Talking about the 2007 IFSA World Championships, Managing Director Christian Fennell said "the seven day event" kicks off on September 9.


Zydrunas Savickas, who dominates the Arnold strongman contest, is the defending IFSA World Champion and has got to be favored to repeat in South Korea later this year. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

The first day will be the Korean Open, Fennell explained: "The top 10 Korean competitors will qualify for the IFSA Strongman World Open," which is the next day.

The top five competitors from the IFSA Strongman World Open will advance to IFSA Strongman World Championships Semi-Final heats on September 11.

The semi-finals will have "four heats of six competitors," Fennell said, "with the top three from each heat qualifying for the Finals," which will be on September 14 and 15.

"Currently, the following 19 athletes have qualified for the 2007 World Championship Semi-Final Heats," Fennell said:

Zydrunas Savickas - Lithuania
Derek Poundstone - USA
Nick Best - USA
Van Hatfield - USA
Steve MacDonald - USA
Matt Wanat - USA
Tom McClure - USA
Vasyl Virastyuk - Ukraine
Andrus Murumets - Estonia
Vidas Blakaitis - Lithuania
Robert Szczepanski - Poland
Mikhail Koklyaev - Russia
Ervin Katona - Serbia
Saulius Brusokas - Lithuania
Viktor Yurchenko - Ukraine
Mark Westaby - UK
Oleksandr Pekanov - Ukraine
Jarno Hams - Netherlands
Jani Illikainen - Finland

The IFSA Strongman 2007 World Championships are scheduled for September 9 - 15, in Geumsan, South Korea.

The competition hall at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships - in Athens - was absolutely packed: Jim Schmitz reported in MILO® that, "The largest crowd I have ever seen at the World Championships - about 10,000 - turned out and 96% of them were cheering for Dimas," who went on to win the 85-kg class . . . or did he?


Shahin Nasirinia hit this 215 kg clean and jerk to wrest the 85-kg title from Pyrros Dimas at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships (Athens). We later called it, "The upset of the contest." IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Dimas missed 212.5 kg twice, but no matter, he had the lead . . . but wait, there was one attempt left and it belonged to Shahin Nasirinia (Iran), who called for 215 kg and he made a lift that was never in doubt.

"We were ready for 220 if we had needed it," Nasirinia later told Randall Strossen, and based on the way he manhandled the winning 215, this was no idle boast.

In April, Nasirinia told Strossen that he was coming to the US soon, and yesterday he emailed to say he had arrived. We spent some time catching up on the phone - this personable weightlifter has been interested in moving to the US for some time, so we couldn't help but be very happy for him and his wife.

Is the US becoming a destination for weightlifting talent from around the world?

Welcome Shahin!

It is the kind of news that nobody wants to hear: Jesse Marunde died on Wednesday.


Jesse Marunde at the 2007 FitExpo, where he emceed the strongman contest. Thank you for the light you brought, Jesse . . . May you rest in peace. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"It was Wednesday evening, the 25th, that Jesse had the heart attack," Jesse's father, Chuck, said, "while working out in the gym in Sequim. They could not revive him."

Jesse's death left the strongman world in shock and with an overwhelming sense of sorrow and loss, because Jesse Marunde was an effervescent, room-lighting, crowd-pleasing showman who also happened to be one of the world's top professional strongmen.

"On behalf of the entire Marunde family and as Jesse's father," Chuck Marunde told IronMind®, "I want to express our deep appreciation for the warm and loving support we have received from the worldwide strongman community. Jesse's sudden passing has caught us by surprise, and we all are in shock and disbelief. Our sorrow is so great, words seem to fail us, but your prayers and your love and generosity are our stronghold. Thousands from around the country and the world are mourning, and we are sharing this great loss together.

"Jesse's influence was amazing. He touched thousands of lives, and the legacy he leaves in his short 27 years is extraordinary. Word spread rapidly around the world, and Jesse's website and forum crashed late Wednesday as tens of thousands tried to get online in an attempt to learn more, express their sorrow, and to remember Jesse's impact on them personally.

"At a candle light vigil Thursday evening in Sequim in front of Jesse's gym, a couple hundred people gathered to share songs, to hug, and to share the loss. Four children were playing in the dirt outside the gym, and while lifting a little stone, a boy about nine years old said, 'I'm going to be just like Jesse.' That boy had no idea Jesse's father was there. I was profoundly touched by that. Many I did not know came to hug me and Jesse's brothers and share their loss. A man in his 80's embraced me and told me Jesse spent time with his grandson, and with tears in his eyes this grandfather told me that Jesse saved his grandson's life.

