Kanazawa, Japan - Even if she was lifting well within her limits, Cao Lei's performance in the women's 75-kg class might well have been the best of the competition so far.


Calm before the storm: Cao Lei (China) is about to clean and jerk 155 kg. Randall J. Strossen photo.

After everyone else was done, Alla Vazhenina (Kazakhstan) opened with 107 kg in the snatch, for a good lift. Cao Lei (China) got on the board with 115 kg for her first attempt, which Vazhenina matched on her second attempt - putting her in the lead on body weight. Although it was a good lift, she was somewhat shaky holding the bar overhead. Cao Lei made a very easy 120 kg on her second attempt, to move back into the lead. Vazhenina matched the weight on her third attempt and this time she was shaking like a leaf, but she held on and regained the lead. Cao Lei took 121 kg on her third attempt, for the gold medal in the snatch, and she looked as if she could have gone up another 10 kg just as easily if she'd needed to.

Vazhenina made 140 kg on her first attempt clean and jerk, and Cao Lei made 145 for her opener. Vazhenina was looking for gold medal position in the jerk, so she took 146 kg on her second attempt and made a tough success with the weight - her effort left people nodding in approval. Still not done, Vazhenina went for 148 kg on her final attempt, but she couldn't rack the bar. Cao Lei polished off her performance with 149 kg on her second attempt and then 155 kg on her third attempt - the clean was easy, she had work a little on jerk and was all smiles after a six-for-six night worth three gold medals.

The men's 85-kg class was won by Zhang Shichong (China), with 160/200, which gave him a 10-kg lead over silver medalist Lee Se-Won (Korea), who beat Ulanbek Moldodosov (Uzbekistan) on body weight.

In the men's 94-kg category, Asghar Ebrahimi (Iran) hit 170 kg on his first attempt in the snatch, sank the putt with 180 kg on his second attempt and passed on his third - he'd just won the gold medal in the snatch by 13 kg. Ebrahmi's 205 kg second attempt clean and jerk was good enough for the gold medals in the jerk and in the total. He took 212 kg on his third attempt but he only did a pull with it.

On June 22, some of the top arm wrestlers from around the world will be in New York, vying for the titles of NYC King and Queen of Arms at the 31st Annual Big Apple Grapple Pro International Arm Wrestling Championships.

"It is a pleasure to host the NYC Big Apple Grapple at the Bar Show in the Javits Center," said Steven L. Wesler, president of RDP Group. "We are proud to welcome some of the world's strongest athletes to the Javits Center and the Bar Show to showcase their talents in the sport of arm wrestling."

"It is expected that over 100 arm wrestlers will participate in the NYC Big Apple Grapple, coming from countries such as Turkey, Brazil, Russia, Germany, and the Republic of Georgia," said Gene Camp, founder and president of the New York Arm Wrestling Association. "This event draws the best pro talent in the world."

For full details on this and other New York Arm Wrestling Association events, please visit their official website: www.nycarms.com.

Kanazawa, Japan - The weights weren't huge, but the 77-kg category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships could not have had a better finish as the gold medal in the in the total came down to the last lift of the evening.


Lu Chang Liang (China) starts 195 kg on its way to the gold medal lift in the total. Randall J. Strossen photo.

The battle for top honors seemed certain to come down to Chinese teammates Lu Xiaojun and Lu Chang Liang, but both lifters stumbled in the snatch. Lu Chang Liang opened with a good 152-lg lift, but then missed 157 kg twice. Lu Xiaojun followed the same pattern, but he did it with a few kilos more: after a successful opener with 158 kg, he missed 163 kg twice.

Lu Xiajun opened the door for his teammate to overtake him when he missed the jerk on his first attempt - a squat jerker, he got under the bar, but then lost control of it. He repeated with the same weight on his second attempt, for a good lift. Lu Chang Liang got dumped trying to clean 189 kg on his opener, so things were looking iffy all the way around, but he came back and made a good, but none too easy, lift with the same weight on his second attempt.

This success had put Lu Chang Liang in gold medal position in the jerk and in silver medal position in the total, plus he was the heavier man. Lu Xiajun took 192 kg on his third attempt, looking for the gold medal position in the jerk and an increased lead in the total, but as with his opener, he missed a full squat jerk.

It was down to the last attempt now, and the bar was loaded to the 195 kg Lu Chang Liang needed for the gold medal in the total and after his first two lifts, success seemed anything but certain. It was a tough clean and Lu Chang Liang had to dig to stand up with the weight, but he did, he got it overhead, held it and was the 77-kg champion for his great effort.

Earlier, the 69-kg class was won by Tang Fei (China), whose two-for-six performance yielded 140/177 for an undistinguished 317-kg total. Despite winning the class, Tang Fei did not exhibit either the sharpness or the general lifting standards characteristic of the Chinese weightlifting team, so IronMind asked a member of the Chinese delegation where Tang Feng would rank on the Chinese weightlifting depth chart. Sure enough, he was described as being a second tier lifter who would fall outside the top ten in his country and his role here was as a provincial lifter, included on the team with the thought that this motivates the lifters still training and competing at that level throughout China.

Kanazawa, Japan - Watching the 62-kg category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships today it was apparent that there was Zhang Jie (China), and then there was the rest of his class.


Zhang Jie (China) finishes his pull on the 179-kg clean and jerk which gave him the world record in the total. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Sure, Zhang Jie knocked off three picture perfect snatches and two picture perfect clean and jerks before having to make his first tiny adjustment, moving one foot half a step on his third clean, which he then jerked as if it were shot out of a cannon. So much for lifting with track-like precision, but how about the weight? How about a world record total?

