US Power News Magazine Dec. 2014

POWER NEWS UNITED STRONGMEN®

THE FITTEST STRENGTH MAGAZINE ON EARTH™ December 2014

GRANDALEN

2014 US WORLD

HITS TRIPLE

CHAMPIONSHIPS

GOLD FOR 2014

2015 ANTI-DOPING WORLD HEAVY EVENTS ASSOCIATION

INFO ABOUT DIAMONGIRL™ 2015

INDEX 2. Index 3-4. World Heavy Events Association 5-13.US World Championships 2014 14-15. Owen´s corner 16-18. Norway´s Strongest 2014 19-21. Blog by Jyrki 22. Aulanko Winter Challenge & QC 2015 22.Diamondgirl™ 2015

Power News - The Fittest Strength Magazine on Earth™ Editor in Chief: Jyrki Rantanen Published by United Strongmen® / World Heavy Events Association P.O.BOX 55, 13101 Hämeenlinna, Finland info@unitedstrongmen.com, www.unitedstrongmen.com Starting 2015 published twice a year (spring/autumn issues).

You can order the magazine via above email (20€/year) or if you join to World Heavy Events Association you get the magazine included to your membership.

World Heavy Events

of this new associa-

athlete signs the anti-

Association is the

tion and he/she must

doping contract with

new administrative

sign the anti-doping

US - FINADA rules,

body for events and

contract.

their national anti-

competitions under

The membership and

doping agency can

United StrongmenÂŽ.

anti-doping contract

test them also based

The association co-

must be active mini-

on the co-operation

operates with FINADA

mum of 3-6 months*

contract of the agen-

and creates it´s anti-

prior the competition,

cies.

doping rules by fol-

where the athlete

lowing their WADA

wants to compete.

The countries will

level rules.

Further full info about

have in the future

memberships and

maximum of 5 spots

The events under the

anti-doping contract

per weight class and

association are:

will be published in

from the countries,

> Strongman/Woman

the association web-

which are not under

> Highland Games

pages, which are

WADA level testing

> Diamondgirl™

opened in Dec. 2014.

during the training

> MAS-Wrestling > Grip events.

season also athletetes The anti-doping

may apply a spot to

program will also

the competitions from

The Weight Classes

make changes to the

the association.

for strongwoman are

previous ways to en-

Those athletes will

for 2015:

ter to the US compe-

also need to be mem-

titions:

bers of the associa-

-60kg

Starting from 1st, Jan.

tion and sign the anti-

-70kg

2015 there is no quali-

doping contract,

-85kg

fications from the

where they allow to

-Open

countries, unless the

be tested in US com-

country has WADA-

petitions and in train-

level training season

ing season if their

doping-testing inclu-

country laws allow

-80kg

ded to the actions.

the local anti-doping

-90kg

This means, that if

agencies to do the

-105kg

the country wants to

testing via US con-

-Open

organize national

tract.

qualification - the

Check out more from

To participage US

athletes must be un-

page 4.

World Championships

der anti-doping

or any other US com-

control. In Nordic

petitions the competi-

countries this is done

tor must be a member

easily as when the

for strongmen:

A few Q & A´s before

ping contract for

- Yes, the members of

the webpages are

minimum of 12

the association will

open:

months until you are

get Power News - The

allowed to compete

Fittest Strength Mag-

again.

azine on Earth™ in-

How long is the ban?

- 4 years.

cluded to the memWhere I can find info

bership, they get free

What if I resign anti-

what are prohibited

access to all photos/

doping contract and

substances and met-

videos our photogra-

membership and then

hods?

phers take from the

later sign in again?

ANTI-DOPING

competitions and as a

- If you have signed in

second step we are

before to the associ-

Do I have any benefits

starting to locate dis-

ation and it´s anti-

from the member-

counts from different

doping contract and

ships along with the

sport related things to

you have resigned

opportunity to prove

our members etc.

you need to be a

my strength under

member and signed

proper anti-doping

in with new anti-do-

system?

US WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014 This was the first time there was a World Champion title open for strongwoman -60kg.

The class did not yet had many qualifiers as many countries didn´t have the weight class yet on their selection, but the first time is always the first.

US title was fighted between five very athletic strongwoman with backgrounds varying from weightlifting, crossfit, cross-country skiing, fitness and track & field.

After the qualifications England´s Jenny Warner was in the lead, but the Finns had strong finish on finals day and in the end Finnish weightlifter Sanna Savolainen (left) was crowned as the first World Champion.

In overall the battle was very hard in overhead lifts Sanna was shining with her weightlifting background, but the win became as she was did not drop more than 3rd in any event, while Jenny and Terhi won 3 events each but dipped more in others.

1. Sanna Savolainen, FIN 15 2. Jenny Warner, GB 18.5 3. Terhi Sievers, FIN 23 4. Sunniva Nordskog, NOR 28.

5. Hanna Santavuori, FIN 35.5 All US World Championships and cover photo © photobypiia.com

Jenny Warner (left) was the fastest in

to win the event - the result was the

loading-medley and Terhi Sievers

same as in the next bigger class also.

(right) dominated the deadlift with winning result of 145kg.

The next -60kg class competition will

In overall the new class of light bw

be Queen of the Castle™ - Scandina-

ladies performed great results - for

vian Championships, which are held in

example in Apollon´s Axle OH Sanna

Aulanko Spa Hotel in Hämeenlinna,

Savolainen did very easy lift of 75kg

Finland 14th, March 2015.

Janne Grandalen had a golden year of 2014.

Norway´s Strongest Woman (Open & -70kg), Scandinavian Champion -70kg and finally also a World Champions in -70kg category.

In the -70kg category there was the most competitors in female weight classes and the battle was hard as in the qualification each event had different winners. After day one Norway´s Janne Grandalen had 3 points lead before England´s Jennifer Todd (left, up) who was followed by Finland´s Eveliina Rosenströn (left, down) with another 3 points.

In the finals the order remained the same and Grandalen had won the competition before the last event, but she gave all out in that also and won MAS-wrestling, too.

1. Janne Grandalen, NOR 17 2. Jennifer Todd, GB 26,5 3. Eveliina Rosenström, FIN 31 4. Lise Gangstad, NOR 34 5. Mia Sundström, FIN 38,5 6. Leena Nurminen, FIN 40,5 —————————————————————————7. Malou Bernström, SWE 25 8. Riikka Haataja, FIN 26 9. Jaana Tanner, FIN 28 10. Gry Anita Opdal, NOR 39 11. Josefin Eliasson, SWE 42 Below the line are the ones, who dropped out from the finals as the last spot to there went with 23 points.

Women´s Open class had several withdraws due injuries, but it introduced us 3 new talents for the sport with Ukrainian Olga Liaschuk (above) being in top form as she edged out her competitors in every event.

Some of the results Olga produced were incredible like 240 metres sack carry with 82kg sack and 90kg axle OH lift with bodyweight of 83kg.

1. Olga Liaschuk, UKR 8 2. Lidija Hunko, UKR 16,5 (middle) 3. Jenn Tibbenhamm, USA 23.5 (below)

Another new class was for strongmen 80kg, where Norway´s Marius Halvorsen was in fire‌despite of his small neck injury he dominated the show by being first or second in every event except MASWrestling, which he did not took part due he had already won the contest.

The domination was seen best on medley, where Marius was the only -80kg athlete who complete the event including 230kg duck-walk + power stair after sack loading.

Marius has been the dominator of -80kg class in Norway between 2012-2014 and now he took the first international title also.

More about -80kg class on page 12.

Haluatko Villyou Do du ha want isot lihakset stora big muscles muskler tai apienemm채n eller or lower mindre rasvaprosentin fettprocent body fat keinolla till varjemill채 percentage, hyv채ns채? pris? no matter

what?

On upper photo Finland´s Raimo Pikkuhookana airs his countryman (Ville Majuri) on his way to win MAS-Wrestling.

