"Fortissimus World Strength announces that Marcel Mostert of the Netherlands, head executive of the Strongman Champions League and senior international referee of strongman competitions, has been selected as referee in chief of the 2009 FORTISSIMUS STRONGEST MAN ON EARTH," according to a statement released to IronMind®.

"Mostert will be assisted by Ilkka Kinnunen of Finland, senior executive of the Strongman Champions League and winner of the 1983 European Muscle Power Championship," the statement continued.
 
"Fortissimus World Strength also confirms that Marc Lauzon of Canada, international strongman referee, will act as technical supervisor of 2009 Fortissimus. He will act as a senior official in a 100th strongman competition since 1999."

In a related statement, Fortissimus announced the formation of the "Competition Certification Board," explaining that, "The Board members will act as independent observers with the mandate to certify, at the end of the contest, that it was held according to international standards with regards to the events, the implements, the rules and the refereeing. Each member will then be asked to sign the Certification document.

"Wanting this competition to be of the highest standards, FORTISSIMUS WORLD STRENGTH has appointed a Competition Certification Board with the mandate of assessing the competition and certifying that the international standards were met," Fortissimus president Paul Ohl told IronMind®.

"The members of that board are: Ekaternia Mayorskaya, of the Professional League of Strength Extreme of Russia; Dione Wessels, president of the American Strongman Corporation; Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. president of IronMind® Enterprises; Dr Sam Dubè, Ph.D, expert in Strongman sport and Marc Lauzon, senior international strongman referee.

"We are thrilled to see how cooperative the many experts we have worked with are. We can now say that Fortissimus is a truly all-inclusive contest. This is what we hoped to accomplish two years ago. And this is what is needed if you want to put the title of the Strongest Man on Earth on the line."