Hugo Girard said today that he's well ahead of schedule in terms of his rehabilitation, and is out of his cast and walking around, although he won't be doing heavy squats or deadlifts just yet.

 
Halil Mutlu (Turkey) at the top of his pull, an instant before reversing directions, with his second attempt in the snatch (140 kg). IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D photo.

"I am out of the cast, walking around in running shoes, but the doctor says that it has not been long enough to allow me to start pushing . . .," mentioning a concern about the tendon strength not quite being there yet.

Girard had torn his Achilles tendon on the Hammer of Strength event at this year's Arnold, and following surgery he had been put in a cast which had been expected to still be immobilizing his leg now.

Continuing with the theme of regeneration, Hugo and his wife are the proud new parents of a son, Tyler, who Hugo describes, with a laugh, as "muscular and lean."

Welcome Tyler - congratulations Hugo and Nadine!

Even if you don't read French, Paul Ohl says of the new Louis Cyr website, "It will probably be of interest to many, no matter what language it is in."

 
Where better than Louis Cyr country to reintroduce the backlift? Raimonds Bergmanis gives the Cyr specialty a go in Quebec, Canada. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"The site commemorates the 110th anniversary of the famous backlift (May 27, 1895, at the Austin and Stone's Museum, Boston) and the 150th anniversary of the founding of St-Jean-de-Matha, the home of Louis Cyr," Ohl explained.

Paul Ohl is the author of what he describes as the first "official biography of Louis Cyr," a 636-page book entitled LOUIS CYR, UNE -POP-E L-GENDAIRE.

Details on this book are also available on the website.

Sofia, Bulgaria - Vladimir Smorchkov, the man most famous for almost winning a World Weightlifting Championships while lifting in the B-session, had no need to do anything but run straight up the middle on his way to a victory in the 105-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships today.


Vladimir Smorchkov (Russia) starts 195 kg on its split-second ride from the platform to overhead, winning the first of his three gold medals today. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Smorchkov ran through a string of three easy-looking snatches: 187.5, 192.5 and 195, and this last lift gave him a five kg lead over Dmitry Lapikov (Russia) and a 12.5 kg or larger lead over everyone else in the class.

As it turned out, three lifters cleaned and jerked 227.5 kg, with Smorchkov getting the gold on bodyweight, not to mention a somewhat amazing two-to-one gift on his lift, which had-to-miss pressout.

Bunyami Sudas (Turkey) made a great lift with this weight on his third attempt, coming back for a terrific success after choking on his second attempt, and Ramunas Vysniauskas (Lithuania), not exactly the world leader in completed lifts, did a great job in making two jerks, moving himself up a notch in the process and netting two bronze medals.

Smorchkov's 422.5-kg total was followed by Sudas and Vysniauskas, both at 410, but Sudas was the lighter man.

With great regret, IronMind® received word that Pat Casey succumbed to his long battle against cancer.

Four decades ago, Pat Casey became the first man to bench press 600 pounds - a number that still stands as a remarkable achievement for anyone who benches raw, as Pat did.

Although Pat was best known for his otherworldly bench presses, he was also the top superheavyweight powerlifter of his day, not a one-lift specialist, as he was also the first man to officially squat 800 pounds and the first man to officially total 2000 pounds.

Besides his official powerlifts, Pat will always be remembered for his prodigious training lifts, such as walking to the dumbbell rack, picking up a pair of 210-pound dumbbells, walking back to the incline bench, getting the dumbbells into position unassisted, doing his reps, and then lowering and returning the dumbbells to the rack without any help.

We are not lucky enough to still have Pat's company, but wherever heavy metal is hoisted, Pat's spirit will live.

May he rest in peace.

Sofia, Bulgaria - He was in eighth place after the snatches, but with just one clean and jerk, Hakam Yilmaz (Turkey) became the 94-kg European Weightlifting Champion today.

 
Hakan Yilmaz (Turkey) sticks 215 kg on his opening clean and jerk and that was all it took to catapult him to the gold medal. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

This was a class where getting off to a good start in the snatch didn't end up counting for too much: Pavel Harkavy (Belarus) got off to a great start, snatching 170, 175, and then 177.5 but he only cleaned and jerked 185 kg, and the gold medalist in the total, Hakan Yilmaz, in eighth place, was 7.5 kg behind the leader.

