in his efforts to win an unprecedented third Olympic gold medal in weightlifting, reaching the level of 202/240 before facing another in an ongoing series of health-related setbacks, and most recently, he had returned to the level of 195/235, simply too far below what he has done in the past and too far below what will be required for the gold medal in Beijing.

Kurtis Bowler and Rainer CrossFit are hosting the third annual Mt. Rainier's Strongest Man and Woman contest, and once again, it will be drug-tested.


"The Deadlift apparatus is a log," Kurtis Bowler told IronMind. "I have two of them that are 11 feet long. The big one is about 27" in diameter at the big end and weighs 1470 pounds, and the small one is about 24" at the big end and weighs 1140 pounds. They will have parallel handles attached to the big end. The implement will look like a cross between a car deadlift and the log Viking press they used to do on WSM. So to lift it, you will stand with your back to the big end of the log," as Kurtis Bowler demonstrates in this photo by Laurie Bowler.

Mt. Rainier's Strongest Man and Woman is set for "August 2, at The Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse in Sumner, Washington," and it will include two women's weight classes and three men's weight classes. "The top finisher in each weight class will be tested for performance-enhancing drugs," Bowler told IronMind, as he continues his partnership with his local "U.S. Healthworks to provide our drug screening.� They have donated their time and the tests for the last two years and are donating their time again this year, but we will pay for the tests.� They are fairly expensive tests, but worth the money," Bowler said.�

The events are the yoke race, log deadlift (reps), bus pull (double-decker bus), overhead press medley, and stones. For full details, please check www.rainiercrossfit.com or call 1-253-686-9994.

There's been little rest for Sean Betz and Larry Brock as they continue throwing their weight around Scotland, and here's how things went at the Inverary Highland Games, as reported by Francis Brebner.


Inverary Highland Games by Francis Brebner

The Inverary Highland Games, with a crowd of 12,000, saw two new field record established at yesterday's event by America's Mike Zolkiewicz and Larry Brock.

Scotland's Bruce Robb, with a light stone putt of 51' 5", claimed the win over Sean Betz, who had a throw of 51' 2", with Scotland's Bruce Aitken in third place at 48' 7", and Brock in the rear at 48'.

In the 35-lb. stone, Sean Betz had an outstanding putt of 35' 2" that went ahead of Robb's, at 34' 8"; Australia's Aaron Neighbour was in third place with 33' 7".

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, the difficult short weight at only 12" long was to be seen flying from the hand of Brock to a distance of 76' 8", establishing a new field record. Betz was knocked into the second spot with 74' 3", and Robb to third with 73' 5".

The 56-lb. boulder for distance, which is not a common event, was won by Brock at 41' 5". Robb was in second at 38' and Betz in third at 39'.

In the 16-lb. hammer, it was Aitken who triumphed with a win of 133' 2" over America's Brock, who placed second with 132' 5"; Betz took third with a below-par throw of only 128'.

In the 22-lb. hammer, Betz pulled out the winning throw of 112' to go ahead of Aitken, who was in his shadow at 111', Brock just making it to third with 104'.

In the open caber, which was long but not that heavy, every athlete turned a 12:00, which then qualified them on the challenge caber, which was 22' long and 140 lb. Dave Barron won at 86 degrees, with Brock and Robb tying on 85 degrees for second.

In the 56-lb. weight over the bar, Mike Zolkiewicz thrilled the crowds with a new field record of 16' 8". Poland's Darius Slowik and Australia's Neighbour both tied at 16'.

Overall it was first, Betz; second, Brock; and third, Robb.

Brock and Betz said they have been very busy with traveling to and from each Games, but they are loving it and the competing. Brock said despite establishing a new field record in the 28-lb. weight, he was not happy with his hammers that day: "We have competed in so many Games up to this point, and we have so many more that we both are looking forward to. In fact, we will be competing in nine Games within the next thirteen days. Now that's what I call a series of Games."

The next Games for Brock and Betz will be at Arisaig, on the west coast of Scotland.

IronMind had just received official word from TWI that the contract has been signed for World's Strongest Man 2008.

A press release with more details will be following as soon as possible, but for now, here's the vital message: "Full steam ahead for Charleston!"

IronMind expects an official announcement shortly regarding the dates and location of the 2008 World's Strongest Man contest and in the meantime, we can say that the Appalachian District of the United States Postal Service will be releasing a special edition World's Strongest Man - Phil Pfister stamp on September 3 in the Cultural Center at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, West Virginia.

The stamp will feature the World's Strongest Man logo and images of Phil Pfister, the 2006 World's Strongest Man winner, Kim Whittington, a retail specialist in the District's Marketing Department, told IronMind today. Whittington is the man who proposed this idea, which he said won the support of the Appalachian District's Marketing Director, Delores Cummings, and the District Manager, Karen Schenck.

"It's nice to be grouped with some iconic West Virginian athletes," Pfister told IronMind, as he becomes the fourth athlete in his state to receive this honor.

This will be a limited edition stamp that will appear on what is called a cachet envelope, Whittington explained. The one presented to Phil Pfister on September 3 in Charleston, West Virginia, will mark the public unveiling, "its first day of issue," and it will go on sale at local U.S. Postal Service offices for a short period of time thereafter.

So if you are a World's Strongest Man fan, and maybe a stamp collector, too, get ready to buy this - whether or not you plan to be in Charleston, West Virginia this September.

Following a review of its inaugural contest, Fortissimus World Strength announced today that "the results are now official," and after an associated review of "the final results of all major international competitions held between 1998 and 2008," Fortissimus World Strength also announced that "it officially certifies three world records."

Here is the exact language of the Fortissimus World Strength statement regarding these records:

"Zydrunas Savickas has established a world record for the heaviest one arm dumbbell overhead medley consisting in 6 consecutive lifts for a total of 1085 lbs. (493 kg) in 35.08 seconds.

Zydrunas Savickas has established another world record for the heaviest total poundage lifted over a two-day strongman competition with 36,157 lbs. (16,435 kg). He had already been awarded the Jon Pall Sigmarsson Strength Award for that accomplishment.

Derek Poundstone�has established a world record for the heaviest stone lifted and placed in a strongman competition consisting of 8 stones (5 x Slater Extreme Strength Atlas stones and 3 x Natural stones) for a total of 2,767 lbs. (1,258 kg) in 64.29 seconds."

"As of September 1, 2008, these world records will be posted on the FORTISSIMUS HALL OF FAME honour roll."

"The competition of the Highlander Challenge World Championship at the weekend went really well," Linda Edmunds told IronMind, sharing an insider's summary of the action.

Linda Edmunds' synopsis follows.


The 2008 Highlander Challenge World Championships by Linda Edmunds

The competitors in the first heat were:

K. Chuprynin (Ukraine)
Stefan Solvi Peturrson (Iceland)
Mike Zolkiewicz (USA)
Johannes Arsjo (Sweden)
Sebastian Wenta (Poland)
Wout Zjilstra (Holland)
Neil Elliot (Scotland)
Mark Felix (Grenada)

The four qualifiers from the heat were: K Chuprynin, S. Wenta, J. Arsjo and W. Zijlstra.

All the events were hard fought with great performances from K. Chuprynin and S. Wenta. Johannes Arsjo, in his first appearance in a highland event won the whisky plunder (a 320-kg barrel carry) in a time of 14.28 seconds and overcame heavier and more experienced competitors to win the wrestling bouts.

The competitors in the second heat were:

G. Edmunds (Scotland)
S. Rider (England)
S. Betz (USA)
D. Barron (USA)
L. Wenta (Poland)
D. Slowik (Canada)
L. Brock (USA)
A. Neighbour (Australia)

The four qualifiers were S. Rider, G. Edmunds, S. Betz and D. Barron.

This heat was also hard fought -�S. Rider was the overall winner, with winning throws in the stone putt and caber. The Americans challenged strongly with D. Barron winning the sheaf pitch and S. Betz winning the hammer with a throw of 139' 8-1/2".


Final

The final began with great wins by S. Betz in both the hammer and 28-lb. weight for distance. W. Zijlstra, from Holland, won the Famous Grouse Challenge Caber and J. Arsjo, of Sweden, was magnificent in his win over S. Rider in the pole push. The 56-lb. weight for height was disappointing, with no one reaching 17' and things ending with a three-way tie for first place between J. Arsjo, S. Wenta and W. Zijlstra. Going into the final event of the Pictish Stone Carry, S. Wenta�had a 3 point lead over his closest challenger, S. Rider, but retained his title with by gaining a third place behind G. Edmunds and J. Arsjo.