In the photo below Ukrainian Olexandr Stashenko speeds up the farmers walk to overall 3rd place.

1. Marius Halvorsen, NOR 14,5 2. Raimo Pikkuhookana, FIN 20,5 3. Oleksandr Stashenko, UKR 23,5 4. Jari Turunen, FIN 30 5. Ville Majuri, FIN 31,5

In the 105kg class

photo above he is

who´s lead after the

there was 12 competi-

”toying” the grip for

first day was

tors on the line and

the final part).

stronger.

half of them were cut

In deadlift the English

The another runner—

away after the qualifi-

gentleman Will Bag-

up from Ukraine Olek-

cation day.

gott (left, next page)

siy Novikov (right,

The result level was

hauled solid 315 kg

next page) was the

excellent as the com-

pull - no straps, no

best in the hard 153kg

petition winner

suits.

sack carry, which was

Volomydyr Reksha

Baggott also won the

impossible to lift for

(from Ukraine tied

MAS-Wrestling and

part of the competi-

with the WR 160 kg in

was eventually only

tors.

axle OH lift - in the

1,5 pts behind Reksha,

1. Volomydyr Reksha, UKR 20

7. Kreson Pillay, SA 29

2. Will Baggott, UK 21,5

8. Johannes Hermundsson, SWE

3. Oleksey Noviakov, UKR 26,5

35

4. Antanas Ziurauskas, LIT 31

9. Lewis Graddon, Wales 37

5. Jiri Grönman, FIN 35,5

10. Dhanni Moar, Scotland 38

6. Mark Topham, UK 41,5

11. Lars Besand, Denmark 39

———————————————————————————

12. Dmytro Tanashcuk, UKR 42

Watching The Death Traps

by Owen D. Taylor III

The health and fitness arena can be copared to the game of chess.

The quickest way that we can accomplish a goal is not always the best way. The term known by winning a chess game by the least amount of moves is known as foolsmate. Is there such a thing? Well, it depends on what one's strategy is, if they have a strategy, and how they came about that strategy.

Why do I even ask you this very vague question? The answer is to possibly save your life, in a figurative sense that is.

Let me preface before the holiday season rolls around and the year of 2015 is upon us.......we are at fault. When I say the word “we”, I am talking about the fitness cover model that has the most features of a magazine on the shelf right now to the newly emerging “fitness pro” who's pro card is far preceding their pro status in the ever so figurative foot race, or even the “In-

stagram famous” fitness athlete that is ever so deluded on how to relate to the normal world that really doesn't care about 80% of the IG posts that are put out in social media. What does this mean to your average every day normal person and why do I say that it is the “fitness world's” fault.

To put it at best, let's take three different sized rocks, a little, medium, and big rock.

For every fitness goal that one has, whether it is a transformation goal or a competition goal, there are death traps that are lurking in the ever so common yet uncommon landscape. Take that little rock you have in your hand and throw it at that fitness stage that you want to be number one at. WOW! What happened to that rock? It all of a sudden burned in almost a second after you threw it. That is called feeling the burn of borderline bankruptcy. Didn't the person that was guiding you in your fitness

journey show you that before they let you embark upon it?

Didn't they show you how to avoid that common death trap that a guy such as myself almost fall into? Do you have anybody else accompanying you? Similar to the Garden of Eden, weren't Adam and Eve told not to eat of the Tree Of Knowledge of Good and Evil? Same example. Or that “small rock” could be another goal of some sort, and just because that goal may be different for some, sometimes the aesthetically pleasing physique may not help someone either. fitness or people outside of fitness either. Yet, there comes that undertow that all of a sudden sucks one into that river and without a life vest (or that support network that will be with you in trying and triumphant times) you are dead. This may sound very drastic, yet this happens all too often, I am guilty of this myself.

