Without missing a beat, Svend Karlsen moved from competing to his new role in strongman - and at the WSMSS Moscow Grand Prix, Karlsen did double duty, assisting with both the refereeing and the presenting.


Two World's Strongest Man winners are better than one: Svend Karlsen backed up Jouko Ahola as a referee at the WSMSS Moscow Grand Prix last weekend. IronMind® | Colin Bryce photo.

WSMSS Tour Director Jesper Albanson told IronMind® how pleased everyone from World Class Events was to see Svend's career in strongman continue in this way, and The Viking won praise for assistance to Colin Bryce as a presenter, as well as for his support of Jouko Ahola as a referee.

"WSMSS Moscow was great," Colin Bryce said, "and we are looking forward to Poland on August 12th. With Jarek [Dymek] in such good shape it could be a Polish 1 and 2 on home soil." Still, don't just forward as you place your bets, because as Bryce explained, "We are lining up an amazing field of athletes, including Raivis Vidzis and Tarmo Mitt, and assuming Jesse [Marunde] doesn't run into flight difficulties (which happened in Moscow), then he will be there of course!!!"


Three-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski, modeling a Russian Army hat, hits a double biceps pose in front of Moscow's Olympic Stadium. IronMind® | Colin Bryce photo.