This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36819042
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Game of Thrones star loses European strongman title to Swindon man | Game of Thrones star loses European strongman title to Swindon man |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Game of Thrones star "The Mountain" has been beaten to Europe's Strongest Man title by a man from Swindon. | Game of Thrones star "The Mountain" has been beaten to Europe's Strongest Man title by a man from Swindon. |
| Laurence Shahlaei, originally from Cheltenham, took the title in Leeds from two-time title holder Hafthor Bjornsson who is also famed for his role in the popular television series. | Laurence Shahlaei, originally from Cheltenham, took the title in Leeds from two-time title holder Hafthor Bjornsson who is also famed for his role in the popular television series. |
| Mr Shahlaei, nicknamed "Big Loz", said: "He's a great strongman but it was my day and it felt really good to win." | Mr Shahlaei, nicknamed "Big Loz", said: "He's a great strongman but it was my day and it felt really good to win." |
| The 32-year-old is the first Englishman to win the title in 27 years. | The 32-year-old is the first Englishman to win the title in 27 years. |
| Standing at 6ft 2in (1.9m) and weighing 22 stone (145 kg), the Wiltshire-based athlete had to overcome injury last weekend to take the crown. | Standing at 6ft 2in (1.9m) and weighing 22 stone (145 kg), the Wiltshire-based athlete had to overcome injury last weekend to take the crown. |
| "I've had a rough few years with injuries and to come back and win Europe's Strongest man has just meant the world to me," he said. | "I've had a rough few years with injuries and to come back and win Europe's Strongest man has just meant the world to me," he said. |
| "There's five different events that you have to do. I did a 420 kilo dead lift, which was good enough for joint second and then we did a frame carry - it's a race and you're running a 20-metre course while carrying 450 kilos, which is close to 90 stone, and I won that event." | "There's five different events that you have to do. I did a 420 kilo dead lift, which was good enough for joint second and then we did a frame carry - it's a race and you're running a 20-metre course while carrying 450 kilos, which is close to 90 stone, and I won that event." |
| Competitors also had to lift a 177kg (28 stone) block above their heads "as many times as possible" as well as tackling the infamous Atlas stones - an event synonymous with strongman competitions. | Competitors also had to lift a 177kg (28 stone) block above their heads "as many times as possible" as well as tackling the infamous Atlas stones - an event synonymous with strongman competitions. |
| But it was running 20m (65ft) with a Volkswagen Beetle on his shoulders in around 11 seconds that clinched the title from Iceland's Hafthor Bjornsson. | |
| "My favourite of the competition was the car walk. Imagine Fred Flintstone running in his car - that was basically me," he said. | "My favourite of the competition was the car walk. Imagine Fred Flintstone running in his car - that was basically me," he said. |
| "I actually broke the world record on that event. They made the car even heavier this year and I managed over a second off my world record - which was really, really good." | "I actually broke the world record on that event. They made the car even heavier this year and I managed over a second off my world record - which was really, really good." |