"Jesse was determined to be the strongest man in the world, but his priorities were God, family, and then career. He told his brother, Bristol, the Sunday before his death, that being a strongman was his passion, but the best part of his day was going home to his wife, Callie, and his three-week-old baby girl. In all the years I've observed married couples, I never saw a couple so much in love as Jesse and Callie. Callie's loss is inexpressible.

"Jesse was a great athlete, a great strongman, but he was first a great man, husband, and father. Jesse's faith was strong, and he once told me that he knew God had given him his strength and power for a reason. Those of you who knew Jesse, know that he always liked to challenge and confront. He wanted results, not talk. Jesse was intensely focused, and he also got right to the point, sometimes with blunt words. I was there when Jesse was born, and I've spent my life raising him, and then supporting and encouraging him as an athlete. We talked a lot about what was important in life, and how to think clearly and how to be successful. I know how Jesse thought, and so I think that in light of how we are reflecting on Jesse's legacy and his extraordinary influence on the world, if Jesse wanted to give us a message now, it might be, 'What will your legacy be?' 'What will you do for the Kingdom of God?'

"In loving memory of Jesse Marunde, and on behalf of the family, I am his proud father, Chuck Marunde."

"Petur Gudmundsson and I are in the beginning of planning something called 'The Viking Stonelifting Challenge,'" Dr. Bill Crawford told IronMind®, so if you're interested in stonelifting, in the Land of Fire and Ice, here's your chance.


Bill Crawford goes full sterkur with the Husafell Stone. IronMind® | Copyright Dr. William Crawford.

"The idea is to get up to 10 stonelifters/strongmen to travel by bus to lift four great Icelandic stones," explained Bill. "The itinerary would be to:

1) Lift and carry 'The Tombstone' on day one,
2) Lift and carry the largest of the Dritvik Stones day two,
3) Lift the 'Stones of Latra' on the Western  fjords day three, and
4) Go to Husafell day four.

If you can complete each of the prescribed tests you will be certified as having completed the Viking Stonelifting Challenge.

Petur requires only that the guys fly themselves there, and he will ask for a reasonable fee to organize travel (a 4-wheel drive bus) and accommodations . . ."where we will be going is not easily accessible due to the notorious Icelandic roads." Also, he is looking to have sponsorship which would offset some of the cost.

With great understatement, Bill concluded, "Frankly this will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many of the participants."

Petur and Bill would like to know who might be interested in this, so if you are, please drop us a line at sales@ironmind.com.

MILO was not the only USA-based publication covering the Highland Games World Championships in Inverness, Scotland last weekend - The New York Times was also on the job.


Not just another Manhattan attorney, David Barron competed in the Highland Games World Championships in Inverness, Scotland this weekend. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

The resulting story, along with a photo of David Barron - whose day job is as a Manhattan attorney - appeared in Tuesday's paper and here is a link to the online New York Times article.
 

Vasyl Virastyuk won the IFSA European Championships, which was "included in the first ever European Sports Games," IFSA Managing Director Christian Fennell told IronMind®.


Saulius Brusokas and Vidas Blakaitis on the Fingal's Fingers at the IFSA Strongman European Championships. IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Christian Fennell.
 

The European Sports Games "saw athletes representing 46 European nations competing across 15 non-Olympic sports," Fennell said. "As far as I am aware, this is the first time strongman has been included in an international sporting games as governed by UNESCO, the European Sport Charter and the European Sports Committee. 100% of the credit for this huge intiative goes to the Ukraine Federation of Strength Athletes," Fennell said.

About 8,000 spectators watched the event, said Fennell, and, "All 12 finalists qualified for the IFSA Strongman 2007 World Championships in South Korea Sept. 8 - 16."

Here are the top six places:

1. Vasyl Virastyuk 51.5
2. Andrus Murumets 49
3. Vidas Blakaitis 42.5
3. Robert Szczepanski 36
4. Mikhail Koklyaev 36
5. Ervin Katona 29
6. Saulius Brusokas 26

Watch the official IFSA website for more details. 

"Finish your pull!" How many times have you heard that one at a weightlifting contest?