And if that's not enough to get your attention, consider that when asked if Zhang Jie would be be part of China's weightlifting team at the Beijing Olympics, coach Hong Jiaxin told IronMind, "Maybe." Must be nice to have options like that.

Zhang Jie ended the night with 147/179 for a world record total of 326 kg.

Kanazawa, Japan - Vietnam's Hoang Anh Tuan won the men's 56-kg category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships, once again serving notice that he's someone to watch in Beijing.


Hoang Anh Tuan (Vietnam) drew a collective gasp from the crowd when he went over backwards with 155 kg on his third attempt clean and jerk, landing flat on his back with the bar over his throat. There was plenty of clearance, so Hoang Anh Tuan was fine - and he won the 56-kg title at the Asian Weightlifting Championships. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Hoang Anh Tuan had a relatively easy time winning the gold medal in the snatch, opening with a good 123-kg lift, missing 126 kg, and then coming back to make it. Hamizan Ibrahim Amirul (Malaysia) swept through three good lifts - 112, 117, 121 - for the silver medal in the snatch, proving once again that it's not where you start, but where you finish that counts. The powerhouse Chinese team had two lifters entered in this category, Cen Biao and Wu Jinbao: Cen Biao got off to a rugged start as he missed 120 kg twice, just not pulling the bar high enough to get under it, before making it on his third attempt. Wu Jinbiao also missed 120 kg on his opener, but he came back to make it, before missing 125 kg on his third attempt - he got it overhead, but it was turned down.

In the clean and jerk, the two Chinese lifters made up for their shaky start in the snatch, as both athletes made three good attempts: Wu Jinbiao ended up with 154 kg for the gold medal in the clean and jerk, and Cen Biao finished the night with 153 kg for the silver medal in the clean and jerk, edging Hoan Anh Tuan on body weight. Hoang Anh Tuan had taken 155 on his third attempt, going for the gold medal in the jerk, but after getting under the bar, he rocked over backwards, landing flat on his back with the bar over his throat - it looked catastrophic, but Hoang Anh Tuan was uninjured and he was smiling when he picked himself up.

Hoang Anh Tuan's winning total (279 kg) was 10 kg ahead of what Bour and Mutlu hit at the European Weightlifting Championships two weeks ago, also showing why Hoang Anh Tuan is considered a favorite for the podium at the Beijing Olympics, and after winning last night, Hoang Anh Tuan told IronMind that he hopes to do the same thing in Beijing.

Super Series Managing Director Jesper Albansson told IronMind, "The Super Series is very proud to announce RecoveryX as the Grand Prix Title Sponsor partner for the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden Grand Prix."


Tickets are on sale now for the Super Series Grand Prix at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater on June 21. Art courtesy of Jesper Albansson/Super Series.

"The people behind RecoveryX have really taken the sport of strongman to their hearts and we are currently discussing an expansion of our partnership," explained Albansson. In addition, Albansson said, "Kevin Nee has also been signed as their spokesperson and can be seen both at the MSG event and in the RecoveryX advertising. The company's official website has recently been soft launched and can be found at www.recoveryx.com ."

He's the only man to win World's Strongest Man and the IFSA World Championships, so is it any wonder that he should be competing in Fortissimus this summer?


Vasyl Virastyuk: Will he be stalking another title in Quebec this summer? The Fortissimus Organizing Committee has invited Vasyl Virastyuk to compete, so if he accepts, Vasyl can add another feather to his cap and strongman fans will get an even more outstanding lineup of competitors. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Hopefully this will happen and this much we can tell you: IronMind has received official confirmation that Vasyl Virastyuk has been invited to Fortissimus again. To understand the reasoning behind this decision, IronMind invited Paul Ohl, from Fortissimus, to comment.

"We have followed the game plan and stuck to our main objective: the best of the best for an all-inclusive contest," Paul Ohl told IronMind. "Vasyl was on top or near the top of all lists: ours, IronMind's poll, IFSA's ranking. Adding to that, he still is the only strength athlete to win both the WSM and the IFSA Worlds titles.

The invitation is there. We had a unanimous vote. We increased the field to allow the three top strength athletes [Zydrunas Savickas, Mikhail Koklyaev and Vasyl Virastyuk] already invited but then under restrictions, to compete. That is done."

Congratulations to Dave Johnson, who's been certified on the IronMind Red Nail®.


Another Stafford grip guy makes good: Dave Johnson displays the IronMind Red Nail he bent officially . . . with David Horne as his witness. Photo courtesy of David Horne.

Incidentally, Dave's bend was done at the Peter Horne Memorial Grip Contest, held in honor of David Horne's father, so this was the perfect setting for Dave's success.

Many thanks to David Horne for his help with this and congratulations to Dave Johnson - your name has been added to the list of men who have official made this bend, the The Red Nail Roster.

Francis Brebner has filed this report, with an eye toward the upcoming Highland Games World Championships.


Sean Betz, who was profiled in the March 2008 (Volume 15 - Number 4) issue of MILO, was red hot this past weekend, as was Larry Brock. Both men are among the favorites for the 2008 Highland Games World Championships. Randall J. Strossen photo, reprinted with permission.

"After an interesting weekend of Games across America, big numbers and PRs were being thrown by two of the top contenders�for this year's�World Highland Games Championship title, which will be held in Bridgeport, West Virginia," said Francis Brebner.

"Sean Betz dominated the Las Vegas Highland Games with three PRs: �in the Braemar Stone,�he went 42'-7"; in the 56-lb. weight for distance, 45' even; and the 22-lb. hammer, a massive 120'-10".

At�the Lochnorman Games that same weekend, Larry Brock�went with the 56-lb. weight for distance,� 46'-9";� the 22-lb. hammer, 117'-9"; and he had a PR in the 16-lb. hammer, with a�throw of 148'-9".