The final placings were:

1.�Sebastian Wenta
2. Scott Rider
3. Gregor Edmunds
4. Johannes Arsjo, Wout Zijlstra (tie)
6. Sean Betz
7. Kyrylo Chuprynin
8. Dave Barron

Congratulations to Greg Hadley on picking up his fourth Canadian Highlands Games Championships and many thanks to Francis Brebner for piecing together a report on the action.


Canadian Highland Games Championships by Francis Brebner

Greg Hadley earned his fourth Canadian Highland Games Championships title this weekend in a very close competition between himself and Jason Johnston. The Games were held in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Hadley's hometown, where nearly 10,000 fans and spectators turned out each day despite the drizzling rain throughout most of the competition.

The opening event of the Championships was the 23-lb. Braemar stone, which was won by Matt Doherty with a putt of 40' 5" for a possible new Canadian record and "an absolutely awesome throw," Hadley said. Jason Johnston was second with 38' 9" and Hadley was third with 36' 11".

In the 56-lb. weight for distance, it was a very close competition, indeed, with Hadley coming out on top with a distance of 41' 7". Jason Johnston was in second with 40' 2" and Lyle Barron was in third with 39' 10".

Hadley won the 22-lb. hammer with a throw of 106'; Johnston was in second on 102' 2" and Barron was in third with 101' 9".

The caber was 20' 6" long and weighed 90 lb., but it had gained a few pounds with the rainfall; it was light and crooked, which left it pretty much to a shootout, with Peppard taking the top honors with two 12:00 tosses; Hadley and Wand both having one 12:00 each, but Hadley going ahead on countback for second and Wand placing third.

In the 56-lb. weight over the bar done in the traditional standing style, it was Danny Frame who dominated the event with a fine throw of 16' 6" in front of a cheering crowd; this gave him the win and it was a new PR for him, also. Doherty placed second with 16' and Wand third with 16'.

Here are the points after day one:

1. Greg Hadley, 50.5 points
2. Jason Johnston, 49 points
3. Matt Doherty, 43 points
4. Jamie Peppard, 40.5 points
5. Lyle Barron, 39 points
6. Dirk Bishop, 38.5 points

After this first day's competition, Hadley said, "The weather didn't cooperate for us; it was raining most of the day, making the field difficult to throw on. I was a tad let down by my performance, but am looking to rebound tomorrow."

The second day of competition opened with the 17.2-lb. open stone. Doherty won this event with a putt 49' 1", pushing Hadley into second place with 48' 9", and Johnston was third with 46' 7".

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, surprisingly, it was Johnston who took the win over Hadley, with a throw of 78' 10". Hadley finished in second with 75', and Barron was in third with 74' 11".

In front of a huge crowd of 10,000 people, the Canadian Highland Games Championships came down to the last scored event, the 16-lb. hammer.

Going into that event, Greg Hadley held a razor-thin lead of 1.5 points over rival Jason Johnston. After getting psyched up in front of the home crowd, Hadley hit 130' 5" in his first attempt, which ultimately turned out to be enough for the win in the event and in the overall.

Final positions were Hadley as the champion, followed by Johnston, Doherty, Bishop and Barron.

Hadley said, "It was a tremendous weekend of hospitality and athletics in Antigonish. On Thursday evening, all athletes were treated to an all-you-can-eat lobster and steak dinner before being officially introduced at the local pub in front of a raucous crowd of 700 people."

"The weather didn't cooperate as much as organizers had hoped. During the days leading to Saturday and Sunday, Antigonish experienced record heat, which made the field tinder dry, making footing an issue. On Saturday it rained, making grip more of an issue. This may have been a factor for all athletes, including myself, throwing significantly under what they usually do."

Next for Hadley is the Uxbridge Highland Games in Toronto, Ontario, this upcoming weekend.

Continuing his Highland Games hot streak, Eric Frasure broke the world record in the 56-lb. weight for distance at the Portland Highland Games, and Francis Breber has called the action for IronMind.


Portland Highland Games by Francis Brebner

With an estimated crowd of 45,000 on hand, the Portland Highland Games witnessed some major record-breaking action this weekend by the young Eric Frasure: a new world record in the 56-lb. weight for distance, with an awesome throw of 49' 10", and a new field record in the 22-lb. hammer, with a throw of 123' 7".

The first event, the colossal Braemar 96-lb. open stone, which is putted any style from the shoulder, was won by Ryan Vierra with a throw of 16' 10"; Kerry Overfelt took second with 15' 8", and Andrew Hobson and Mike Pockoski�tied for third with 15' 2".

In the 16-lb. open stone, McKim won with a notable throw of 53' 6"; Lucais MacKay took second with 50'4", and Frasure was just marginally ahead of Vierra and Pockoski for third place with 49' 10-�".

In the 56-lb weight for distance, Frasure was in a world of his own, sending the 56-lb. weight into orbit with a progression of throws as follows: 44' 2", 49' 3", 48' 7", 49' 10", 43' 1", and 44' 6", establishing a new world record of 49'10" (the implement officially weighed in at 56 lb. 6 oz.). In second place was Vierra with 44' 10", and in third was Harrison Bailey with 43' 9".

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, it was, however, Overfelt who claimed the win with 85' 10-�", with Frasure in second on 84' 2" and Bailey in third on 82' 4".

The 22-lb. heavy hammer was dominated by Frasure, with a world-class throw of 123' 7". In second place, it was a tie between Overfelt and McKim with 113' 6-�".

The 16-lb. hammer saw only Frasure going over 130', with a throw of 137' 10-�" for the win; Overfelt was second with 128' 6", and Harrison Bailey in third with 127' 4".

In the caber, which was 20' and 110 lb., it was Frasure with a 12:00 toss who won the event; Dan McKim was second with a 12:15 toss and Bailey was third with 12:30.

In the final event, the 56-lb. weight over the bar, it was Frasure and Bailey in a tie, at a height of 17' 6", which left Overfelt in third with 16' 6".

Frasure said he was very happy with his performances; he felt a bit beat up after the competition, but said that even though his 56-lb. for distance went well, he was surprised as he has only been training his 28-lb. weight for distance so far this season, which leads me to believe that young Frasure has got a lot more left in the tank to give in this event before the season is through. Eric was quick to also mention a great thanks to the organizers of the Portland Highland Games and the SAAA for putting together a great�Games and�field of athletes.

Daniel McKim was the only man able to turn the MacTarnahan's Challenge Caber (18' 11" and 120 lb.), hitting a 2:00 and a 1:00.

The overall results were:

1. Eric Frasure, 17 points
2. Ryan Vierra, 27 � points
3. Kerry Overfelt, 28 points
4. Harrison Bailey, 33 points
5. Daniel McKim, 40 points
6. Mike Pockoski, 44 points
7. Lucais MacKay, 53 � points
8. Andrew Hobson, 57 points
9. Greg Bell, 62 points
10. Lannie Pullon, 78 points

Referring to his most recent world record, Zydrunas Savickas told IronMind, "The 210-kg log lift was easy for me," proving again that Zydrunas Savickas is the best in the world in this basic strongmen event; and what's even more interesting is that it sounds as if the Lithuanian strongman star isn't close to being maxed out yet.


Zydrunas Savickas set a world record in the weight for height using a 25-kg beer keg, as well as a world record on the log lift this weekend at the Strongman Champions League Lithuanian Grand Prix. Photo courtesy of Lina Kirkliauskaite.

"My best training result is 220 kg," Savickas said. "I lift it two years ago in training."

Now, though, the Lithuanian strongman has a very straightforward plan: boosting the world world record in 2.5-kg increments. "So my next step must be 212.5 kg," said Savickas. And lest you think this is idle chatter, Zydrunas Savickas is already making plans for his next world record attempt on the log.

"Hope I have chance to lift it this year," Zydrunas Savickas told IronMind.

Congratulations to Australia's Samuel Scott, who has just been certified on the No. 3 Captains of Crush® Gripper.

Craig Reid, who served as Sam's official witness for IronMind, said, "Sam came prepared and very keen.� No sooner had the introductions been complete and the new COC3 opened, he chalked his hands and crushed it closed."

Congratulations, Sam - you are officially certified on the No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper.

IronMind has just received the official results from the Highlander World Championships, where, once again, Sebastian Wenta emerged victorious - showing that it's not mere words when Douglas Edmunds calls Sebastian Wenta "the best on the planet" at combined Highland Games and strongman events.

Saying that the Highlander Games are "unique in the world" as they bring together the Highland Games and strongman, "blending sport and culture," Douglas Edmunds was also quick to point out what he sees as the tremendous entertainment value of the mix, emphasizing that this year's program will result in three hours of television.