Evgeni Tchigishev (Russia) finishing the pull on his opener at the 2007 European Weightlifting Championships (Strasbourg, France) - this is a guy who, while weighing about 125 kg, can snatch over 210 kg. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

As important as it is to finish your pull, that's not what Jim Schmitz is talking about in Fantastic Finishes, the latest installment in his series "Schmitz on the Lifts."

TWI has just announced it officially: The 2007 World's Strongest Man contest is set for Anaheim, California.

"We are filming the qualifiers from the 15 - 18th of September," IronMind® was told, and it's September 21 - 23 for the finals.

Please watch the official World's Strongest Man website for more details.

Inverness, Scotland - At times, it looked like the California Highland Games Championships - with representatives among the athletes, officials and the press - but in the end, it was a Scot who prevailed, as Gregor Edmunds took home the title.


Gregor Edmunds on the 28-pound weight for distance . . . on his way to winning the 2007 Highland Games World Championships. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

Never winning an event, but by being steady, Edmunds overtook defending five-time World Champion Ryan Vierra. Among his placings Edmunds was second in two events (16-pound open stone and the 28-pound weight for distance), and third in another three (Braemar/Inverness stone, 22-pound hammer, caber).

Edmunds finished with 29.5 points, Vierra was second, with 34 points, and Larry Brock took third, with 39 points.

With his win at the recent USAPL Nationals in St. Louis, Brad Gillingham has racked up seven national championships titles (five USAPL, one USPF and one USAPL Masters), and now he's headed back to the IPF World Championships, where's he's already struck gold twice. At 41, what's Brad Gillingham's secret?


Two-time IPF World Champion Brad Gillingham will be back at the IPF Worlds this year. IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Brad Gillingham.

"My training this winter was very strong," Brad Gillingham said. "I do a different type of off-season training where I use a lot of Olympic lifting movements. The real meat of this program is the 1974 Soviet Union Front Squat Program. I was able to hit a PR of four sets of five reps with 490 pounds . . . not up to the standards of an Olympic super heavyweight, but for this aging powerlifter, this was a good mark for me to hit.

"I was prepared to pull the elusive 400 kg at a deadlift exhibition at the Arnold Classic in March. I had hit a PR 1,105 power rack deadlift from just above the knees in training. I attempted 876 and at my knees the collar loosened and the weight shifted. I got twisted and injured my hip and back. This really slowed up my training.

"I came back strong after recovering and hit a PR 5 x 5 with 601 in the back squat this spring, with no belt/no gear. I was pretty confident of my strength levels coming into the meet until I had a slight hamstring strain during my last light squat session. My hamstring was real tight leading up to the meet and I was not sure if I was going to be able to compete. My father's [Green Bay Packer great, Gale Gillingham] and Wade's [GNC Grip Gauntlet champion, Wade Gillingham] advice was to get after it in warm ups and see if it would loosen up. Fortunately it felt good enough to compete and I was able to win the gold at Nationals."

If you think Brad's been backing off lately, listen up.

"My training has actually become more intense every year," Brad said. "I am pushing myself harder and harder, knowing that my years of competing at a high level are numbered. With this being said, my advice to aging lifters is to train as usual, but know when to take a workout off when necessary. When I was younger, I always felt if I didn't push through an injury and I decided to go light on occasion, that I would get weak. I have learned that sometimes rest is the answer."

Summing things up, Brad said: "Train like an animal, but know when to take a break on occasion. Make sure to take in the proper nutrition," and knowing what it takes to stoke his engine, Brad added, " . . . I am fortunate to be a part of Team GNC Pro-Performance."

This weekend's Highland Games World Championships is going to be close and hard fought, said Dr. Douglas Edmunds, predicting that the battle will come down to defending champion Ryan Vierra (USA) and challenger Gregor Edmunds (Scotland), with Kyrylo Chuprynin (Ukraine) being the dark horse.


Don't plan on Ryan Vierra rolling over and playing dead this weekend when he defends his Highland Games World Champion title in Inverness, Scotland. In addition to his unblinking focus and never-say-die competitiveness, rumor has it that Ryan will have his favorite distance marker/target on the field . . . which could help boost his throws. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"Gregor's up for it," Dr. Edmunds said, hoping that his son can bring the title back to Scotland, where - due to Californians Jim McGoldrick and Ryan Vierra - it has been an infrequent guest in recent years. Between them, McGoldrick and Vierra have each won the Highland Games World Championships five times, and while McGoldrick is retired, Vierra will be looking for his sixth victory this weekend.