Only one athlete's�name was missing from this weekend of competition-blitzing throws and that was Ryan Vierra, the five-times world champion, who, unfortunately,�has suffered a�torn calf muscle while in training for the Worlds. Ryan�told me he is getting treatment daily and has been told by the doctor that he should be back to full fitness before the Worlds.

With�big�numbers�thrown like this so early in the season,�we can only expect�nothing less than a great�World Championships," Brebner concluded.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - It came down to the last attempt, but Viktors Scerbatihs (Latvia) made the lift required to push Mattias Steiner (Germany) into silver medal position, beating Steiner by one kilo.


They loaded it and he lifted it: Viktors Scerbatihs cleaned and jerked 252 kg at the European Weightlifting Championships today, claiming the superheavyweight crown. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Scerbatihs had one shot to overcome Steiner, who had been red hot all night - making PR lifts when it really counted and going six-for-six. The bar was loaded to 252 for the final attempt and Scerbatihs made the lift, winning the superheavyweight crown at the European Weightlifting Championships.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - Don't tell Dmitry Berestov (Russia) about having to make a lot of attempts if he expects to win: It took him three tries to make his opening snatch and the same thing happened in the clean and jerk, but for those two lifts, he pocketed the gold medal in the snatch and in the total, along with the bronze medal in the clean and jerk in the 105-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships..


After missing it twice, Dmitry Berestov (Russia) made this 190-kg snatch look easy on his third attempt. Randall J. Strossen photo.

The third time was the charm for Berestov as he missed 190 kg twice in the snatch, before making it look light on his third attempt.

Ramunas Vysniauskas (Lithuania) came into the snatch five kilos down on the leader, but he was the lighter man, so the door was open for him to make up some ground.

Vysniauskus missed the clean on his opening clean and jerk, 220 kg, but came back for what looked like a nice lift on his second attempt - initially declared a good lift, the jury overruled it, although there were some differing accounts of what exactly had been wrong with the lift. Vysniauskus seemed to take it stride and he seized the opportunity to celebrate getting the bar overhead again when he made a(nother) good lift with 220 kg on his third attempt - good for the gold medal in the clean and jerk and a silver medal in the total.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - Survival was half the battle in the 94-kg class at the European Weightlifting Championships, and doing more than just getting by, Szymon Kolecki (Poland) won all three gold medals, posting a very respectable total in the process.


Szymon Kolecki scared the daylights out of a lot of people when he missed the jerk on this 220-kg opener. Szymon later told IronMind that he felt the bar got out of position in the early stages of the clean, which made the rest of the lift very difficult. Randall J. Strossen photo.

They fell like flies in the snatch, as only eight out of the twenty-seven attempts were successful and three of the nine lifters bombed out in the snatch. One guy who did not need first aid, though, was Szymon Kolecki, who made 173 kg on his first attempt, missed 177 kg on his second attempt, and then came back to make it on his third attempt, for his first gold medal of the night.

Kolecki ended up only making one clean and jerk - 220 kg on his second attempt - and his opener had some people scratching their heads since it seemed so much more aggressive than necessary. Later, Szymon Kolecki told IronMind that he done 210 kg easily in the warmup room, but when the bar got out of position on the clean on his first attempt, it made the whole lift hard, and then when he had to follow himself, that also made 220 kg seem heavier than it should have.

Szymon Kolecki finished the night with a 397 kg total; Andrey Demanov (Russia) was in second place with 385 kg; and Mukhamat Sozaev (Russia) was in third place with 384 kg.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - The Armenian gold medal parade continued at the European Weightlifting Championships as Tigran Martirosyan swept the 85-kg category with winning lifts of 172 kg in the snatch, and 205 kg in the clean and jerk.


Tigran Martirosyan (Armenia) moved into the lead with this 172-kg snatch and he never looked back. Randall J. Strossen photo.

The only lifter to put any pressure on Martirosyan was Vasily Polovnikov (Russia) and they chased each other all night.

The Russian opened first in the snatch, with a good 168 kg lift, which Martirosyan missed on on his opener, but then stuck on his second attempt - moving into first place on body weight. Polovnikov sent 171 up and over his head on his second attempt and, maybe overcompensating, missed it in front on his third attempt. Martirosyan had, evidently, gotten his one miss behind him, as he stuck 172 kg on his third snatch.

The clean and jerk followed the same basic pattern, as Polovnikov opened with 200 kg, for the lead in the jerk and in the total, only to be overtaken by Martirosyan as he made the same weight. Polovnikov recaptured the lead in the jerk and in the total when he made 205 kg on his second jerk, but guess who matched him to leapfrog over him again? Polovnikov took 210 kg on his third attempt, looking for the lead one more time, but after cleaning the weight, he false-started on the jerk, leaving two more gold medals for Martirosyan.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - It wasn't a pretty scene, with two of the medal favorites - Taner Sagir (Turkey) and Ivan Stoitsov (Bulgaria) - bombing in the snatch, but Oleg Perepechenov (Russia), Ara Khachatryan (Armenia) and Aleksey Yurkin (Russia) kept their eyes on the ball and took home all the medals in the 77-kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships.