The clean and jerk would change everything, and the final places of the medalists in the total mirrored their finishing order in the clean and jerk.

Things started to heat up in the clean and jerk when Vladislov Yarkin (Russia) took 212.5 to overtake his teammate Andrey Skorobogatov, but as he was holding the bar overhead, he started rotating clockwise. When he had turned a quarter of circle, he right arm blew out. Konstantin Piliyev (Ukraine) missed the same weight on his third attempt. Yilmaz came out and made a solid 215 for his opener, and it took no more when Skorobogatov missed 217.5 on his third attempt,

Skororobogatov got the silver in the total with 170/212.5 and Piliev got the bronze with 170/210, beating Nikolaos Kourtidis on bodyweight.

Sofia, Bulgaria - With eleven attempts at 165 kg in the snatch, it's easy to understand just how close the competition was in the 85-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships today.

 
Ruslan Novikau (Belarus) looked like he had this 172.5-kg snatch, but he lost it as he was recovering. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

165 kg in the snatch really separated the field because of the eleven attempts at this weight, only eight were successful and only two lifters made it on their first attempt - one of which was Novikau, who went on to be the only lifter to make 170 kg. Novikau appeared to have a successful lift with 172.5 but he lost it at the last moment as he was standing up.

Varleriu Calancea (Romania) had a shot at overtaking Novikau when he made a 205-kg jerk on his second attempt, moving past Novikau on bodyweight. With his back to the wall, Novikau took the same weight on his third attempt and made a very nice lift. This pushed Calencea to 212.5 if he wanted the gold in the total (and the jerk), and his second attempt had been strong. Would he make it? Not today - he only deadlifted the bar. Arsen Melikyan (Armenia) got the bronze medal in the total with 165/197.5, edging Oleksander Cherpak (Ukraine) on bodyweight.

It's here: The Magnus Samuelsson World's Strongest Arms DVD is your ticket to learning from the guy with arms that are genuinely bigger and stronger than a lot of guys's legs, and hands with the strength to close a No. 4 Captains of Crush® gripper and set world records in the Rolling Thunder® - what more needs to be said?

 
World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Samuelsson shows what we're talking about when he flexes his arm at the 2004 World Muscle Power Championships (Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec). IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Magnus Samuelsson's name is linked with unrivalled levels of arm and grip strength, and his newest DVD, a Colin Bryce film, shows Magnus training his specialties with fellow World's Strongest Man winner Svend Karlsen, and it features a segment on arm wrestling - including brief coverage of Magnus's match-up with Nathan Jones at the 1995 World's Strongest Man contest.

Magnus's arm is measured on camera, first by Svend Karlsen, in centimeters, and then by Colin Bryce, in inches, and IronMind® had offered to give a free copy of the DVD for the closest guess to what Svend and Colin each measured, and because of some ties, we have five winners, all of who will be getting a free copy of this DVD: Riccardo Magni, Matthew Brouse, Jon Van Tassel, Eric Zucker and Gary Torkeo. Congratulations guys.

In the gym, on events, and just having some fun, Magnus Samuelsson's World's Strongest Arms DVD tells the story behind the most formidable arms and hands we know of - and given the circles we travel in, that's saying an awful lot.

Sofia, Bulgaria - With the two top contenders in the men's 69-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships today being Demir Demirev (Bulgaria) and Ferit Sen (Turkey), the battle on the lifting platform was backed up by the vocal crowd filling the hall.

 
Who's happy? Demir Demirev celebrates his go-ahead 150-kg snatch at the European Weightlifting Championships today. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Demirov was lighter, but he didn't need his bodyweight advantage to secure the victory because he snatched 145, missed 150, and then came back to make it, while Sen made three good lifts, but finished with 147.5 kg. The partisan Bulgarian fans left no doubt about who they wanted to win, and after the snatches had ended, the competition hall was throbbing with excitement.