"Brad [Gillingham] won his 5th USAPL National Title and will be heading back to the IPF Worlds," Rick Fowler reported.

"In a close battle with St. Louisan Jeff Lewis, it came down to the final deadlift," said Fowler. "Earlier in the day, Jeff had squatted a 931, but missed it on what many thought was a questionable depth call."

"Come time for the third attempt deadlifts, Brad needed an 837 to tie Lewis and win on a bodyweight decision. With a standing room-only crowd going wild, he pulled it and did not disappoint. It capped off our 25th Mens Nationals in the most dramatic fashion."

Fowler also reported that, "USA Powerlifting voted to include a Raw National Championships next year. The division will be defined as allowing a belt, wrist wraps, a singlet and optional neoprene knee sleeves. We are very excited about this retro Nationals and expect the turnout for this old school way of lifting to be big.

"The location of the 1st Annual Raw Nationals? St. Louis, where else . . . ."

"My concept of ultimate strength is like old-time circus-type strongman," Glenn "The Daddy" Ross told IronMind®, and he wants "tests people can relate to. Let's get back to stones, logs, carrying cars."


In what is a familiar scene, Zydrunas Savickas celebrates another huge performance on the replica Apollon Wheels at the Arnold strongman contest - this time it was in 2004. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

Glenn Ross distinguishes between his vision of strongman and what he calls strength athletics; Ross wants to emphasize "power and power movements . . . it's the distance carried, rather than the time," he said.

Despite his clear preferences, Glenn Ross very much champions a free market in the strongman world, saying that, "It's like a supermarket, and choices are good for the sport."

"The skinny, faster guys" can go to the strength athletics end and "the bigger, powerlifting guys" can gravitate to his contests, Ross said.

Quick to praise Zydrunas Savickas as "strongest man on the planet," Glenn Ross said that he wishes Savickas were free to compete wherever he would like. Referring to IFSA's limitations on where its athletes can compete, Ross said, "They are doing to Savickas what was done to Ali," referring to Muhammad Ali missing what would have been his best years when he was suspended from boxing.

"The sport isn't big enough for that," Ross said.

And talking power, just how is Glenn Ross doing these days? Very well, thank you.

"I'm going for 8 reps with 230 kg in the bench tonight," said Ross, whose motto is, "Raw or not at all." Glenn has also recently done a 185-kg log for two reps, and pressed his replica Thomas Inch dumbbell for 11 reps.

And talking raw power, Glenn said that he's "almost there" in terms of hitting an 1,100-kg total in powerlifting, with only a belt and knee wraps, adding that he is still working on where to stage his assault on a 400-kg squat, 420-kg deadlift and a 280-kg bench press.

Glenn Ross apparently is not the only person with this vision of how strongman contests should be designed and run, as he told IronMind®, "This year's UK Strongest Man will be aired on Sky Sports . . . a deal . . . that will take the sport of Ultimate Strongman to a new level."

"The UK Strongest Man is now going into its fourth year," said Ross, tracing its expansion year by year. "The UK Strongest Man has now grown to 5 x 1 hour programs scheduled for SKY, with several repeats of each show scheduled for this coming Christmas."

In a week and a half, the world's top Highland Games competitors will descend on the motherland to see who will claim the 2007 World Championships title . . . the sticks and stones will be flying, the battles should be close and the marks are expected to be big.


Harrison Bailey III (aka HB3) is one of the heavies who will be chasing the defending Highland Games World Champion, Ryan Vierra. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The Inverness Highland Games, with its 19th-century roots, is the setting for what is expected to be quite a tussle for defending champion Ryan Vierra's crown. Lending us his keen eye, referee Steve Conway mapped the field of battle for IronMind®:

"The Worlds are shaping up to be a great competition. Ryan Vierra seems to be fully recovered from his back injury and is throwing at top form. Larry Brock recently beat both Bruce Aitken and Ryan at the World Hammer Championships. Sean Betz beat Ryan and Larry for an overall win in Ohio with some great throws. HB3 should be recovered from a slightly torn bicep and Dave Barron is always up for the big competitions. Bruce Robb, Gregor Edmunds and Scott Rider seem to be peaking at the right time, and Greg Hadley just won another Canadian Championship.

"Of course, the combined talents of Bruce Aitken, Kyrylo Chuprynin and Wout Zylstra should make the weight for height, hammers and caber events a battle.