On this way back up with his 164-kg third attempt snatch, Oleg Perepechenkov (Russia) stayed focussed and won the top honors in the 77-kg class at the European Weightlifting Championships. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Ivan Stoitsov (Bulgaria), a muscular and somewhat forbidding-looking lifter, was expected to challenge for a top position, but after missing 155, 155 and then 158 kg in the snatch, he was out. 2004 Olympic gold medalist Taner Sagir opened with 160 and he had it overhead, but stepped off the platform before he had it under control. His confidence did not seem to be shaken by this miss, as he moved to 162 on his second attempt, but it was basically a repeat of his opener except that in his desperate bid to save the lift, Sagir chased the bar forward with such speed that by the time he was off the platform and dumped the bar, it hit the edge of the safety rail - certainly getting the attention of the referees seated just feet away from the crashing barbell, which was barely kept from being deposited at their feet or worse. Sagir's third attempt lacked the outward drama of this first two lifts, but the final impact was even more significant: Sagir never got under the bar, and had just bombed out.

In contrast, Oleg Perepechenov reeled off three good snatches - 158, 161, 165 - performing like a hard rubber ball, bouncing up and down with the barbell. Ara Khachatryan, who had opened with a good lift with 160 kg, and then missed 165 kg, got the gold medal in the snatch with an easy success with 165 kg on his third attempt.

Aleksey Yufkin (Russia) is similar to Taner Sagir in having a physique and boyish appearance that are surprising for the weights he lifts, but being here is about what you lift, not what you look like and lifting is something Yufin does very well. Making up ground after only having only one good snatch, Yurkin banged out three solid clean and jerks - 190, 196 and 200 - and the last lift got him the gold medal in the clean and jerk.

His teammate, Perepechenov, made 193 and then 198 kg, before missing the jerk on 201, all done with quick, almost no-set, jerks. Khachatryan power jerked his opener, 191 kg, and went into a full squat jerk with 196 on his second attempt, using a very fast recovery on the jerk. Trying to save the jerk on his third attempt (198 kg), Khachatryan was twisting clockwise, in a full squat with the bar overhead - it was a valiant effort, but he never gained control of the lift.

Despite the bombouts here, this class looks as if it will produce fireworks in Beijing - keep your eye on Aleksey Yufkin, along with the guys already on everyone's short list for the Olympic podium.

John Brookfield's latest grip tip promises to be just the thing if you want to add a new twist to your lower arm training.

John Brookfield calls it plate turning and he says, "This exercise is great for arm wrestlers, martial artists, or anyone seeking a stronger, more useful lower arm." So if you want to wake up your lower arm muscles with something new, follow the link from the Training Articles button a the top of the IronMind home page, or click here.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - Going six-for-six, 19-year old Tigran Martirosyan (Armenia) smoked the 69-kg class at the European Weightlifting Championships last night.


Flying under the bar, Tigran Martirosyan (Armenia) made this 188-kg clean and jerk, just part of his impressive performance last night at the European Weightlifting Championships. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Rolling out six good lifts, Martirosyan set five Junior European and four Junior World records, picking up two gold medals and one silver. Vencelas Dabaya (France) edged Martirosyan on body weight for top honors in the jerk.

When everyone else was done, Martirosyan started snatching, ripping through 150 , 155 and then 158 kg, the last lift being a Junior World and a Junior European record. Martirosyan continued to show his strength in the clean and jerk, where he opened with a very strong 180 kg, done with an easy power jerk. 
This lift gave him the Junior World and the Junior European records in the total. Then he sat back, as the rest of the class took shots at moving into gold medal position in jerk, although none could possibly touch Martirosyan in the total.

Coming back in with 185 kg on his second attempt, Martirosyan nailed it, for new Junior World and Junior European records in the total, again. Although he easily power jerked the weight, he had to take a step forward on the jerk to fully control the bar. Not content to stop here, Martirosyan called for 188 kg on his third attempt, going for a Junior European record in the jerk, and, for the third time in the evening, the Junior World and the Junior European records in the total. The lift looked easy, with another power jerk polishing off quite a performance by the young Armenian. Dabaya, the 2006 world champion, made the same 188 kg on his third attempt, picking up the gold medal in the jerk on body weight.

Early in his contest planning, Fortissimus's Paul Ohl set himself the challenge of recruiting the world's top strongmen to his contest, and despite political hurdles along the way, he has succeeded admirably - and now Mikhail Koklyaev (Russia) and Louis-Philippe Jean (Canada) have joined the field.


Rising strongman star, and a Quebecer at that, Louis-Philippe Jean has joined the field at Fortissimus. Photo courtesy of Paul Ohl (�Sunshine).

Mikhail Koklyaev is a top performer in strength sports, excelling on a wide range of lifts and events, and Louis-Philippe Jean has won high praise from Hugo Girard, which is all IronMind needs to know about him.

Both FORTISSIMUS 2008 Steering Committee chairman Paul Ohl and the management of Russia-Strongman, Ekaterina Mayorskaya, confirmed Koklyaev's participation.

"Misha has confirmed his participation and has received the official documents. Since FORTISSIMUS is the challenge for the strongest athletes, Misha deserves to compete. He is honoured now that everything is confirmed," said Mrs Mayorskaya.

Paul Ohl explained the wild card position, which was given to Jean-Philippe Jean, "Qu�bec's newest strongman sensation. He is the 2007 winner of the Qu�bec Strongman Cup and seen by many as the future Canada's Strongest Man. At age 23, Louis-Philippe Jean will be the youngest Canadian strongman ever to compete at such a world-class level. We have elected to give a real opportunity to Canada's rising star. He was a unanimous choice."

Everyone knows that Phil Pfister won the World's Strongest Man contest, but is he smarter than a fifth grader?


He called it right: After winning the Bus Pull at the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest, Phil Pfister knew that he was closing in on the title. Tonight, see how he does on the TV show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Randall J. Strossen photo.

Based on IronMind's direct experience, Phil Pfister knows the difference between Kikkoman red and green soy sauce, so our vote says yes, because we don't know too many fifth graders who could get this one right, but tonight everyone can find out how he really stacks up because World's Strongest Man winner Phil Pfister is appearing on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? The show airs on Fox at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, but check your local listings for details in your area.