In the clean and jerk, Sen started before Demirev, making a good lift with 170 kg. Demirev hit 175 for his opener, and Sen made the same weight on his second attempt. Going for first place, Sen called for 182.5 kg on his third attempt, while his appearance on the platform was greeted with boos. He cleaned the weight, drove it up, and despite a valiant effort and a deep split, he could not fix the bar overhead, Demirov wasn't content to quit now, even though he had won, and he took 185 kg on his third attempt, for a success that was roaringly approved by the crowd. And if they needed another reason to be happy, Mehmed Fikretov (Bulgaria) got the bronze medal in the total via 135/177.5.

Sofia, Bulgaria - The Russian women were a force to be reckoned with again today at the European Weightlifting Championships, as the contest for the 75-kg title turned into a battle between Valentina Popova and her countrywoman Svetlana Podobedova.

 
Svetlana Pedobedova (Russia) drives under the 147.5-kg jerk that gave her the victory in the 75-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Popova got into the lead by outsnatching Podobedova 117.5 to 115, plus she was lighter. When Popova opened in the clean and jerk with a successful lift of 137.5 kg, Podobedova took the 142.5 she needed to leapfrog Popova for first place.

Podobedova made a very nice lift, and Popova responded by taking the same 142.5 herself, and by Popova making the lift, Podebedova now needed 147.5 to recapture the lead. She took the weight and made another good lift.

With one attempt left, in an effort to move back into first place, Popova took 147.5 kg - if she made it, she would resume the lead and force Podebedova up to 152.5. Popova gave the weight a good shot, but missed the clean.

With the gold medal in the total secure, Podobedova called for 150 kg. but she missed the clean. Rumania Petkova (Bulgaria) got the bronze in the total, via 107.5/127.5 and it was a well-deserved medal because she really lit up the competition hall with her fiercely-fought lifts.

Sofia, Bulgaria - Russian junior Zarema Kasaeva broke all the junior and senior European weightlifting records in the women's 69-kg category today at the European Championships.

 
Zarema Kasaeva (Russia) nailed this 120-kg snatch, for new junior and senior European records. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D photo.
 

Kasaeva wasted no time asserting her skills, as she snatched 120 kg to break both the junior and senior European records, and she went on to clean and jerk 145 kg for new junior and senior European records in the jerk and total, and also a junior world record in the total. Olga Kiseleva (Russia) got the silver in the total (110/142.5) and Natilia Davidova (Ukraine) got the bronze (110/132.5).

Sofia, Bulgaria - Barring something extraordinary happening, the only question in tonight's 62-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships was the size of Halil Mutlu's victory.

 
Halil Mutlu (Turkey) at the top of his pull, an instant before reversing directions, with his second attempt in the snatch (140 kg). IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D photo.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Halil Mutlu (Turkey) moved up to the 62-kg category and he opened with a 135-kg snatch, after everyone else was done, and made it look light. He had been said to be good for about 145 at the moment, but he never exerted himself, making 140 kg on his second attempt and then passing on his third attempt.

Mutlu opened with 165 kg in the clean and jerk, once again making the weight look light, and then Sevdalin Angelov (Bulgaria) made a very nice third attempt with the same weight - particularly impressive since he had to run to the front edge of the platform to save the jerk on his second attempt (162.5 kg). Mutlu had another routine success with 167.5, jerking the weight as if he planned to launch it into space, and then, with three gold medals, he called it a night.

Sevdalin Angelov got the silver medal in the total (132.5/165) and Adrian Jigau (Romania) got the bronze (132.5/162.5).

Sofia, Bulgaria - Pounding out five good lifts was all it took for Sedat Artuc (Turkey) to win the 56-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships tonight.


56-kg Sedat Artuc (Turkey) finishing his pull on his third attempt snatch, 125 kg, on his way to victory at the 2005 European Weightlifting Championships. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Artuc, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, came into the contest in solid shape, and after making three good snatches, he followed with good clean and jerks with 145 and 150 kg, which was enough for the win, so he passed on this third attempt.

