World's Strongest Man Comes To Limerick

The organisers of the Strongman’s Champions League series have announced that the reigning World’s Strongest Man will compete at the event’s Irish Heat in Limerick Racecourse on June 6th.

Zydrunas Savickas from Lithuania will compete with eleven other athletes, eight of whom were participants in the 2009 World’s Strongest Man competition, in the sponsored event which carries a $10,000 prize fund.

The first major international strongman competition to take place in Ireland will be broadcast around the world on TV channels including Eurosport, MTV, Al Jazeera and Russian-based Sports TV.

Other confirmed participants include twice-World’s Strongest Man runner-up Travis Ortmayer, recently crowned Republic Of Ireland’s Strongest Man James Fennelly from Kilkenny, and Strongman Champions League series leader Terry Holland from England.

Gary Kirwan of Danesfort Event Management Ltd. confirmed the event will take place over the next five years and are hoping that it will act as a precursor to Ireland hosting the World’s Strongest Man competition.

Commenting on the competition, Mr. Kirwan said: "Athletes will compete in events such as the celtic cross walk, car dead lift, truck pull, Viking press, loading medley and a super yoke and farmers walk medley which will result in a very intense and enjoyable show. The truck that competitors will be pulling is the biggest American style road truck on European roads."

Welcoming the event Dr. Vincent Cunnane, Chief Executive, Shannon Development said, "Shannon Development is delighted to have supported this great sporting event for the Shannon Region. We are currently undertaking a major drive to develop sports business and tourism for the City and this event will build on Limerick’s reputation as Ireland’s sport’s capital. It is part of Shannon Development’s strategy to attract events that will be here on an annual basis and this type of legacy event, which has potential to be an annual event for Limerick, is a perfect fit with what we are trying to do throughout the Shannon Region.

Karen Brosnahan of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, noted: "Sports Tourism generates approximately 60 million euro for the Shannon Region annually. We, along with Shannon Development, have recently launched a Sports Ambassador Programme to capitalise on this lucrative market even further by getting local people involved in sport to help bid for events like Strongman Champions League that can become legacy events for the entire Shannon Region."

Linda Sheehan of event sponsors Batchelors stated: "Batchelors is delighted to be associated with the Strongman Champions League. This unique sporting event will feature feats of strength and endurance from some of the world’s strongest men. It is an ideal family outing in one of Ireland’s greatest sporting cities. We believe that the Strongman Champions League in Ireland will become a major fixture on the Irish sporting calendar."

Competitors:
1. Zydrunas Savickas – Lithuania, reigning World’s Strongest Man
2. Terry Holland – England, currently winning the Strongman Champions League series
3. Ervin Katona – Serbia
4. Agris Kazelniks – Latvia
5. Travis Ortmayer – America, atlas stones world record holder Travis is called the Texas Stoneman
6. Kevin Nee – America, the youngest ever competitor at Worlds Strongest Man
7. Johanes Arsjo – Sweden
8. James Fennelly – Ireland, 2009 and 2010 Republic Of Irelands Strongest Man
9. Dave Warner – Ireland, 4 times Ireland’s Strongest Man
10. Rafal Wilk Vel Wilczynski – Poland, now living in Co. Carlow Rafal has competed for team Poland
11. Wild card entry from Body Power strongman competition being held in the UK on the 23rd May 12.
12. TBC

Mr. Kirwan said that the Irish Heat of the Strongman’s Champions League will be the centrepiece of a day long programme of activities during the Sports Expo Ireland event.

A number of sports seminars will feature presentations by former Munster rugby team nutritionist Andrea Cullen, former international athlete and star of TV’s Gladiators Caroline Pearce, Michael O’Doherty of Plexus Healthcare, professional sports adviser and coach Richard Rocker, and author of "Take A Weight Off" Fiona Hoban.

Teams, groups and clubs from around Ireland and abroad will demonstrate their respective skills. Confirmed participants include the International Krav Maga Association, Irish National Kendo team, Allstyles Kickboxing Association of Ireland, Wild Geese Martial Arts, Tang So Do, Shahira Dance, Yoga Therapy Ireland, Bijou School of Dance and the Limerick Skate Board team.

A number of leading sports-related companies will also be exhibiting on the day. Exhibitors include Kinetica, USN and Impact Supplements.

According to Gary Kirwan: "Our primary aim is to run an expo unlike any other in the country where people will be amazed and enthused by the many events taking place. We hope the day will encourage those in attendance to take up a sport, try new activities and think about the fun that they can have."

Sports Expo Ireland, featuring the Strongman’s Champions League event, takes place at Limerick Racecourse on Sunday June 6th 2010 from 10am-7pm. The event is being supported by Shannon Development, The Carlton Hotel Group, Squeeze and Limerick City Council.

For more see www.sclireland.com.

-ENDS-

Notes To Editor:
- Gary Kirwan and Strongman competitors are available for interview on request. To arrange please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy PR on 086-8534900 or media@dunphypr.com
- High resolution images of Zydrunas Savickas are also available on request.
- Zydrunas Savickas (born July 15, 1975 in Biržai, Lithuania) is one of the world's foremost strongmen having won a number of major strongman competitions, most notably the Arnold Strongman Classic on six consecutive occasions, the IFSA World Championship twice, Fortissimus and in 2009 the World's Strongest Man Competition in Malta beating the 6 time defending champion Mariuus Pudzianowski.
Life and career: As a child Savickas decided to compete in sports and eating contests, and he became interested in becoming a strongman after watching a Lithuanian strongman contest on TV in 1989. Three years later he took part in the strongman contest, and defeated a number of older and more experienced opponents. He then was 17 and set the aim to become the strongest of all. He began to train in powerlifting, and in his second powerlifting contest he broke all the Lithuanian records. He is the only Lithuanian to squat over 400 kg. Savickas won the 1998 Lithuanian strongman championship, and then competed in the World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco. He won the silver medal in the World powerlifting championship in Japan with a total of 1020 kg.
A contest in the Faroe Islands dealt Savickas a serious setback, as he suffered from a serious knee injury. Many believed that the extent of the injury meant that his career was over. However, nine months later Savickas won the Lithuanian powerlifting championship, and a short time later he also won the Lithuanian strongman championship.
Savickas has won the Arnold Strongman Classic six times in a row. In September 2005, he broke three world records and won the IFSA Strongman World Championship competition in Quebec, Canada. Savickas also won the IFSA World Championship for a 2nd time in 2006 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
On October 24, 2005, Savickas represented Lithuania in a team competition with Vidas Blekaitis, Saulius Brusokas, and Vilius Petrauskas. This Lithuanian team didn't win the IFSA World's Strongest Nation contest in Ukraine and placed 5th.
Most recently, Savickas won the 2009 World's Strongest Man competition, the only contemporary major strongman title that had eluded him up to that point.