Still competing in strongman, Phil Pfister is the Community Development Coordinator for Chesapeake Energy, and he is organizing America's Strongest Man this summer, but the question remains, "Is he or isn't he"

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - Holding off a determined Erol Bilgin (Turkey), Russia's Sergey Petrosyan won the 62-kg category last night at the European Weightlifting Championships.


Sergey Petrosyan made this 165-kg clean and jerk on his second attempt, putting him into the lead, a position he never gave up. Randall J. Strossen photo.

The snatch competition featured a duel between Erol Bilgin and Sergey Petrosyan, with the Russian teenager opening with a nice 130 kg. Bilgin, who was thirty grams lighter than Petrosyan, followed with the same weight, to move into first place. Petrosyan answered with 135 kg on his second attempt, to leapfrog over Bilgin, who responded with a successful lift at the same weight, to regain the lead. Both lifters missed 137 kg on their third attempts - Petrosyan couldn't get under the weight and Bilgin appeared to have made the lift, but he lost it as he was standing up.

The clean and jerk saw Bilgin and Petrosyan chasing each other again, as Petrosyan opened with a good 160-kg lift, to move into first in the jerk and in the total. Bilgin matched the lift on his opening attempt, to push Petrosyan into second in the clean and jerk, as well as the total. Petrosyan replied by making a very solid 165 kg on his second attempt, regaining the lead, and Bilgin tried to answer by calling for the same weight: He got under the bar, fought his way up, but missed the jerk. Bilgin repeated with 165, but once again, he missed the lift - this time, failing to rack the bar.

Having won didn't stop Petrosyan, as he took 167 kg on his third attempt and made another nice lift, good for new Junior European records in the clean and jerk, and in the total.

Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy - Californian Randall Strossen, president of IronMind, received the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) Certificate of Merit at the European Weightlifting Championships last night.


Randall Strossen (center) received the European Weightlifting Federation Certificate of Merit, presented by EWF President Waldemar Baszanowki (left) and EWF General Secretary Marino Casadei (right). Marek Drzewowski photo.

"You are the first non-European ever to receive this award," EWF General Secretary Marino Casadei told Strossen, who said how how honored he felt to receive the award.

This year's competition marks Strossen's 13th consecutive European Weightlifting Championships, long a favorite of all the competitions he attends in the strength world.

Lignano Sabbiadoro - Igor Bour (Moldavia) missed his first two snatches, but he came back to hit his third attempt, and by the end of the evening he was the 56-kg champion at the European Weightlifting Championships, as Halil Mutlu (Turkey) fell short of regaining his gold medal form.


With this second miss, the pressure was on Igor Bour, but he came through and made this same weight (118 kg) on his third attempt. Randall J. Strossen photo.

After two misses at 118, Bour looked to be in deep trouble, but he made the weight on his third attempt, staying in the hunt.

Next up was Halil Mutlu and all eyes were on the three-time Olympic gold medalist, returning to competition after a two-year suspension following a positive drug test.

"He has no definition," said someone right away, pointing out how smooth Mutlu looked compared to the rock hard appearance he has presented in the past. The softness must have been more than superficial, as Mutlu missed his opener, 120 kg, badly, sending minor shock waves through the competition hall. His second attempt wasn't much different and by now there was a real sense of how bad things were for Mutlu at the moment, but showing that he can perform under pressure, Mutlu pulled out a good lift on his third attempt.

After Bour made 148 kg on his opening clean and jerk, Mutlu silently but undeniably broadcast his condition by lowering his opener, coming out for 149 kg. This was bad enough, but he missed the weight, unable to rack it. Any hope for a miracle had vanished now, but Mutlu gutted out a successful lift on his third attempt, going into an extremely deep split to hold the jerk. Bour made 151 kg on his third attempt, but the same weight went nowhere for Mutlu.

"I came to prove that I could perform at my old level . . . and I failed," Mutlu said afterward, being remarkably frank about how he had come up short.

The New York City Sports Commission has thrown its weight behind promoting the WSM Super Series competition scheduled for the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 21.

WSM Super Series Managing Director Jesper Albansson told IronMind that he was contacted by the New York City Sports Division and the resulting exposure has been tremendous:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/sports/html/wsm_08.html.



Also in the news for Super Series is the deal they just signed with Svend and Lene Karlsen's Viking Power, which will supply "the official clothing line for WSM Super Series [in] the next upcoming contests. In Madison Square Garden 21st June 2008, the top international Super Series strongmen will appear in the gear for the first time," according to the statement, which also notes that "you will be able to buy selected items on www.viking-power.no."

Every knows about Mariusz Pudzianowski, Derek Poundstone and Travis Ortmayer coming to Madison Square Garden's WaMu theater for the Super Series Grand Prix, but how about the rest of the field?


Hugo Girard fans will be happy to know that their man is set to compete in the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden when the Super Series comes to New York City on June 21. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Here it is, officially:

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski
2. Derek Poundstone
3. Magnus Samuelsson
4. Travis Ortmayer
5. Hugo Girard
6. Terry Hollands
7. Kevin Nee
8. Mark Philippi
9. David Ostlund
10. Jarek Dymek
11. Brian Shaw

"A second athlete from Britain is to be confirmed," WSM Super Series Managing Director Jesper Albansson told IronMind, and the referees are Jouko Ahola and Odd Haugen.

Lignano Sabbiadoro - After a dramatic opening ceremony based on elements from Federico Fellini's film La Strada, the action started in the 2008 European Weightlifting Championships with the women's 48-kg class, featuring 2004 Olympic gold medalist, Nurcan Taylan (Turkey).