Edmunds, a former Highland Games competitor and promoter, who went on to earn recognition as something of a godfather figure in strongman, has moved on, saying that this - the Highlander Games - "is the future."

The contest was structured with two qualifying heats of eight men each, with the top four from each heat advancing to the finals. Here are the final places and points, officially:

1. Sebastian Wenta 40 points
2. Scott Rider 32 points
3. Gregor Edmunds 30 points
4. Johannes Arsjo, Wout Zjilstra (tie) 26 points
6. Sean Betz 23 1/2 points
7. Kyrylo Chuprynin 23 points
8. David Barron 19 1/2 points

Although IronMind does not yet have the official results, we have been told that Sebastian Wenta just won the Highlander Challenge, with Scott Rider second and Gregor Edmunds third.

Also, we have it that Eric Frasure broke the world record in the 56-lb. weight for distance with a throw of 49' 10" at the Portland Highland Games, a throw that Francis Brebner calls, "just incredible." Stay tuned for more details.

Not content to merely win the Strongman Champions League Lithuanian Grand Prix, Zydrunas Savickas also won every event and broke two world records - not a bad day for the man widely considered to be the strongest man on the strongman circuit.

Zydrunas Savickas yielded no ground at the Strongman Champions League Grand Prix in Palanga, Lithuania, where he swept the events and broke two world records along the way: weight for height, using a 25-kg beer keg (5 m 40 cm) and log lift (210 kg). Not just flexing his muscles with this performance, Zydrunas Savickas put his stamp on two basic tests of power and overall strength with his outstanding performance.

Here are the final places and points:

1. Zydrunas Savickas (Lithuania), 84.0 points
2. Vidas Blekaitis (Lithuania), 66.5 points
3. Saulius Brusokas (Lithuania), 61.0
4. Igor Pedan (Russia), 60.0 points
5. Erwin Katona (Serbia), 56.5 points
6. Agris Kazelniks (Latvia), 46.5 points
7. Zdenek Sedmik (Czech), 45.5 points
8. Anders Johansson (Sweden), 29.0 points
9. Jimmy Laureys (Belgium), 27.5 points
10. Aleksandr Lashyn (Ukraine), 26.5 points
11. Tobias Ide (Germany), 21.5 points
12. Simon Sulaiman (Syria), 17.5 points

These results are official, and IronMind would like to say a special word of thanks to Lithuanian Strongman Federation General Secretary Lina Kirkliauskaite.

Things got off to a flying start for the Strongman Champions League in Vilnius, Lithuania today.


Is there a new entrant in the jet engine market? Zydrunas Savickas might be giving General Electric and Rolls Royce a challenge, as he motors to first place in the plane pull at the Strongman Champions League competition in Vilnius, Lithuania today. Photo courtesy of Lina Kirkliauskaite.

Here are all the scores and places, officially:

1. Zydrunas Savickas (Lithuania) 25.12 seconds
2. Vidas Blekaitis (Lithuania) 27.16 seconds
3. Saulius Brusokas (Lithuania) 27.73 seconds
4. Erwin Katona (Serbia) 31.50 seconds
5. Agris Kazelniks (Latvia) 33.30 seconds
6. Zdenek Sedmik (Czech) 35.69 seconds
7. Igor Pedan (Russia) 38.03 seconds
8. Tobias Ide (Germany) 40.06 seconds
9. Jimmy Laureys (Belgium) 47.12 seconds
10. Simon Sulaiman (Syria) 47.46 seconds
11. Anders Johansson (Sweden) 49.59 seconds
12. Aleksandr Lashyn (Ukraine) 14.12 meters

Just in, IronMind received the official results from the Strongman Champions League plane pull in Vilnius, Lithuania, today.

Zydrunas Savickas won the event, followed by Vidas Bleikaitas in second place, and Vilius Petrauskas in third place - for a Lithuanian sweep of the podium. The competition continues tomorrow.

If you've been following Francis Brebner's reports on top Highland Games, you're in for a double-sized treat: Francis has filed reports on both Sterling and Antrim.


Sterling Highland Games � Scotland by Francis Brebner

Sterling has been the scene of many historical battles over the centuries, but seen battling it out at Sterling Games were the world's number one and two, Sean Betz and Larry Brock against Scotland's Bruce Robb and Craig Sinclair; Australia's Aaron Neighbour; and New York's Will Barron.

Brock said, "It was a fantastic day at the Games, and with the magnificent surroundings of Sterling Castle and the Wallace Monument, I felt as if I had been taken back in time to some ancient mystical past."

The spectators were seven to eight deep, with an estimated crowd of 12,000, which really got behind the throwing, cheering the athletes on throughout the competition. In the opening event with the 16-lb. shot, Aaron Neighbour led off with a putt 52' 2" that won, with Scotland's Bruce Robb at 51' 4" for second and Sean Betz at 49' 0" for third.

In the 22-lb. shot, however, this time it was Bruce Robb's 43' putt that put a stop to Neighbour's winning in the putts, with Betz in second at 42' 3" and Neighbor in third with 41' 4".

The 28-lb. weight for distance was won with a throw of 86' 1" by Betz, with Brock in second at 83' 5"and Robb in third at 80' 2".

In the 22-lb. hammer, Sean Betz pulled out a winning throw of 110' to just go ahead of Brock at 109' 1", with Scotland's Craig Sinclair in third at 101'.

In the 16-lb. hammer, however, the tables were turned with Brock's 131' 9" throw for the win over Betz, who had to settle for second at 130' 10", with Will Barron in third at 123' 5".

In the open caber, which was 18 ft. long and 180 lb., Robb's 87-degree turn won this event, with Brock in second at 85 degrees and Betz in third at 75 degrees.

The overall placings were first Betz, second Brock, and third Robb.

Both Brock and Betz were happy with their performances at Sterling as "all the throws were done uphill. From Sterling, it was a swift car drive to Troon on the West Coast of Scotland to catch our ferry ride across to Antrim, Ireland. The journey was very pleasant and relaxing and gave us athletes a little time to unwind on the ferry crossing before we prepared for the morning's event, which brought European challengers from all over," said Brock.


Antrim Highland Games � Ireland by Francis Brebner

As the athletes arrived at the Antrim Games, there awaiting them was a crowd of over 20,000 spectators, with the magnificent backdrop of Antrim Castle just opposite the Games field.


The line-up included Americans Sean Betz, Larry Brock,�and Mike Zolkiewicz; from Great Britain�Gregor Edmunds, Scott Rider,�and Craig Sinclair; from�Ireland Ray Odwire; and from Poland�Sebastian Wenta and�brother Lucas Wenta and Polish/Canadian Darius Slowik.� "The crowds were so welcoming to us athletes," Brock said, "I�must have spent at least half an hour signing autographs for the fans."

In the opening event of the championships, England's Scott Rider blasted a world-class stone putt of 61' 3" for the win over Poland's Sebastian Wenta, who was second with 58' 5", followed also by Poland's Lucas Wenta with 57' 3" for third.

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, Sean Betz had with a monster throw of 93' 3.5", which could possibly be a new American record if it's ratified and weighs in at the legal weight of 28-lb. exact. In second was the Brockstar at 87' 9", with Sebastian Wenta in third at 85' 8".�

In the 22-lb. hammer, Betz surprisingly took the win with 114' 7"over Sebastian Wenta, who had an awesome throw of 111' 6" for second place, just going ahead of Brock at 109' 8" for third.

In the heavy weight for distance, England's Rider, with a toss of 46' 11" took the win over Scotland's Gregor Edmunds, who placed second with 46' 2"; Sebastian Wenta was in third with a toss of 45' 3".

In a very strong field of weight-over-bar throwers, Poland's Sebastian Wenta claimed the win with a 17' toss over America's Mike Zolkiewicz, who made 16' 6" for second and Polish/Canadian Darius Slowik, who took third with 16'.

After the first day, Sebastian Wenta was leading overall, followed by Betz in second�and Rider in third.

Going into the second day of competition with the 22-lb. stone, England's Scott Rider once again received gasps of awe as he blasted a putt of 50' 3" for the win; Sebastian Wenta also had a great putt of 47' 9" for second, and Lucas Wenta was closely in the rear with a putt of 46' 5".


In the 16-lb. hammer, Brock made up some vital points with a winning throw of 143' 8"; in second was Betz at 140' 9" and third, Sebastian Wenta at 137' 6".

In the caber, which was 21 ft. and 150 lb., Wenta won with a toss of 11:45. England's Scott Rider came in second with an 11:15 toss to just go ahead of Scotland's Gregor Edmunds, who placed third with an 11:30 toss.