It was a good night for the powerhouse Turkish team, as junior Erol Bilgin finished off the night with 120/145 for the silver medal in the total. The bronze medal in the total went to Vitali Dzerbieniov (Belarus), who hit 117.5/142.5.

Sofia, Bulgaria - Nestled on the side of Mount Vitosha, the Centre for Bulgarian National Cuisine and Folklore was the site for the official celebration dinner for this year's European Weightlifting Championships.

 
Peny and Stefan Botev, last night, at the official celebration dinner for the 2005 European Weightlifting Championships. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The heads of the participating national federations and a few lucky others were treated to an evening of food, music and dance representing Bulgarian culture.

Hosted by Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation President Andon Nikolov and General Secretary Stefan Botev, there was a festive atmosphere with plenty of lifting stars, such as Alexander Kurlovich, Waldemar Baszanowski, Yanko Rusev and Nicu Vlad.

Last night it was eat, drink and be merry, but starting tomorrow, all that matters is lifting the barbell.

AOBS President Artie Drechsler just announced that Don Reinhoudt will be the third honoree at this year's dinner, along with Pat Casey and Red Lerille.

As an added bonus, Artie said that Tommy Kono "will be giving a clinic the night before the dinner from 7 - 9 pm." This clinic will be limited to 40 people, so hurry and sign up now.

The AOBS dinner is June 11 in Saddle Brook, New Jersey and you can email Artie Drechsler for details: lifttech@earthlink.net .

Anyone who doubted the deadlifts Benedikt Magnusson recently said that he was going for should take a look at this picture.

 
Benedikt Magnusson gives 425 kg a mighty ride at the Icelandic Powerlifting Championships yesterday. IronMind® | Photo by Johannes Eriksson, courtesy of Hjalti Arnason.

Going for the all-time deadlift record with this 425-kg pull, Benedikt Magnusson proves that he's a human forklift and that the record is living on borrowed time.

It wasn't just powerlifting fans who were interested in the Icelandic Powerlifting Championships today.

With an 1100-kg total within the grasp of both Audunn Jonsson and Benedikt Magnusson, there was plenty of reason to be excited, but the real buzz was about Benedikt Magnusson, who was going for the all-time heaviest deadlift, a feat of strength that transcends the politics of powerlifting.

Audunn Jonsson squatted 432.5 kg, benched 300 kg and deadlifted 385 kg for a total of 1117.5 kg and the title. Benedikt Magnusson squatted 405 kg, benched 275 kg and deadlifted 410, before "just missing" 425!

Here's another reason to be at Gary Udit's Strongest Man in Pittsburgh contest on April 23: The Diesel Crew will be there with their World Series of Grip and they're not pulling any punches when it comes to events.

Deadlift an Inch replica, do the same with a Blob (if you're feeling particularly strong that day, maybe they'll let you do both of these at the same time - one in each hand), and if you think deadlifting is just for powerlifters, take a deep breath because you have to do one more: this time it's an old-style York 45 and you have to lift it by pinch gripping its sloping hub.

Last, billed as "the staple of Grip Athletics," it's grippers, and all you have to do is bang a No. 3 Captains of Crush® gripper shut and then you're not just home free, but the Diesel Crews plans to make you a movie star by featuring you in one of their "hardcore videos for a month."

It's all part of Gary Udit's NAS strongman contest: the Strongest Man in Pittsburgh Championships on April 23, 2005. For full details please check the official NAS website.

Just in case you're feeling brave this weekend, Brad Johnson has unleashed his latest challenge for you: Suspended Renegade Rows.

It's not called Extreme Bodyweight Training for nothing, and if you haven't already done so, be sure to read what Brad Johnson has to say on the subject.

You can click on the button on the IronMind® home page or just follow this link to read Brad's latest column.

Give them a try and you'll see why Brad calls Suspended Renegade Rows, "an incredible exercise for the upper body and core."

The IFSA-sanctioned meet originally scheduled for Dubai next weekend has been postponed.

"The conditions for the competition in Dubai were not optimal, and the event has been postponed until the local promoter has managed to improve them," IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa said today.

The Dubai contest, while IFSA sanctioned, is not considered "an IFSA contest," since, for example, it is not part of the new IFSA television show that makes its worldwide debut in September, and its organizers were not part of either IFSA or one of IFSA's national federations.