2004 Olympic gold medalist Nurcan Taylan prevailed at the European Weightlifting Championships last night. Randall J. Strossen photo.

This was not going to be an easy night for Taylan, as she was pressed hard by two juniors, her teammate Sibel Ozkan and local favorite Genny Pagliaro (Italy). Taylan missed 87 kg on her first attempt in the snatch, missed it again on second attempt and then managed to make it on her third attempt. Ozkan took 88 kg on her second attempt, going for first place in the snatch and a Junior European record - she looked to have made the lift, and started smiling, only to lose the bar behind as she was standing up. Pagliaro followed with the same weight on her third attempt and made a good lift, gaining gold medal position in the snatch and the Junior European record. Ozkan repeated with 88 kg on her third attempt, but missed the lift.

Pagliaro's third attempt in the clean and jerk (106 kg) was a good, solid lift and it gave her the new Junior European record in the total (194 kg), breaking Taylan's record (192 kg). Taylan missed the jerk on her second attempt, 109 kg, but came back to make it; once again, it was determination as much as anything that got the bar overhead. Ozkan followed with 110 kg on her second attempt and made a good lift, picking up the gold medal in the jerk, and breaking the Junior European record in the jerk and in the total. Even though Ozkan looked very strong on the 110 kg second attempt, 111 kg looked completely different on her third attempt, as she struggled to stand up after racking the bar, and then she missed the jerk.

Taylan got the gold in the total (196 kg) on body weight, edging Ozkan, and Pagliaro got the bronze with 194 kg.

"FORTISSIMUS 2008's official website www.forticyr.com�will open at 12 noon Eastern time (9:00 a.m. Pacific time) on Tuesday, April 15," Paul Ohl told IronMind.


The Fortissimus website is set to launch tomorrow. Art courtesy of Paul Ohl.

"The website will be currently run in both French and English, with a few flashes in Polish, Swedish and Russian," said Ohl. "It will sound off with an exclusive Derek Poundstone interview and will also feature Mariusz Pudzianowski, Zydrunas Savickas, Magnus Samuelsson, with others to come at short notice," Ohl said.

New York Armwrestling's Gene Camp calls it, "The largest armwrestling practice in America!" so, of course, it's in New York City and it's proudly sponsored by Captains of Crush® Grippers.


Michael Selearis (right) on his way to beating James Smith (left) and capturing the crown at the 2008 Arnold Armwrestling Championships: Show up on Saturday and you can meet Michael in person, learn a thing or two about armwrestling, and have a great time. Randall J. Strossen photo.

It's every Saturday, starting tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Show up and you'll have a chance to get into the one strength sport everyone has tried, but few have mastered.

"Join us for three hours of fun, entertainment and explosive raw energy," said Gene Camp. Featured events include:

Captains of Crush® Gripper Contest
Arm Wrestling Contests
Other Feats of�Strength ("Show us what you got!")

The action is open to everyone, Camp said, ("men, women and teens"), with "four tables, official instructors and referees."

For full details, please check the official New York Armwrestling website: www.nyarms.com

Set for the WaMu theater on June 21, the official event list for WSM Super Series Madison Square has just released to IronMind.


Derek Poundstone won the Eleiko Super Series Mohegan Sun Grand Prix and then he came in second at the Arnold, with a badly torn pec, so watch for big things from him in the WaMu theater at Madison Square Garden on June 21. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Following is a summary of the official description of the events.

Power Medley (flip and carry): Flip a 900-pound tire five times and then carry giant farmer's walk implements (385 pounds) 50 feet. Athletes compete in pairs, multiple pickups are allowed, and there is a 60-second time limit.

Eleiko Last Man Standing Deadlift: Deadlift an Eleiko bar loaded with 320 kg (~705 pounds); 340 kg (~750 pounds); 360 kg (~795 pounds); 370 kg (~815 pounds), and so forth until "there is one man standing." One miss and you're out; conventional style only; no straps.

"Husafell Stone:" The ~400-pound "stone" will be carried for distance on a 25-meter course. Athletes compete in pairs; no set down; no time limit.

Axle Lift (clean/continental and press/jerk): 300-pound Apollon's Axle, with wheels, lifted for reps. Cannot rest the bar on one's belt; 60-second time time limit.

The field will be reduced to the top six competitors for the final two events.

Super Yoke/Duck Walk Medley: 410-kg yoke carried for 12.5 meters, followed by picking up and carrying a 500-pound weight 12.5 meters to the finish line. Athletes compete in pairs.

Atlas Stones: Carry and load five stones (295 to 420 pounds). Athletes compete in pairs.

Events are noted as subject to change, and three alternate events have also been listed: car deadlift (reps, no straps), tire flip (900-pound tire, 25-meter course), and farmer's carry (160-kg/hand; 25 meters).

Chinese weightlifters are in a class by themselves - and now you have a chance to learn from Coach Quingkui Zhao at the United Sport and Athlete Center in Waterloo, Iowa on May 31.


Lucky you if you were at the Arnold this year as, once again, special guests from the Chinese Weightlifting Association performed on the main stage of the Expo Hall, with this year's lineup including Junior World and Asian champion Zhang Jie. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Jed Smith, president of United Sport and Athlete, is no stranger to the Chinese weightlifting system as, among other things, he hired Ma Jianping to head up weightlifting at his center. In the words of Jed Smith and Ma Jianping, Coach Zhao is the "Godfather of the Modern Chinese Weightlifting System," which gives you an idea of what a rare opportunity this symposium presents to weightlifting and strength training enthusiasts.

According to Jed Smith, symposium topics will include the Chinese approach to:

Teaching progressions
Recovery
Periodization
Exercise selection
Technique analysis
Nutrition and supplementation

Space is limited to 20 participants, so jump on this is you want one of these slots.