The final event of the competition was the 12-lb. sheaf toss, with Betz and Wenta tying at 28', and Australia's Aaron Neighbor placing third at 27'.

Overall placings were first, Wenta, second Betz, third�Edmunds, and fourth Brock.

Betz and Brock added that they both enjoyed competing in Antrim, Ireland, and were now relaxing at their sponsored luxury Northern Hotel in Aberdeen and looking forward to this weekend's World Highlander Championships, which will take place at Scone Palace, Perthshire, and will be filmed for TV as part of a three-part series for Channel 4.

She's the top ranked woman weightlifter in the United States, not to mention being the mother of three, and after sparkling performances at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships and the 2008 Olympic Trials, Melanie Roach is headed to Beijing.


Melanie Roach (USA) ripped this 79-kg snatch, getting off to a perfect start at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Roach will be headed back to Asia for some more weightlifting shortly, only this time it will be Beijing, China, and the Olympic Games. Randall J. Strossen photo.

But first, there's a send-off party, and that's tonight, in Sumner, Washington, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. "Hot dogs, children/family activities & autographs!" For more details, please visit http://www.melanieroach.com/.

Responding to IronMind's request for clarification of the Olympic quota for the USA men's weightlifting team, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) summarized the facts, making it is apparent that an unfortunate misunderstanding is at the root of the controversy concerning how many American men will be on the start list for weightlifting in Beijing.

The first point, by now well established after many exchanges between the principals, is that based on "the FINAL Combined 2006 & 2007 World Championships qualification team Ranking (after the closing of the anti-doping control procedures), the USA did not earn any qualification quota in MEN for the 2008 Beijing Games," IWF officials told IronMind today. This was a bitter pill for the USA men's weightlifting team to swallow since "the PRELIMINARY Ranking issued on the last day of the 2007 WWC," led the team to think it had earned three slots. Unfortunately, doping positives from other countries changed the team rankings, and the net result was that the USA men's team ended up with a quota of zero.

"This happened without the USA having done anything wrong," the IWF noted, in complete agreement with USAW advocates, but the fact remains that as far as the final rankings go, "This was the case."

Further, the IWF is emphatic that it never misled the USAW regarding these rankings and the resulting quota: "The USA Weightlifting Federation/USOC NEVER received any official communication from the IWF or from its President that it has 3 men qualified for Beijing. On the contrary, when the Ranking became final, it was published on the IWF website," where the official quota for the US men's team, based on its position, was nil.

Seeking to remedy this situation, USA Weightlifting sent a men's team to the Pan Ams, where it performed extremely well and its efforts were rewarded, as explained by the IWF: "The USA used the Continental Qualification opportunity in 2008 where it qualified 2 men for Beijing. Official notification about this was duly sent."

At some point subsequently, perhaps fueled by optimism or even a residual sense that it was morally entitled to three slots, a story circulated that the USA men's team had been given an additional position, bringing it back up the full three the team initially thought it had. This created an immediate sense of happiness and relief in the USA Weightlifting community, but it wasn't to last long, because shortly after this story had been widely circulated, another announcement followed, stating that this third slot had evaporated - at this point, the rumors and threats began to fly.

The matter is really very simple, though, because the IWF told IronMind, "The [third] place has never been granted, so it could never be taken back . . . Nobody from the IWF - including the President - has ever said or written to the USA �granting' this slot."

It is unfortunate that rumor and misunderstanding have confused matters about the Olympic quota for the USA Weightlifting men's team, but with countries still scrambling to gain even one slot and with the IWF responsible for the global good of the sport, narrow views of quotas, while understandable, will have to give way to a broader perspective.

Remaining upbeat throughout this process, USA Weightlifting is showing its commitment to the the third man on its depth chart - Casey Burgener - by bringing him to Beijing, ready to suit up just in case an extra opening arises from lifters either not showing up or by failing the preliminary drug tests required by the IWF as part of its continuing commitment to a clean sport.

With all this adrenaline flowing, if Casey Burgener lifts in Beijing after all, more than one person is predicting a personal best performance from the top American super heavyweight, which would be the storybook ending to this saga.

If you're in Vilnius, Lithuania on Friday and want to see a jet pulled as a strongman event, be ready for what the Strongman Champions League has planned.


The next stop for the Strongman Champions League is Vilnius, Lithuania, where, on Friday, the strongman competitors will pull a jet. Logo courtesy of Marcel Mostert.

"On Friday, 18 July, we will do a real plane pull at the airport, the SAAB plane pull," Marcel Mostert told IronMind. "It reminds me of when I was in Vilnius in 1996 and also did a plane pull, and they closed the airport for three hours to do our thing! �It gave us great pictures and a fantastic show . . . especially since they closed the international airport just for us. �That was awesome and was never done again in Europe as far as I know."

The rest of the events will be held the next day: log lift (for maximum weight), weight for height (using a beer keg), squat (for reps), medley (described as "heavy"), Atlas stones (up to 180 kg), deadlift (320 kg for reps).

"As in the four previous Strongman Champions League competitions, maybe we will set a new world record again, but if not, then I'm sure we will set a new standard for pulling an airplane!" Mostert said.

Here are the competitors:

Zydrunas Savickas (Lithuania)
Vidas Blekaitas (Lithuania)
Vilius Petrauskas (Lithuania)
Simon Sulaiman (Syria)
Erwin Katona (Serbia)
Tobias Ide (Germany)
Agris Kazelniks (Latvia)
Anders Johansson (Sweden)
Aleksandr Lashyn (Ukraine)
Igor Pedan (Russia)
Jimmy Laureys (Belgium)
Zdenek Sedmik (Czech)

If you're a MILO reader, you're no stranger to the name Eric Frasure . . . or Francis Brebner, and who better than Francis Brebner to call the action at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, where Eric Frasure added another feather to his cap.


He weighs 320 and he shrugs almost half a ton, but Grandfather Mountain Highland Games winner Eric Frasure told Francis Brebner that he wants to trim down a bit and "work more on the hammers as I want to focus on the IHGF World Hammer Championships in Pleasanton . . . late in August." Greg Adams photo.




Grandfather Mountain Highland Games by Francis Brebner

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games had a great turnout of spectators, with an estimated crowd of 40,000, who were enthralled with a great competition, which saw Eric Frasure and Kerry Overfelt battling it out throughout the day for the number one spot.

In the opening event, the stone putt, Bert Sorin dominated with a world-class putt of 49' 3-1/2", with Frasure in second with 47' 2-1/2" and Chris Chafin in third with 44' 7".

Frasure won the 56-lb. weight for distance marginally with a distance of 44' 3-1/2", over Overfelt who placed second with a throw 43' 10". Sorin placed third with 38' 5".

Again in the 28-lb. weight for distance, Frasure dominated with a worthy throw of 87' 3-1/2". Frasure added that the weight that was being used was a very dour one, but he was more than pleased with his throw despite this. In second was Overfelt with 84' 3", and in third, Sorin with 80' 7".

Going into the 22-lb. hammer, Frasure did not feel comfortable in his winds with the hammer despite pulling out a remarkable winning distance of 118' 7-1/2"; Overfelt was second with 110' 1" and Mike Pockoski third with 107' 4". Frasure mentioned his turns with hammer did not feel as smooth as usual, explaining that his bodyweight is around 320 lb. at the moment, and even though he is strong, doing shrugs with as much as 945 lb. for a set of 5 and barbell curling 365 lb. for a set of 5 also, he said, "I feel that I need to drop my bodyweight to around 290 lb. and work more on the hammers as I want to focus on the IHGF World Hammer Championships in Pleasanton, which will be held in late August, as both Betz and Brock are throwing the hammers fantastically so far this season."

The open caber, which was 18' and 135 lb., was won by Overfelt with an 11:45 toss on countback, with Pockoski in second with 11:45 and Frasure in third with a 12:15.

The sheaf toss was a close competition between Frasure and Overfelt, with Frasure coming out on top with a height of 31' 3"; Overfelt was in second with 30' and Pockoski in third with 28'.

In the final event of the Games, the 56-lb. weight-for-height, Overfelt took the win with a height of 17' 6", with Frasure and Chafin tying at 16'.

The overall placings were Frasure, first; Overfelt, second; Sorin, third; Pockoski, fourth; Chafin and Chris St. Clair, fifth equal; and David Lyttle, seventh.