"The overall is anybody's guess; one weak event could prove to be the difference when you have a talent pool as deep as this group.

"I'd look for close contests in all the events, with possibly the weights for distance and the weight for height being extremely tight."

If you're looking for an excuse to go to Scotland next week, this is about as good as it gets.

With the invitations to the 2007 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest going out, what's the word from the 2006 winner, Philip Pfister, the man who says, "Strongman is my fate . . . this is my destiny."


The meditative side of Phil Pfister. An hour later, Pfister would be in the Truck Pull, which this writer felt was the critical event in Pfister's bid for the 2006 World's Strongest Man title. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

"It's a little out of my control," Pfister said, sounding more like Caine from "Kung-Fu" than what you'd expect from a guy who fills up 4XLT Carhartt jackets and flips half-ton tires on his days off from the Charleston Fire Department.

"This is the path before me and I can't really step off it . . . every now and then there's a little bench on the side, and I can stop and sit on it."

Now that he's won the biggest title in strongman, those benches include talk shows, game shows, endorsements and motivational speeches, but none of that has changed the work ethic that made Phil Pfister king of the hill last year. And a big part of this is doing the three-hour drive to Columbus, Ohio every week to train at Nick Osborne's facility, the spawning ground for last year's winning formula.


Stalking the event, hunting for the title . . . Phil Pfister is about to be called to the line for the Truck Pull at the 2006 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"I hope to defend my title," Pfister told IronMind®, explaining that he thinks he will be in even better shape this year than he was in 2006.

"I will be a little leaner," Pfister said. "Not so well insulated around the middle." But don't think this is just about looks.

"This is the evolution of my training," said Pfister. "It's the next stage and it's very tough. I am working on my strength, agility, speed and athleticism," in what are three-and-a-half hour workouts on back-to-back days, sandwiched in between the three hour drive.

MILO® readers know the story about Randall Strossen's first conversation with Phil's mother in law, who confidently predicted his victory and was planning the celebration party . . . when Phil first went to World's Strongest Man in 1998.

Fast forward a few years, and her call was right on the money. Asked about this, Pfister said, "I always knew that I had a real chance to win World's Strongest Man if I kept at it and if I stayed healthy."

And now that he's done it once, it sounds like Phil Pfister is setting up for the encore.


He'd done more than just won the Truck Pull: Phil Pfister was suddenly in the driver's seat at the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest and now he's looking to repeat this year. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"It's the meet that determines the USA team for the 2007 IPF Worlds later this year in Soelden, Austria," Rick Fowler told IronMind® . . . USA Powerlifting Missouri Chairman Rick Fowler and Meet Director Harold Gaines are going to be serving up a very special edition of the USAPL Nationals this weekend in St. Louis.


St. Louis will host the USAPL Nationals this weekend - it's the qualifier for the USA team competing at the IPF World Championships later this year. IronMind® | Artwork courtesy of Rick Fowler.

"I've been involved in each Men's Nationals that we've held here [1988, 1991, 1996 & 1999], so I take promoting and the history of the meet seriously," Fowler told IronMind®. "My job is to help Harold in any area that he needs help with."

"We have bought a school bus that will take people from the meet site to the Riverfront Landing on Saturday evening," Fowler said. "We are also doing the Top 25 All-Time Team just after lifting on Saturday."

Look for some big names to be lifting this weekend.

"Legendary lifter Mike Bridges, who is now 50 years of age, is expected to total way over 1,800 lb. at 198," Fowler said, calling Bridges, "the clear favorite" in his class.

Strongman fans know that St. Louis and strongman have a close bond, and that Rick Fowler was a key player in the strongman contests put on by Jim Davis. The tie-in continues with this contest: "Strongman competitors who were first powerlifters and have since came back to powerlifting include Pat McGettigan and Chris Doyle, who are both at 275," said Fowler. "McGettigan could threaten Tony Cardella of Texas, who has won five Men's Open titles."

"In the super heavyweight class, IPF Hall of Famer Brad Gillingham will square off with Jeff Lewis and Lance Karebel. All three are expected to go over 2,300 pounds, and we are expecting this to go down to the last deadlift. With Brad's ability to pull 860+, it has to put him in the driver's seat as a pre-meet favorite."

Setting the stage for the competition, Dr. Pat Anderson wrote "a very nice preview on the meet," Fowler said.

Lifting starts on Friday and continues through Sunday.

