Today is the competition for earning the title of the World Strongest Man!
A little while ago there was an article An Iranian Olympian carries the weight of a nation about the current World Champion, Behdad SalimiKordasiabi and his quest for his first Olympic medal. In 2011 he broke the World Record in Snatch and is the current WR holder at 214 KG. All other World Records for the super heavyweight division are held by Hossein RezaZadeh (an Ahmadinejad supporter no less ;-).
Here’s an excerpt from the Christian Science Monitor:
Up close, the “world’s strongest man” doesn’t look as if he’s been mislabeled. Behdad Salimi is built like a small warehouse. His neck and head seem to be the same appendage. His arms are bigger than most people’s thighs. His thighs … well, just use your imagination, then double it.
Yet when he shakes hands, he is uncommonly gentle. In fact, for a man who can lift the equivalent of three people over his head, he seems downright genial.
Until he grips a barbell, that is. Suddenly, his jaw tightens. His face contorts. Then he lets out a primal shriek – “ya Ali molaye man” (oh Ali, my leader) – and makes unfathomable amounts of tonnage defy gravity.
Just like the World Fastest Man competition, the World Strongest Man competition is another main event at the Olympics! I hope he not only wins the gold and get the title again but he shouts “ya Ali molaye man” several times just to annoy some people who get annoyed by these things!
You can watch the live scoreboard and results here.
Photo caption: 22 year old World Chamption and his wife.