The next Games for Frasure will be in Portland, Oregon, July 19, which will include a strong line-up of pro athletes, like Harrison Bailey III, Greg Bell, Eric Frasure, Andrew Hobson, Lucais MacKay, Daniel McKim, Kerry Overfelt, Mike Pockoski, Lannie Pullon, and the five-time world champion Ryan Vierra. �

"The debriefing of FORTISSIMUS 2008 was almost as long as day two of the competition," Paul Ohl told IronMind, and this is hardly an exaggeration - the meeting lasted five and a half hours, as the FORTISSIMUS Steering Committee, "reviewed all aspects of this year's event, made note of the comments of the competitors and from some experts in the field."


FORTISSIMUS will be back with a new name, new location, and more money in 2009. Logo courtesy of FORTISSIMUS WORLD STRENGTH.

Here is the official statement:

"- FORTISSIMUS will be back in 2009;"

"- The organization, whose full name will be FORTISSIMUS WORLD STRENGTH, has given itself an enlarged mandate which will include close cooperation with American, European and Australian strongman organizations, promotion efforts that will reach the world strength community and a more specific involvement within the Canadian territory;"

"-FORTISSIMUS 2009 will be tailored to become the greatest challenge of strength ever and the winner will be recognized as THE STRONGEST MAN ON EARTH;"

"- FORTISSIMUS 2009 will showcase ten events over two consecutive days. Although the core of the competition will remain untouched, 40 % of this year's events will be reshaped or changed. The venue will be moved to a new location, the latter offering a hard and even surface."

"- FORTISSIMUS 2009 will invite 12 competitors along the following guidelines:

* Top 2 from FORTISSIMUS 2008 guaranteed;
* Top 2 from STRONGMAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE guaranteed;
* Top 2 from TWI WORLD's STRONGEST MAN guaranteed;"
* Top 2 from 2009 ARNOLD STRONGMAN CLASSIC guaranteed;
* Winner of 2008 AMERICA's STRONGEST MAN guaranteed;
* Top Canadian from FORTISSIMUS 2008 guaranteed;
* Two spots to be decided based on the athletes' 2009 track record;
* Two wild cards"

"- FORTISSIMUS 2009 will increase the prize money by at least 20 %."

"- FORTISSIMUS WORLD STRENGTH will remain a non-profit organization. As from August 1st, 2008, it will overseer FORTISSIMUS 2009, FORTISSIMUS CANADA, FORTISSIMUS MULTI MEDIA and FORTISSIMUS HALL OF FAME."

Coast to coast, it was a big weekend for the Highland Games in Canada, and Francis Brebner filed this report for IronMind.


The Fort Edmonton and Halifax Highland Games by Francis BrebnerIt was a busy weekend for the Scottish Heavy Events, with two big competitions at opposite ends of Canada. On the west coast, the Fort Edmonton Highland Games in Alberta drew 12 of western Canada's best throwers, including stone putt record holder Matt Doherty. On the east coast, 14 throwers took to the field at the 35th Halifax Highland Games, including three-time Canadian champion Greg Hadley and nationally second-ranked Lyle Barron. This weekend of competition served as the final tune-up for the Canadian Championships to be held at the 145th Antigonish Highland Games on July 19 � 20.

In Fort Edmonton, Alberta, Matt Doherty stole the show by establishing a new Canadian record in the heavy stone putt with a massive throw of 49' 10", which smashed the previous record of 47' 1", set by Dan Markovic in 1990. This putt of Matt's is currently the farthest throw in the world at the moment. Matt was thrilled to set the record and is feeling in top form for the Canadian Championships next weekend. Matt is one of Canada's top shot putters and wire hammer throwers. Full event results were unavailable at press time.

On the east coast, the 35th Halifax Highland Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia, hosted 14 throwers, including 6 competitors who will be fighting for the Canadian title. It was a day of personal records, as multiple throwers achieved lifetime best (PR) throws.

The opening event was the 23-lb. Braemar stone putt. Hadley took the win marginally over Jamie Peppard, with putt of 37' 7", with Peppard in second with 37' 6", and Danny Frame in third with 37' 5". Only 1" separated the top three, all of whom had personal bests. Hadley added that this was a difficult stone to throw, with many athletes around the 33' mark.

In the 17.2-lb. open stone, again Hadley snatched another win over Peppard with 48' 11", with Peppard in second with 45' 7", and Barron breaking into the third spot with 43' 7".

In the third event, the 56-lb. weight for distance, Barron won with a massive PR of 43' 4"; second was Hadley with 43' 1" and third, Peppard with 35' 6".

However in the 28-lb. weight for distance, Hadley won the event outright, with a throw of 83' 7" for his third win and also another PR. Barron was second with 77' 11", and Peppard third with 73' 11", pulling out his second best all-time throw.

In the 22-lb. hammer, Hadley mentioned that the Dartmouth Commons were tinder dry, making it very difficult to dig in with the spikes and get a good foothold (at least for Hadley, he added) but these conditions didn't seem to bother Lyle Barron, with the winning throw of 107' 8.5", for yet another massive PR. Hadley had to be content with a throw of 100' 1", which was well under the Canadian champion's capability. Kevin Robinson was third with 96' 1".

In the 16-lb. hammer, again Barron took another hammer win of 129', a second all-time best throw for him. Hadley was second with 128' 8", and Walsh third with 115' 3".

In the 56-lb. weight-over-the-bar, 4 competitors were still in at 16', a true first for the Maritimes � and the weight used actually weighed in at 57 lb. This event was a three-way tie between Hadley, Frame, and Barron at 16', all of whom had PRs once again. In fourth was Peppard with 15' 6".

Greg Hadley finished first overall, with Lyle Barron second, Jamie Peppard third, and Danny Frame fourth. Hadley achieved personal best throws in the 23-lb. Braemar stone putt (37' 6"), the 28-lb. weight for distance (83' 7"), and the 56-lb. weight for height (16').

Hadley gave praise to Lyle Barron, who established five personal best throws and solidified himself as a true world-class thrower: "Barron has been throwing now for four years in track and field and Highland Games, but in the last two he has been focusing more on Highland Games, and if he keeps on going the way he is, I am going to have a real force to contend with in the very near future."

"With so many PRs being established in just one Games by several athletes, this just shows us that the standard of throwing is well on its way up in Canada," Hadley added.

This upcoming weekend will see Canada's 10 top-ranked throwers descend on Antigonish, Nova Scotia, for the Canadian Scottish Athletic Federation Championships. Athletes will arrive in beautiful Antigonish on Thursday, July 17, to enjoy the world-famous Maritime hospitality. The championships will take place over two days. Live streaming results will be available on the message forum of the CSAF website at www.csaf.ca and watch for reports on IronMind.com.

The Astella Development Corp. and the New York Arm Wrestling Association (NYAWA) are presenting the 26th Annual Kingsboro Golden Arm Wrestling Championships on the Coney Island boardwalk - there are novice, amateur and pro classes, and "the overall male and female winners will be crowned �Brooklyn's Strongest Arm,'" NYAWA President Gene Camp said. Talk about bragging rights!


Arm wrestling is a universal test of strength, and whether you're at the level of Johnny Walker (left) or Bryan Johnson (right), or are just ready for your first competition, the Coney Island boardwalk is where you want to be on July 26. Randall J. Strossen photo.

For full details, please check the NYAWA website.

"It was won very clearly by Jarno Hams," Marcel Mostert reported to IronMind, "although he had some problems with his neck and takes a break of one month now to recover."


Jarno Hams holds on to his claim as the Dutch Strongest Man. Photo courtesy of Marcel Mostert.

"For the fifth time in a row he won. The competition had six events, and there was a nice crowd of around�3000 people. It was a very nice edition again with a growing standard."

Also of note, Mostert told IronMind that the Strongman Champions League competition that was held in Holland on June 1 will be broadcast on Eurosport this coming Friday at 23.30 (11:30 p.m.).

Francis Brebner might be retired as a competitor, but he has anything but left his beloved Highland Games behind, as he continues his coverage for IronMind of top Games around the world.


Empathizing with Imelda Marcos, no doubt, Larry Brock is surrounded by shoes . . . A shoe for every purpose and a purpose for every shoe. Photo courtesy of Francis Brebner.


Alva Highland Games by Francis Brebner

At the Alva Highland Games, held in the beautiful rural mountain setting of Stirlingshire, the crowd of 8,000 was entertained by a top line-up of international heavy athletes yesterday. Sean Betz, Larry Brock, Will Baron, and Mike Zolkiewicz headed up the American representation, while from Scotland, Bruce Aitken and Bruce Robb shared the top billing, along with Aaron Neighbour from Australia and Darius Slowik from Poland/Canada.