For full details, please email Jed Smith: Jed.Smith@usatc.org.

She weighs less than half of a typical professional strongman, but she packs considerable clout and an upcoming visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was the reason the Strongman Champions League for Dubai was rescheduled for May 20, Marcel Mostert told IronMind: "A lot of events were cancelled for security reasons."


Next up for the Strongman Champions League is an exhibition at FIBO. Contests in Serbia and in Dubai are coming up next month. Logo courtesy of Marcel Mostert.

Instead of canceling the competition, Mostert said that it was moved to the number three position on the Strongman Champions League 2008 calendar, and the next contest will be in Serbia on May 10.

Despite the change in dates, the start list for athletes remains the same for Dubai, Mostert said:

1. Zydrunas Savickas (Lithuania)
2. Andrus Murumets (Estonia)
3. Oleksandr Pekanov (Ukraine)
4. Misha Koklyaev (Russia)
5. Ervin Katona (Serbia)
6. Jarno Hams (Holland)
7. Jani Kohlemainen (Finland)
8. Agris Kazelniks (Latvia)
9. Jeremy Hogg (Australia)
10. Tamas Malatinski (Hungary)
11. Etienne Smit (South Africa)
12. Igor Werner (Germany)
13. Farzad Mousakhani (Iran)
14. Mojtaba Maleki (Iran)
15. Karim Taleshi (Iran)

Also coming up for the Strongman Champions League is FIBO, "the biggest exhibition in Europe with around 100,000 visitors and more than 350 companies," Mostert told IronMind.

Set for April 10 - 14 in Essen, Germany, FIBO will host a team strongman exhibition, featuring two-man teams from Germany, Holland, Austria, Slovenia, and Czech Republic, as a way to further introduce strongman to FIBO, with the idea that next year it would be home to a full-blown Strongman Champions League competition, said Mostert. For this year's team exhibition, the events will be: Farmer's Walk, Log Lift, Bavarian Stone Lift, Pole Push and Yoke Race.

And speaking of the Bavarian stone lift, none other than Heinz Ollesch will be giving a demonstration and letting people try their hand at it, so stop by, say hello to the six-time Germany's Strongest Man winner, and give the stone a shot.

Want to start an Olympic-style weightlifting club or maybe you're a strength coach or a personal trainer who needs to be able to teach the power clean - either way, USA Weightlifting (USAW) has your course, so grab your shoes and plan to be in Arcata, California April 26 - 27.


Think you're ready to produce the next Pyrros Dimas or maybe you just want to learn how to coach the power clean, so your athletes and clients can "leap tall buildings with a single bound," just like Superman? Sign up for the USAW courses and you will be on your way. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Jim Schmitz - three-time USA Olympic weightlifting team coach, owner of the Sports Palace, and past USAW president and IWF executive board member - and Butch Curry - current PWA president and 1980 Olympian - will be teaching the USAW Sports Performance course, as well as the USAW Club Coach course, so here's your chance to learn from experts.

"Both are excellent," Jim Schmitz told IronMind. "Take the Club Coach course if you want to start a weightlifting club . . . take the Sports Performance course if you are a strength coach or a personal trainer." Weightlifting is an Olympic sport, and it's also is a secret weapon for everyone who wants increased strength and power, whatever the chosen sport or activity, but teaching a power clean, for example, takes specialized expertise.

That's where USAW and Messrs. Schmitz and Curry enter the picture, but to seize this opportunity you will have act quickly: the deadline is 5 p.m. MST on April 8.

For full details, "Go to www.usaweightlifting.org and click on the COACHING COURSE CALENDAR link in the bright yellow box on the home page," said USAW Member Services Coordinator Juliet Moore.


Nicu Vlad (left) and Dragomir Cioroslan (right) were coming to the USA for the 1990 Goodwill Games, so Jim Schmitz (center) organized some coaching clinics, coordinating USAW-NSCA resources. Here, the three men take a break after Nicu's workout in the famous back room at the Sports Palace . . . where Jim Schmitz christened the Romanian Deadlift. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Created and organized by Martial Allanic of France, the April 2008 IronMind SWT Gripmasters Challenge, held over a period of three months, gives participants the chance to compete in one of three groups, depending on your present level of grip strength.


Wherever you are now in the grip strength world, here's some extra incentive to make big gains in the next few months. Image courtesy of IronMind Enterprises, Inc.

- Junior Challenge: for anyone who cannot close the Captains of Crush® No. 2 gripper on 1 April 2008.

- Senior Challenge: for anyone who can close the Captains of Crush® No. 2 gripper but cannot close the Captains of Crush® No. 3 gripper on 1 April 2008.

- Expert Challenge: for anyone who can close the Captains of Crush® No. 3 gripper on 1 April 2008.

The winners will be determined by the best performance on a Captains of Crush® Gripper based on the number of reps that they can legitimately do by the end of the competition. IronMind is pleased to sponsor the competition, which runs from 1 April, 2008 through 30 June, 2008.

For the complete rules and to follow the action, check out the Smart Weight Training Forum at http://forum.swt.bz/viewtopic.php?t=9710. The only hitch is that you'll need to be able to read French, so if that's a challenge, study up or make friends with your favorite online translator!

For questions (en francais, s'il vous plait): Please contact Martial Allanic at marsou78@hotmail.fr, who writes,�"Thank you all for taking part in this competition; I hope you enjoy it, that we all find good spirited motivation, and that we accomplish impressive feats. Good luck to you all for your feats to come, and may the best win!"

The Fortissimus Steering Committee has officially raised the total prize money to US$62,000 committee head Paul Ohl told IronMind today, with US$14,000 going to the winner.