Anybody who saw three-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski at the WSMSS Muscle Beach Grand Prix could see that he wasn't there on holiday - same thing this weekend in Norway, where he won the WSMSS Viking Power Challenge."


Even before the WSMSS Muscle Beach Grand Prix began, Mariusz Pudzianowski tore into the Circus Dumbbell. This weekend, Mariusz won the Viking Power Challenge in Norway, where Odd Haugen said, "He looked pretty amazing . . . The contest was no slam dunk for him, but he was here to go and get it." IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

Mariusz was followed by his friend and countryman Jarek Dymek, and Magnus Samuelsson rounded out the podium.

Contest organizer Lene Karlsen told IronMind® yesterday, "We just got home from the best strongman contest ever . . . according to the athletes - yippee!!!!! When the athletes are that happy, we are happy!"

Here are all the places:

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski
2. Jarek Dymek
3. Magnus Samuelsson
4. Terry Hollands
5. Janne Virtanen
6. Karl Gillingham
7. Espen Aune
8. Richard Skog
9. Odd Haugen, Boris Haraldsson (tie)
11. Mark Felix
12. Rene Minkwitz

How good did Mariusz look?

Odd Haugen said, "If Mariusz just took a few weeks off from exhibitions and competitions, he would be unbeatable - none of us would have a chance. He was going to a competition in Poland the day after the Viking Power Challenge - he's a machine."

For photos from this weekend's contest, please check the Viking Power blog.

Talking about the Viking Power Challenge this weekend, Magnus Samuelsson told IronMind®, "I'm not in bad shape . . . slightly too many exhibitions in May . . . too many hours on the road and too many hamburgers."


Magnus Samuelsson has a little fun with the No. 4 Captains of Crush® Gripper right after a podium finish at the 2004 World's Strongest Man contest. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Even if it makes for imperfect training, that's business as usual for the man who might be the world's most in-demand strongman, but from here forward, it's nose to the grindstone in terms of training, with the goal of launching a full tilt run for the 2007 World's Strongest Man title.

"I haven't competed at a high level for about one and a half years," Magnus Samuelsson told IronMind®, so after this weekend's Viking Power Challenge, The Big Swede said he will be looking for one more tune-up contest before the 2007 WSM, "to get all the rust out."

Strongman aside, Magnus Samuelsson is known for having the world's strongest arms, and for years, IronMind® has considered 1998 World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Samuelsson to be a benchmark for world-class grip strength, as his performances on the No. 3 and the No. 4 Captains of Crush® Grippers, have defined the high-water mark for years. Today, when we asked how his grip strength was doing at the moment, Magnus Samuelsson told IronMind®, "I don't want to brag, but I can close the No. 4 no problem."

To paraphrase Dizzy Dean, "It's not bragging if you did it."

All eyes in the weightlifting world will be on Hossein Rezazadeh, Iran's super super, when he steps on the lifting platform at the world championships later this year in Thailand, trying to gauge whether the two-time Olympic gold medalist and owner all the world records in the super heavyweight class is on track to three-peat in Beijing next year.


Why is this man smiling? This was the first time that Hossein Rezazadeh snatched 200 kg officially - it's at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships (Athens, Greece). IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The first time this writer had heard of Hossein Rezazadeh was after his appearance at the 1998 Asian Games and then in 1999, at the World Weightlifting Championships, I saw him for the first time. This was the first time Hossein Rezazadeh would officially snatch 200 kg, which was good enough for a silver medal at this competition.

The following year, at the Sydney Olympics, Hossein Rezazadeh would snatch a huge 212.5 kg, and then clean and jerk 250 (the first time he hit that watershed number officially), on his opener. Next up were 255 and then 260 - both were good lifts and guess who left with his first Olympic gold medal?

"My training is going very well," Rezazadeh told IronMind® today. "I am snatching 200 kg, and cleaning and jerking 250 kg in training."

As big as these numbers are, both absolutely and relatively, this is a standard performance for Hossein Rezazadeh, so more than anything, they should signal that that the king is not preparing to give away his crown.

"My top priority is the gold medal," Rezazadeh told IronMind® when asked about possible world record attempts in Thailand. "That is what is most important," he said.

Benedikt Magnusson won the Iceland's Strongest Viking contest in what proved to be war of attrition, with Georg Ogmundsson and Petur Bruno Sch. Thorsteinsson tied for second.