In the first event, the open 16-lb. shot, Australia's Aaron Neighbour made a great putt of 53' 5" that claimed first place, with big Scotsman Bruce Robb hot on his heels with a 52' 7" putt for second, and Betz in the third spot with 51' 0".

However, in the 22-lb. shot, Sean Betz, with an awesome putt of 44' 5", nailed first place, nudging Robb into second place with 43' 5" and Neighbour into third with 43' 2".

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, both Betz and Brock were in a league of their own, with Betz taking the win with a throw of 86' 2" and Brock in second with 85' 5"; Robb was in third with 80' 6".

In the 16-lb. hammer, it was a close tussle between the top three hammer throwers in the world, with Betz coming out on top with a throw of 140' 6" and again Brock just behind by the narrowest of margins with a distance of 139' 0"; in third was Aitken with 137' 3".

In the 22-lb. hammer, Aitken led with a world-class throw of 118' 9" that took first place in his specialised event, with Brock in second with 116" 7" and Betz in third with 113' 7".

The next event saw a mighty caber being brought out, and at 18' and 175-lb., this brute was going to be no easy stick to turn, with the outcome being judged on degrees. Bruce Robb and Mike Zolkiewicz tied for first place with 75 degrees, leaving Brock and Betz tied for third at 70 degrees, and Will Barron and Aaron Neighbour tied for fifth equal.

In the last event, the 56-lb. weight-over-the-bar, Poland's Darius Slowik shared first place with Mike Zolkiewicz at a height of 15' 7", with Betz clearing 15' for third, leaving Aitken, Brock, Robb, and Neighbour in a tie at 14'.

The overall placings were: first, Sean Betz; second, Bruce Robb; and third, Larry Brock.

Betz and Brock said they were both happy with their performances: "We are now looking forward to the Stirling Highland Games, the next Games on the circuit which are to held near to the famous Stirling Castle on Sunday, and from there we head straight to the ferry to journey over to Antrim in Ireland for a televised championships filmed by the Ireland BBC.

Francis Brebner reported that Sean Betz and Larry Brock arrived in Scotland yesterday, "for the start of their month-long tour competing all over Scotland and Ireland in major Highland Games championships events."


Larry Brock (left) and Sean Betz (right) relax in front of Aberdeen's Northern Hotel, with its owner, Gary Cox, who is sponsoring the two top Highland Games heavies. Photo courtesy of Francis Brebner,

Here is Francis's full report:

Larry Brock was the first to arrive in Scotland yesterday morning, with Sean Betz coming later in the day. However, for Brock there was no chance of jet lag setting in, as he headed straight for Fort William in the west of Scotland to compete in the Bravehart Highland Games Challenge, invited by the organiser and legendary former champion of Highland Games Hamish Davidson.

Brock added that the drive through the Highlands was "fantastic," arriving at Fort William for the evening Games, which started at 6 o'clock at the Locharber Leisure Center, with around 5000 tourists and spectators turning out. Brock was not the only American competing at the Fort William Games, as good friend and rival Will Baron from New York was in the line-up, along with Scotland's Jason Young, David Hart, Malcolm Cleghorn, and Peter Whitehead.

The 16-lb. shot was the first event and was won by Brock with 47' 2", with Barron in second at 46' 2", and Jason Young in third with 45' 3".

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, Brock took his second win with a throw of 83' 7", with Barron once again in second place with 79' 9", and David Hart third with 65' 4".

In the 56-lb. weight-over-the-bar, there was a three-way tie between Brock, Barron and Young at 15'.

In the caber, Young took top honours with a toss of 12:01; just one minute behind was Brock with 12:02 and in third was Barron with a toss of 12:03.

In the final event of the evening's competition, the 22-lb. open shot, Barron went ahead of Brock with a putt of 38' 0"; in second was Brock with 37' 2", and in third was Young with 35'.

The fun and games did not stop there for Brock as he now had to head back to Aberdeen for the following morning's press interview, which was held where they were staying at Aberdeen's renowned Northern Hotel, which is operated by owner Gary Cox, who so kindly sponsored Betz and Brock during their stay.

Gary has been a sponsor over the years to so many of the IHGF world's top athletes who come to compete in the major Highland Games events throughout Scotland and at the Royal Braemar Gathering. Sean and Larry both said Aberdeen is a beautiful place and the hotel is out of this world, and we could not be more thankful to Gary Cox for sponsoring their stay throughout this year's Highland Games series.

Larry Brock added that "this weekend will see us both competing in the Alva and Stirling Highland Games, and as soon as the Games finish, we have to catch a ferry from Troon, Scotland and journey across the sea to Ireland for the Glenarm Highland Games on Monday and Tuesday. Then [we come] back for a throwing clinic at Pitlocharty for some of the novice athletes there. Our season in Scotland is just calendar-packed, but that's how we like it.

"Both Sean and I have been throwing hammers and weights well this year, and we are both hoping to establish some major ground records in the motherland of Highland Games while we are here, but we know we have a strong opposition to contend with from Scotland, such as Bruce Aitken, Gregor Edmunds, Bruce Robb, and England's Scott Rider�but we are ready for whatever comes at us."




Larry Brock (left) and Sean Betz (right) make themselves useful at the Northern Hotel (Aberdeen, Scotland) by giving Olga, "the front desk operator," a boost.

Congratulations to Rex Hubbard, who has been certified on the IronMind® Red Nail, a benchmark short bend.

Rex said he began his grip training in February 2008, but don't think this mean's Rex is aiming low or planning to go slow. "Some time within the next year, I plan to be the best gripster in the world," Rex told IronMind. �"I am also training to deadlift 900 pounds and more."

IronMind would like to thank Aaron Corcorran for serving as IronMind's official witness on Rex's Red Nail certification.

Recognizing Rex Hubbard's accomplishment, his name has been added to the Red Nail Roster®, the official list of men who have succeeded on this benchmark short bend.

Congratulations, Rex!

All the new lifters at The Sports Palace on Valencia Street in San Francisco used to hear head honcho Jim Schmitz ask them, "When are you going to enter your first meet" and no matter what excuse you would come up with, as you waited for the miracle that would allow you to open with a world record attempt, Jim was not fooled, and sooner or later D-day arrived: you had to produce your best lifts . . . for real . . . in public.


It doesn't matter how many people call you "coach," or how many posts you have on your favorite forum, or even how many baseball caps you own, there's no room to hide when your lifter is on the platform. Randall Strossen puts Jim Schmitz at the top of the heap as far as platform coaches go - by picking the right attempts and knowing the rules, Strossen says that Jim Schmitz is the guy who will get you the places, the medals, and the records that might otherwise have been left behind. Here, Jim Schmitz is a stand-in coach for Jackie Berube at the 2001 World Weightlifting Championships in Antalya, Turkey. Randall J. Strossen photo.

In this month's "Schmitz on the Lifts," top weightlifting coach Jim Schmitz tells you how to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, your first meet . . . the only thing he didn't mention is the importance of having a top platform coach by your side if possible, but read Jim's advice and if you're ever in a position of needing to get your biggest performance on contest day, IronMind says that it's Jim Schmitz you want to have in your corner.

To get ready for your first weigh-in, be sure to read the latest "Schmitz on the Lifts" by going to the Training Articles button at the top of the IronMind home page and selecting "Schmitz on the Lifts," or by following this link.

Cup-A-Soup, a Unilever product, is running two commercials that feature strongmen Jarno Hams, Adam Darasz and Marcel Mostert.

Mostert told IronMind, "We are very proud to participate" in these commercials, which "are broadcast on all channels in Holland every day, and on our European Soccer Championships this month, at every match as well. It is really good for strongman here and you can understand how popular it is at the moment."

To view these commercials, go to http://www.cupasoup.nl/?page=/commercials.php� and than click on: Sterkste man 50 sec (10,02 MB MPEG1-file) and Sterkste man 15 sec (3,07 MB MPEG1-file)� on top of the site.

The Caledonian Club of San Francisco proudly presents the 143rd Annual Scottish Highland Games in Pleasanton, California, August 30 - 31, and if that's not enough to make all top Highland Games athletes and competitors run for their kilts, Pleasanton will also be hosting the International Highland Games Federation (IHGF) World Hammer Championships.


Big Throws by the Bay . . . The Caledonian Club of San Francisco presents the card for Pleasanton 2008, featuring some of the world's best Highland Games athletes. Artwork courtesy of Steve Conway.