The IFSA Strongman European Championships, which can be considered "a full IFSA contest," are scheduled for June 4 - 5 in Moscow.

Last month, we welcomed three-time US Olympic Weightlifting team coach Jim Schmitz as an IronMind® homepage columnist, and we've just posted Jim's latest: a great workout if you are short on time.

Jim Schmitz has the kind of weightlifting experience and track record as a coach that is widely recognized within the sport, and here's your chance to tap into his knowledge as you wait for his next MILO article. And because sometimes the hardest part of training is finding the time to do it, be sure to read Jim's recommendation in this month's column and put it to work for yourself.

Follow the Schmitz on the Lifts link on the IronMind® homepage, or click here.

 

With just under one week to go, weightlifting fans around the world are getting ready for the European Championships - always one of the top competitions of the year.

 
Super heavyweight (+105 kg) Velichko Cholakov (Bulgaria) hit this huge 207.5-kg snatch at the Athens Olympics, on his way to the bronze medal. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The starting field is filled with medalists from the Athens Olympics, from the 56-kg category (Halil Mutlu, gold medalist and and Artuc Sedat, bronze medalist - both from Turkey) to the +105 kg category (Viktors Scerbatihs, the silver medalist, from Latvia, and Velicho Cholakov, the bronze medalist, from Bulgaria).

This marks the beginning of the buildup to the Beijing Olympics, so watch for signs of what you will see in 2008. Halil Mutlu, for example, who has talked about moving up in body weight classes, is, in fact, entered in the 62-kg category, and Velichko Cholakov, frequently mentioned as a comer in the super heavyweight class, snatched 197.5 and cleaned and jerked 230 kg in a contest a few weeks ago, so he is expected to lift some pretty impressive weights at this year's Europeans.

Chris James visited Nathan Holle over the weekend, and even though his training has been sidelined due to a work-related injury, Chris left no doubt about his tremendous hand strength.

Nathan reported that while Chris was there, "he lifted a very easy 77 lb. in plates on the [IronMind®] Blockbuster Pinch Grip Block, loading pin and carabiner." Nathan said that Chris "also lifted the Blob," and this was "the first time he had ever seen one."

The Icelandic Powerlifting Championships are set for April 16 and insiders are predicting that both Audunn Jonsson and Benedikt Magnusson might well produce 1100-kg totals.

 
Audunn Jonsson (left) and Benedikt Magnusson (right) will go head to head at the upcoming Icelandic Powerlifting Championships. These modern-day Vikings are no doubt drawing strength from this stone, which displays the language, going back to the third century, that their forebears used. IronMind® | Photo by Hjalti Arnason.

The stage is set for big numbers when Audunn Jonsson and Benedikt Magnusson meet on the powerlifting platform.

"Jonsson did 1050 kg last year in the 125-kg class, now he is 138 kg and is ready for the wonder kid Benedikt Magnusson."

Benedikt Magnusson has been making headlines in the strength world with his huge deadlifts: After pulling a 410-kg deadlift about a week and a half ago, Benedikt Magnusson told IronMind® that he planned to open with 410 kg at the Iceland Powerlifting Championships, take 425 kg on his second attempt, to break Andy Bolton's all-time record, and then take 455 kg on his third attempt, to be the first man to deadlift 1,000 pounds.

The action starts tomorrow at 11 am at the IronWorks Gym in Cresswell, Oregon (outside of Eugene) for the 2005 Pacific Northwest Weightlifting Championships, and this is going to be a pretty special meet.

Well-known weightlifting coaches John Thrush and Steve Gough are both planning to bring lifters, adding to the great weightlifting environment created by the local team of Jon and Gene Joseph, owners of the IronWorks Gym, and Tom Hirtz, head of the weightlifting program at the Lane County Juvenile Justice Center.

If that's not enough reason to be there, get this: Mike Karchut is going to be there, so pull out your road map and we'll see you there tomorrow:

IronWorks Gym
600 Dale Kuni Road
Suite 110
Cresswell, Oregon

Managing Director Johan Erling said today that Eleiko will be applying to be the official barbell in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Eleiko barbell has a loyal following around the world, and it is the established standard of excellence in the field.