Benedikt Magnusson was the last man standing at Iceland's Strongest Viking contest, taking the top honors in what the organizers proudly called, "the hardest contest in Iceland." IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Islenskir Kraftamenn.

Four-time World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Ver Magnusson made good of his suggestion that he might lace up, and after three events, he was tied with Benedikt Magnusson. Magnus Ver went on to tear his biceps in the fourth event, although the initial report is that "the tendon is ok . . . only a muscle is torn." Not so fortunate, Jon Valgeir Williams "tore his biceps tendon off the bone and has already had surgery."

Undaunted by the small scale carnage, the contest organizers pointed to the casualties with a measure of pride, noting, "Again, Iceland's Strongest Viking proves to be the hardest contest in Iceland."

Remember, this is the land of Brenavin.

MILO cover guy Ilya Ilin (Kazakhstan) has a one-track mind at the moment - everything is focused on the 2008 Olympics, where the star weightlifter is considered a gold medal favorite in the red hot 94-kg category.


"Ilya Ilin (Kazakhstan) chalks up and eyes the bar loaded to 226 kg for his third attempt in the clean and jerk at the 2006 Asian Games (Doha, Qatar)." IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo. Reprinted with permission.

Head coach Alexi Ni told IronMind® today that his prodigy his thriving, as they continue to focus on one goal: the Beijing Olympics.

Somewhat worn out by his competition schedule in 2005 and 2006, Ilya Ilin was given time off to recover, Ni said. Ni explained that he gave Ilya Ilin this January completely off, to do "nothing," as part of his recovery program, and then a period of general physical preparation followed, including things as diverse as swimming, and as sport specific as working on technique and doing the lifts, although only with light weights. Overall, Ni explained, this is something of a six-month break for Ilya Ilin, and it is an integral part of their Olympicn preparation strategy.

In terms of pre-Olympic competition, Ilya Ilin will be starting at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships, Ni said, but even if he doesn't win there (again), that's ok because the overall goal - far more important than anything else - is to win gold in Beijing.

Six-time Canada's Strongest Man winner Hugo Girard told IronMind today that he's making a training DVD.


Jessen Paulin, shown at the 2004 World Muscle Power Championships, is a two-time winner of the Canada's Strongest Man Contest and he is on the short list of favorites for the 2007 edition of this top strongman competition. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

And talking training, what's the big man from Canada got on his plate next?

August 18 - 19 in Quebec City, Hugo Girard said he's planning to return to Canada's Strongest Man, which is expected to have a field that includes Jessen Paulin, Dominic Filiou and Louis Philippe Jean, and after Canada's Strongest Man, Hugo said he is aiming for a top performance at the World's Strongest Man contest.

Hugo Girard is a former world record holder on the Apollon's Axle and he is also considered one of the very best in the world on just about any form of heavy dumbbell pressing, so among other things, his DVD might provide just the ideas and the inspiration for everyone looking to boost his pressing power.

Northern California's Hassle Free Barbell Club just "swept the three team titles for boys at the School-Age Nationals," Paul Doherty told IronMind®.


Lifting in the 85-kg class, Donovan Ford nailed this 100-kg snatch at Sacramento High School in April, where he also cleaned and jerked 125 kg. This weekend, at the School-Age National Championships, Donovan cleaned and jerked 135 kg and then "took a seven-kilo jump to 142 for the gold . . . cleaned it strong, close miss," his coach Paul Doherty told IronMind®. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

Paul and his brother Kevin are featured in the June issue of MILO - they run very successful weightlifting programs at Sacramento High School (Sacramento, California) and Lincoln High School (San Francisco, California), which, besides producing top young weightlifters, do a world of good in the community and should inspire others to launch similar programs.

Hassle Free's haul at the School-Age National championships included four individual gold medals, three silver and two bronze medals.

Please check the official USA Weightlifting website for complete results from the School-Age National Championships.

IFSA-USA President Dione Wessels said, "It was a great contest," and it wasn't over until it was over.

"It came down to the last event of seven," Wessels said, "which was the Atlas stone load. The USA team edged team The World out with 2.5 seconds for the win on the stones and for the overall win."

"On the 105 championships," Wessesls reported, "it came down to the last event for the winner between Jared Spybrook and Scott Porter. Jared finished the log press with 3 reps and Scott 0. Jared wins the USA national 105-kg champion two years in a row. Kevin Nowack is second, and Beau Gertz is third."