Here's this year's field in the professional class:

Harrison Bailey III
Sean Betz
Larry Brock
Mike Pockoski
Eric Frasure
Scott Rider
Bert Sorin
Ryan Vierra

With top talent and big titles on the line, this is how Athletic Director Steve Conway sees things unfolding:

"This should be a very interesting year, with some of the best athletes in the world competing for the combined titles. Last year's hammer champion, Larry Brock, is coming into 2008 with a massive +120-foot heavy hammer throw and a +148-foot light hammer. Sean Betz also has a +120-foot heavy hammer throw, along with a +148-foot light hammer throw. Young Eric Frasure leads the way for the heavy hammer sporting a +122-foot throw in April at the Woodland Scottish Festival in Sacramento, California."

"Bert Sorin is a newcomer with some huge throws in the hammer early this year at the Loch Norman Highland Games, and of course you can never count out five-time world Highland Games champion Ryan Vierra, who will be geared up for the title."

"Harrison Bailey, from Pennsylvania, will be coming into form and could be the sleeper to watch out for as he has thrown some great distances this year. Harrison is coming off some injuries, but he is in form now. Newcomer Mike Pockoski finished fifth in last year's Games at Pleasanton and is hoping to improve upon that."

"Scott Rider, from England, is the 2007 Braemar Games champion, and he has been improving every time he steps on the field."

"This should be an interesting battle between some of the veteran performers and the up-and-coming rookies."

Always a good time, the Pleasanton Highland Games offer something for everyone in your family, and if you're a heavy events fan or want to see what they're like, this line-up includes some of the best in the world.

For details, please check the official Caledonian Club of San Francisco website.

In the same way that he broke the world record on the Rolling Thunder® and blew through the Timber Walk at this year's Arnold Strongman contest, Andrus Murumets dominated the No. 3 Captains of Crush® Gripper . . . at the end of the second day of Fortissimus!


You've got to hand it to him: Andrus Murumets has one of the strongest grips in the world. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Anytime you can perform a world-class feat of strength, it's impressive, but when you can do it casually, with the sort of ease that indicates even more frightening levels of reserve strength, that's over the top - and doing things that way seems to be the special gift of Andrus Murumets.

When he broke the world record on the Rolling Thunder®, Andrus Murumets had never even see one before . . . he just walked up to it and lifted it in such a display of raw grip strength that people who witnessed it still gush about his performance. Fast forward to this year's Arnold, when IronMind quipped that after Andrus Murumets scorched through the infamous Timber Walk, it should be renamed the Timber Run in Andrus's honor.

Coming off a win at the Strongman Champions League contest in Bulgaria, Andrus Murumets was in a podium position at Fortissimus until the he got sidelined, but no matter because when Randall Strossen showed up at dinner with a No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper for the Estonian strongman, history was about to be made again.

Andrus Murumets opened the gripper and with no warm-up or chalk, he whacked it down to about a one-millimeter gap, but that was only the beginning because with nary a rest, Andrus Murumets took another shot at it and put away the No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper.

Congratulations, Andrus - you are officially certified on the No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper.

It's been said that no matter how good his strongman contests are, it's Marcel Mostert's after-parties that really go off the charts, so when his upcoming Dutch Strongest Man contest is set in the Grand Discotheque Alcazar, one has to wonder whether Marcel Mostert has come up with a new way to blend two of his passions.


Holland - a country known for its top strongman contests - is about to hold its national strongman championships. Poster courtesy of Marcel Mostert.

Set for July 12 at 1:30 pm (13:30) in Puttershoek (just outside Rotterdam), you can expect this to be a high-level competition. "We had four qualifying rounds with 25 athletes each in the past few months, so we had enough athletes for this contest in our small country!" Mostert told IronMind.

Hugo Girard told IronMind that Quebec's Strongest Man contest was much closer than the points indicated, saying, "It was a real battle between the top four."

For Hugo Girard's part, he said, "I did what I was supposed to do . . . not making mistakes . . . building confidence."

Girard is coming off two very serious injuries and he must be judicious as he makes his comeback this season, taking things with a measured approach that is consistent with his overall goals of staying healthy and being at his best for this year's World's Strongest Man contest.

Here are the final places and points:

1. Hugo� Girard, 59 points
2. Christian Savoie, 50.5
3. Jessen Paulin,�47.5
4. Louis-Philippe Jean,�46.5
5. Jean-Francois Caron, 39
6. Franky Bonneau,�27.5
7. Mike�Sanders,�26
8. Martin�Primeau, 22.5
9. Martin Brisebois, 18
10. Guillaume Rioux,�16.5
11. Guillaume Dupuis, 15.5
12. Guillaume Laflamme, 14.5

The top four from this competition have qualified for Canada's Strongest Man, and the winner of that contest is guaranteed an invitation to the World's Strongest Man contest, Girard told IronMind.

The big news at IronMind is that Randall Strossen's Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card arrived today - Beijing is the fourth Olympics for which IronMind's flagship publication MILO has been credentialed to cover weightlifting . . . MILO is the only U.S.-based iron game publication to receive press credentials for any of these Olympic Games, and IronMind is very honored by this distinction.


Matthias Steiner (Germany) caught IronMind's eye at the Olympic test event in January when he snatched this 193 kg, and cleaned and jerked 230 kg. Two and a half months later, at the European Weightlifting Championships, Steiner did 200/246, at which point IronMind's Strossen began saying Steiner was the guy to watch in the supers at the upcoming Olympics. This past weekend, going six-for-six, Matthias Steiner finished with 201/250, and all we can say now is, "Go Matthias!" Randall J. Strossen photo.

As in Athens, watch for daily reports on weightlifting from Beijing in the IronMind News column, along with Randall Strossen's photos, as well as for complete coverage in MILO following the Olympics.

In the meantime, start counting the days until the Opening Ceremony on August 8 and begin thinking about who is going to lift what . . . In January, Randall Strossen covered the "Good Luck Beijing" test event for weightlifting and came back singing the praises of the venue and everyone's hard work to make this event as spectacular as it will be. If you missed this or just want to re-stoke the fires, here you go:

http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/morenewsv6.php?id=2310#2310

http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/morenewsv6.php?id=2311#2311

http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1282%2D16%2E1 See you in Beijing!

Jasmin Hajdarevic won the Denmark's Strongest Man contest in Copenhagen this weekend.


Ilkka Kinnunen (left) and Jasmin Hajdarevic (right) take a moment to relax at the Denmark's Strongest Man contest - Jasmin Hajdarevic won the contest, which Ilkka Kinnunen refereed, along with Marcel Mostert. Photo courtesy of Ilkka Kinnunen.

This contest was located in Copenhagen's famous Tivoli Gardens, the world's oldest amusement park. Ilkka Kinnunen told IronMind that it was a sunny day with 3,000 spectators, so no wonder he said it "looked very good!" as the eight strongmen contested six events: farmer's walk, medley, Apollon's axle, deadlift, one-arm dumbbell press, and loading.

Here are the overall places and points:

1. Jasmin Hajdarevic 47 points
2. Gregor Stenmar 39.5 points
3. Nicolai Hansen 37.5 points
4. Michael Liacht 30 points
5. Boris Milosevitc 22.5 points
6. Tobisa Hansen 14.5 points
7. Jesper Schmidt 13.5 points
8. Henrik Andersen injured

"Fifteen years ago . . ." Chad Coy told IronMind. "It seems like yesterday that I was calling you to find a strongman show and since there were none, we started one!"

"Since Hawaii took a year off, the Central USA Strongman Challenge is the longest consecutively-running strongman show in the USA. Every year we donate the proceeds to a charity and this year we raised $2,000 for our local chapter of Habit for Humanity."

"This year we had 22 guys show up: five novices, two teens, two masters, seven lightweight amateurs fighting for an ASC pro card and six ASC pros."

"Adam Fiet (Assistant Strength Coach at Louisville) won the Novice class. Trevor Buckalew won the teens; he is a D-1 football prospect. Joe Kenn (Head Strength Coach at Louisville) won the masters. The Pro Division (made up of heavyweight pros, lightweight pros and masters pros) was won by lightweight stud Justin Blake! The win and the ASC pro card for the lightweight amateurs went to Dave Mihalov from Connecticut. Dave trains with Tom McClure and Derek Poundstone. Dave was consistent all day and deserved the win!"

"Big thanks to my crew for cranking out six events in 2-1/2 hours! Thanks to all who have supported our show over the years!"

Stop by Chad and Kim Coy's Club Fitness 24 by Powerhouse Gym in Kokomo, Indiana, and see how you can be part of next year's contest.

IronMind has just received the final places and points from the World Strongman Federation competition held in Minsk, Belarus.