"We are definitely interested in applying," Mr. Erling said. "We are now extending our business, exploring and entering new markets," he added, explaining why the Swedish barbell company was interested in being the official barbell of the 2008 Olympics.

While IronMind® had received official word that the date of the 2005 Asian Weightlifting Championships was being changed, we still have not gotten confirmation of the new date.

Originally scheduled for June 15 - 22, in Dubai, we have heard a range of different dates suggested. Still not official, but the latest information IronMind has received on the new schedule calls for September 23 - 30, still in Dubai, and we will confirm the date as soon as we receive the official statement.

He came into the Athens Olympics a three-time gold medalist in weightlifting, and when he was done competing, medaling yet again, he took off his lifting shoes, signaling his retirement, and then he received a standing ovation the likes of which has never been seen before in the world of sports - minute after minute rolled by as the modern day Greek hero received a fitting tribute.

 
Pyrros Dimas (Greece) celebrates his successful 175-kg snatch at the 2004 Olympics, where he won the bronze medal - a very nice addition to the gold medals he had won in each of the previous three Olympics. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Asked what he's doing now, Pyrros said, "I still feel so tired that I don't do any training at all for weightlifting. On the contrary, I do what I always liked to do but I wasn't allowed to because of weightlifting and that is football (soccer)! I train and play every week."

Pyrros said that he is also relishing spending time with his family, and while he isn't lifting any more, he remains actively involved in the sport.

The 2005 Arnold Strongman contest is set to air on Fox Sports on Wednesday.

Reportedly scheduled for 4:00 pm across the US, this one-hour show will feature the first three events, and one week later, at the same time, a second one-hour show will feature the final three events.

Kettlebell enthusiasts who want to compete in the NAKF National Championships, here's your chance.

Set for May 14th in Yardley, Pennsylvania, the NAKF nationals give you the opportunity to show your stuff and get together with fellow kettlebell enthusiasts.

For full details, please check the NAKF website.

David Gentle's report on this year's Oscar Heidenstam Foundation dinner has just been posted.

Whether you were able to attend this year's dinner in person or not, you will enjoy David's report on the 14th annual OHF dinner and awards ceremony.

Tired of the cliche about jumpstarting your training, but still interested in springing into action?

Then be sure to check the latest installment of Steve Jeck's From The Quarry, which we just posted.

Steve "Inver Stone" Jeck is our resident philosopher at MILO and when he speaks, we listen and try to act on his words - here's your chance to learn from the man who co-authored the book, Of Stones and Strength.

Whether you are new to grip training, a grip master, or somewhere in between, there will be times when your training just isn't going well and you might be tempted to throw in the towel.

We'd urge not to do that, and in fact, grip guy extraordinaire John Brookfield's latest grip tip, which we just posted, gives you a very different, very productive use for that towel, so hang on to it and hang in there especially when your training gets tough.

For the latest Grip Tip from John Brookfield, follow this link or follow the Grip Tip link on the IronMind® home page.

Happy training!

We have just received a correction regarding tonight's programming on Eurosport.

At 9:00 pm (21:00) GMT, Eurosport will be presenting the under 105-kg Strongman World Championships, from Finland.

Strongman and powerlifting fans who have access to Eurosport will want to be glued to their televisions tonight.

At 8:00 pm (20:00) GMT tonight, you can catch the IPF World Championships, from South Africa, and at 9:00 pm (21:00) GMT, you can see the under 105-kg Strongman World Championships, from Finland.

It sounds like two great programs - watch them, enjoy them and let Eurosport know that this is just what you like to see.

With worldwide concern focused on the declining health of Pope John Paul II, the strongman contest scheduled for this weekend in Poland has just been rescheduled.

As the Vatican describes the 84-year old pontiff's condition as "very serious," the contest's organizers have just changed the date from this Sunday to June 12.

The pope, who is Polish and was renown for being robust and vigorous, has suffered a series of medical setbacks in recent days, intensifying worldwide concern about his well-being