Four-time World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Ver Magnusson has been helping to open up strongman to disabled competitors and he is very enthusiastic about the possibilities for future contests.

Yesterday concluded the two-day IFSA competition for the disabled, and it featured two classes: wheelchair and standing. Events were modified to suit the competitors, Magnus Ver explained, but they were based on such strongman staples as stone loading, Hercules hold, hand over hand, and so forth.

"This gives the handicapped a chance to compete in strongman," Magnus Ver said, "instead of just doing the bench press" if they are interested in strength. "It's just another tribute to the disabled," he explained, saying that the competitions were the outgrowth of the work his friend Arnar Mar Jonsson has done for years, coaching the lifters at the Reykjavik sports center for the handicapped.

In the wheelchair division, Tahvo Jauhojarvi (Finland) won, followed by Danel Brosson (Sweden) and Trostein Solavason (Iceland). The top three in the standing division were: Kristberg Jonsson, Daniel Unnar Vignisson and Hordur Hirdarrsson (all from Iceland).

"We'd like more people to give this a try," said Magnus Ver, so if you're interested, mark you calendar for about this same time next year and keep your eye on the website for details.