World Strongman Federation's Vlad Redkin (center) is coming off another successful strongman competition - this latest one being held in Minsk, Belarus on July 4. Belarus celebrated its Independence Day on July 3, and when the contest was held, "Team USA got a lot of support on our Independence Day!" Brian Shaw told IronMind. Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.

Here are the official final results:

1. Elbrus Nigmatullin, 56 points
2. Jason Bergmann, 51
3. Brian Shaw, 42
4. Dmitry Kononec, 40
5. Mikhail Sidorichev, 38
6. Laurence Shahlaie, 31
7. Matt Wanat, 22
8. Sergej Rjumin, 22
9. Jim Glassman, 18
10. Alex Lapirev, 10

Total team points:

Union, 166 points
USA, 164

Everyone was having a blast at the 2008 CrossFit Games yesterday, but one person had an extra reason to sport a big smile: Rodil San Mateo won the drawing for a set of IronMind Vulcan Racks.


Rodil San Mateo won the drawing for a set of IronMind Vulcan Racks at the 2008 CrossFit Games yesterday. Randall J. Strossen photo.

The CrossFit Games are an amazing display of camaraderie and fitness - this high-energy event, where the truly fit shine and everyone has a good time, is a striking testament to what the CrossFit community is all about. IronMind has long been a fan of CrossFit, and we thought, what better way to show our support for this year's Games than to give someone a chance to leave as the proud owner of a new set of IronMind Vulcan Racks - the cornerstone of many terrific workouts!

Congratulations, Rodil!

Elbrus Nigmatullin won the World Strongman Federation competition in Belarus, with Jason Bergmann finishing second and Brian Shaw taking third place.

"The USA team arrived on July 3rd, which is Independence Day for Belarus," Brian Shaw told IronMind.� "We got to enjoy the celebration with a great display of fireworks."

"The contest was on Friday and was very well organized.� Everything ran great and team USA got a lot of support on our Independence Day!"

"In the end, the Union (Russia plus Belarus) Team edged out Team USA in the overall point total for the team win."

The first round of the Quebec's Strongest Man contest was today and the top twelve competitors advance to the finals tomorrow.

IronMind does not have the official results, but here are what we believe are the top ten from today, all of whom will be going on to the finals tomorrow:

1. Christian Savoie
2. Hugo Girard
3. Louis-Philippe Jean
4. Jessen Paulin
5. Jean Francois Dumais
6. Jean Francois Caron
7. Mike Sanders
8. Guillaume Dupuis
9. Frankie Bonneau
10. Guillaume Laflame

"This was a long qualification . . . twenty-one guys up for the round one . . . a hard day for some, but a good warm-up day for the top guys," an insider told IronMind.

The top four from the final of this contest will go on to Canada's Strongest Man.

Arild Haugen won the Super Series Viking Power Challenge today. Here are the top six finishers:

1. Arild Haugen
2. Sebastian Wenta
3. Richard Skog
4. Johannes Arsjo
5. Kevin Nee
6. Jarek Dymek

After two events, Kevin Nee leads the Super Series Viking Power Challenge.

Nee won the last man standing deadlift with a huge 410-kg pull. Nee has 23 points; Sebastian Wenta is in second place with 18 points.

Taner Sagir might not be there, but here's your chance to see some good weightlifters and maybe hoist a couple of heavy ones yourself: Freddie Myles, of Myles Ahead Fitness, is hosting the 2nd Annual Redwood Empire Weightlifting Championships in Cotati, California, on July 19 and you still have a few more days to register if you want to lift.


Turkey's Taner Sagir, the defending 77-kg Olympic weightlifting champion, shown attempting a 197-kg clean and jerk at the 2008 Europeans Weightlifting Championships, gives you an idea of what the sport of weightlifting is about: pulling hard and moving fast are just the beginning. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Why feel that you've got to lift indoors or have a meet with no spectators? Myles doesn't think that way, so the Redwood Empire Weightlifting Championships shape up quite differently.

"We hold this meet in La Plaza Park on the main street in Cotati, a happening little town between Petaluma and Rohnert Park. �We will be lifting on a covered stage, and like last year, we will be serving burgers and beer, and all sorts of other goodies. �The park is so visible to the public that last year we attracted a full crowd all day long."

Here are the entry form and flyer for all the details.

Francis Brebner has filed this report on the Alaska Highland Games, what he calls, "a smashing day."


Larry Brock turned in another impressive performance at the Alaska Highland Games. Photo courtesy of Francis Brebner.

Alaska Highland Games: Field Records Fall by Francis Brebner

It was a smashing day at the Alaska Highland Games this weekend for Larry Brock, Harrison Bailey III, and Andrew Hobson, with a packed crowd in record attendance. Brock, Bailey, Hobson, and James Parman shared top billing.

In the opening event, the 20-lb. stone, Brock won with a distance 45' 9", with Bailey close behind with 44' 11" and the big Texan Parman in third with 42' 4".

In the 56-lb. weight for distance, the ground record had been set by Bailey in 2006 with a distance of 42' 6", and it was Bailey who stopped Brock in his winning streak in the weight for distance this season, creating a new field record of 44' 6". Brock had to settle for 40' 11" for second; Hobson was in third with 39' 7".

In the 28-lb. weight for distance, the record was also held by Bailey, a distance of 81' 7" set in 2006. Brock, however, got sweet revenge on Bailey with a world-class throw of 87' 8" for a new field record. Bailey was second with 81' 3" and Hobson third with 76' 4".

Brock's record-breaking performances did not stop there, as he thrilled the crowds with a worthy performance in the 22-lb. hammer, setting another field record with 119' 8"; this broke his old record by over 5', which Brock had set in 2005. In second was Bailey with 111' 3", and in third, Hobson with 107' 3".

These two field records were a clear sign that Brock was on form as in the next event, the 16-lb. hammer, Brock achieved a throw of 143' 6" for yet another new field record, which smashed Bailey's old record of 138' 2" set in 2006. Bailey had to settle for second with 136' 5", and Hobson third with 129' 4".

In the 56-lb. weight for height, however, Hobson, using the traditional standing method of throwing, set a new field record of 15' 6.5" for his first win, with a "very tough weight," Hobson added, breaking the field record previously held by James Parman from 2004. Brock came in second with 15', and Parman third with 14'.

The last event was the caber, at 19' 7" and 127 lb. Brock, with two 12:00 o'clock tosses, took the win over Bailey and Hobson, each having one 12:00 o'clock toss, but Bailey going ahead of Hobson on countback.

The top three were Brock first, Bailey second, and Hobson third.

Brock said, "This was a good Games for me. I am very happy with my performance and setting three field records - this is where I want to be with my throwing just before Sean Betz and I leave on our six-week tour of Scotland and Ireland next week, where I am hoping to establish some records in the motherland of Highland Games while I am there. I just love competing in Scotland."

Chicago 2016, the group supporting Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics, has joined Taste of Chicago, and weightlifting is on the menu.

"The Taste of Chicago is the largest food festival in the world, with roughly 6 million visitors from across the city, suburbs, country and world. Held in Chicago's Grant Park, the city's �front yard,' the festival is in the heart of the city, right along the lakefront." Chicago 2016 has joined the party, and Mike Gattone has just announced that a weightlifting exhibition is included in the festivities.

The weightlifting exhibition is scheduled for Saturday, July 5, and for more details, please check here:

Taste of Chicago.

"Our workouts are competitive events," says CrossFit co-founder and CEO Greg Glassman, so here you go, the second annual CrossFit Games give competitors and spectators a chance to have a great time in Aromas, California, July 5 - 6.


The fittest of the CrossFitters: See them in action at the CrossFit Games this weekend. Artwork courtesy of Michael Pommerening/CrossFit.

IronMind will be attending the 2008 CrossFit Games on Saturday, July 5, with a pile of grip tools and a set of Vulcan Racks for competitors and spectators alike who want to try their hand.

Ever lifted a Blob? Just how tough is a No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper? Is the Inch Challenge DB really a challenge? In the absence of GNC Grip Gauntlet host Wade Gillingham - who stands around casually holding the Blob in one hand and clicking a Captains of Crush No. 2 or No. 3 Gripper with the other - we're opening it up to all comers to provide the big lifts and mighty clicks.

IronMind will also have a set of genuine Vulcan Racks for anyone who wants to try some squats, dips or chins (in case you missed your workout that morning) � and the lucky winner of our free drawing will take home the Vulcan Racks Squat Racks at the end of the afternoon - you can take them home just in time for your next workout.

While all the competitor slots are filled, spectators can still get tickets. For full details, please visit CrossFit Games or contact Mike Pommerening at mike@crossfitgames.com

See you at the CrossFit Games in Aromas, California, on Saturday!