"Renowned Canadian artist, sculptor and painter Michel Binette," has created the Louis Cyr/Fortissimus trophy, Paul Ohl told IronMind. Image courtesy of Paul Ohl.

Here is the official starting list, just confirmed by Paul Ohl:

Mariusz Pudzianowski
Zydrunas Savickas
Andrus Murumets
Derek Poundstone
Magnus Samuelsson
Travis Ortmayer
Terry Hollands
Mark Felix
Sebastian Wenta
Jessen Paulin
Dominic Filiou

The remaining slot (wild card) will be filled on April 15.

Paul Ohl, whose biography on Louis Cyr is in a class by itself in the field, provided this background detail on M. Binette's work: "It features Louis Cyr hoisting the 273-1/4 pound dumbbell, the greatest one-arm press ever, accomplished on the evening of January 19, 1892, at the Royal Aquarium Hall of London, UK, in front of a sell-out crowd of 5000. This unique piece of art has been casted and produced by the Inverness Bronze Museum, near the city of Qu�bec. It weighs 14-1/2 pounds (over six kg) and measures 20 inches (50 cm)."

Also made official is Marco Fortier's position as Events Supervisor, as well "as assistant referee to Marc Lauzon." In addition to his successes as a powerlifter, "Marco Fortier also competed in four consecutive D�fi Mark-Ten (Louis Cyr) strongman contests (1985-1988), against such greats as Bill Kazmaier, Jon Pall Sigmarsson and Hjalti Arnason. He held the Platform Lift world record of 1850 pounds (841 kg)," Paul Ohl said.

Coming up in Reno, Nevada ("The Biggest Little City in the World"), the USA Weightlifting Collegiate Nationals will feature some of the country's top weightlifters, including Norik Vardanian, in a competition that will later be broadcast on CBS.


Norik Vardanian (left) conferring with his father, Yurik Vardanian (right), in the training hall (a tent, actually, replete with Oriental rugs) at the 2004 World Weightlifting Championships (Doha, Qatar). Randall J. Strossen photo.

Among the listed starters, Norik Vardanian has been red hot and causing a lot of buzz in the U.S. weightlifting community lately. USA Weightlifting acting executive director Dennis Snethen told IronMind today, "I think Norik can make the Olympic team," which means winning the battle for one of the two Olympic slots that the USA men's weightlifting team just earned for its top performance at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships.

Referring to the upcoming broadcasts, Dennis Snethen, who has been active in the sport from the grassroots to the national and international levels, told IronMind, "This a very exciting time for weightlifting," and he talked about a return to the day when weightlifting had great prominence through Vasily Alexeev, an iconic figure with a worldwide media presence.

The USAW National Collegiate Championships are April 11 - 13 in the Downtown Reno Ballroom (Circus Circus, two blocks away, is the official meet hotel), with a live webcast on Sunday. CBS College Sports broadcasts will include May 27, May 28 and June 12, all at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (subject to change), and "all programs will receive significant encores," according to Billy Stone, executive producer of the Collegiate Nationals.

Please check the official USA Weightlifting website for full details: http://www.msbn.tv/usavision/

Hold on strongman fans - just when you thought the Super Series Madison Square Garden Grand Prix couldn't get any bigger or better, guess who's coming to the party?


With Odd Haugen maybe yelling, "Mariusz who?!," Travis Ortmayer brings it home at the 2004 NASS National Heavyweight Championships, where he won the title and began his transition to professional strongman contests. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Travis Ortmayer is ripping through the year: winning at FitExpo and St. Patty's, coming in second (to Zydrunas Savickas) at the Strongman Champions League competition in Riga - not to mention working as a color commentator at the Arnold strongman contest, getting married the week after, and launching a personal training business with his father. And guess who's not just officially on the start list for the Super Series Madison Square Garden Grand Prix, but unofficially is a favorite?

"Favorite? How did you come up with that"

Going into the Eleiko Super Series Mohegan Sun Grand Prix, Derek Poundstone predicted that he was the man to beat Mariusz, and while some thought this was an idle boast, that's just what Derek did.

Forget Derek, IronMind was told by a guy who has more than an academic familiarity with both men's capabilities, and he proceeded to talk up Travis: "He'll kick Derek's butt at the Madison Square Garden Grand Prix in June."

IronMind asked Travis Ortmayer how he felt about this prediction and he said, "I can't wait to go head-to-head with Derek and Mariusz: they can have their little battle . . . for second and third place."

"I'm not trying to sound cocky, but you have to believe in yourself," Ortmayer said.

Explaining the basis for his confidence, Travis Ortmayer said that Derek Poundstone and he had tremendous experience competing internationally with the top guys from IFSA, adding that seeing "Mariusz get beat pretty bad by IFSA guys at the Arnold" also took away from Mariusz's aura of invincibility. "Half the battle is mental," he added, as he stoked his competitive fires.

It hasn't gone unnoticed that both Derek Poundstone and Travis Ortmayer have opted to go to the Super Series Madison Square Garden Grand Prix instead of the ASC nationals, and in Ortmayer's words, "It says a lot when Derek and I are choosing that contest over the nationals," not that either guy will be taking anything away from "the lucky individual who wins" the ASC contest. "The winner will truly be the American champion . . . He was the strongest on the day."

Speaking of his own decision, Ortmayer said that Jim Glassman has long been his mentor, and when he asked Glassman about the choice, Glassman said, "What are you, stupid"

"ESPN's king," Ortmayer said, noting that especially with his new business, it's imperative that he build up his exposure and increase his name recognition in the U.S., and the Super Series contest at Madison Square Garden is the way to do that.