How about that medium sized rock that you have in your hand. Better yet, let's imagine that you started hitting a few fitness goals, started competing in a few fitness shows, did a few fitness shoots, and instead of having that rock, you are swimming in a man made (or self made) river of all of your accomplishments and you are getting an overinflated ego (or overinflated head for some of us in the fitness industry). To make matters worse, you are swimming without a life jacket and are comfortable and drifting without a care in or for the world, whether it be for places outside of And there is that big rock that you have, and it is very heavy as well. What is your first fitness goal, or more important of a question, what led you to that fitness goal (or who)? This is where true maintenance and achievement happens in comparison to re-

lapse. Who are you going to tell about your goal, the ones that you have known for the longest time in your life or someone that has walked in the shoes that you are about to walk in? Or will it be a happy medium of both of these types of people?

More important, the message that you want to send in this industry, are you wanting to write it close to home and hope it gets published in a mainstream fitness publication that will get overlooked domestically or will you find a way to carry a message overseas and have it come back to the states in a counter-intuitive manner (like I am doing right now)? :-) These are things in which no organization will necessarily teach you. And for that, WE as an industry are at fault as well, and once you drop that big rock down....will that be a very big first step to something good that will be sustaining for

the near future or will you set off a very big bomb explosion that will have you finished before you even start?

It may seem like that I am mad at the fitness industry, I am not at all. After four years of being in it and almost two and a half years of being outside of it looking inside, I know that there are many things in which should be different. I am only one person and can only help one person at a time, and avoiding the death traps while doing so. Happy Holidays.

Blessings and Barbells, Owen D. Taylor III Team Quest Athlete and Ambassador Isolator Fitness Affiliate Athlete Dallas, Texas owtaylor3@gmail.com IG: Taylor3OptimusPrime

Norway´s Strongest

-105kg class the was

was held in Kris-

a big surprise as the

tiansand in September

newcomer Lars Hjallis

and the organizer KST

Halleraker took the

(Kristiansand Strong-

highest podium spot

man Team) held great

with magnifisement

show even their start

performance.

of the competition

All the photos from

week was not perfect

Norway´s Strongest ©

as most of their

Marika Lejon / body-

equipment were

mag.no.

stolen…in the lighter weight classes and women the pre-favorites held their pressures, but in

Women: 1. Janne Grandalen 33 2. Lise Gangstad, 31,5 3. Gry Anita Opdal , 19 4. Linda Gausland, 16,5 5. Sunniva Nordskog, 15 6. Heidi J .Eriksen 14 7. Alexandra Fredriksen, 10 Men -80kg 1. Marius Halvorsen, 34 2. Lars Eirik Gran, 28,5 3. Johnny Steig, 23 4. Anders J.Hognestad, 18 5. Runar Andersen, 17,5 6. Tom Glessing 8 6. Lars Ove Engen 8

In women´s class

status easily until the

Janne Grandalen (pre-

end of the competi-

vious page, right) took

tion.

the overall title along

In -90kg US World

with -70kg class title.

Champion Andreas

In the open class she

Valand had a tough

edged out Lise

battle with his

Gangstad by 1,5 pts.

countrymen Tim

In Men´s -80kg the

Emerson as their se

Champion from 2 pre-

paration had to do via

vious year Marius

countback on event

Halvorsen (previous

placings:

page, left) was the favorite and he held his

Men -90kg 1. Andreas Valand 55 2. Tim Enersen 55 3. Loyd Kaaland 52,5 4. Kjetil Finnes, 43,5 5. Reymond Rabben, 36 6. Steffan L. Rygvik, 35 7. Gunnar N. Horpestad, 26,5 8. Meho Latic, 17 pts 9. Magnus Odegård, 15 10. Roy Ove Hansen, 9 11. Vegill Rebni Kjer, 9 12. Geir-Erling Henriksen, 8,5

In men´s -105kg class there was a small surprise as the fresh European Champion Jorgen Skaug Aukland was edged out by the newcomer Lars Hjallis Halleraker (in the photo).

Lars did a solid show with great performance without mistakes and he also made good show for the crowd.

1. Lars Hjallis Halleraker, 57 2. Jorgen Skaug Aukland, 52,5 3. Hans Marius Liabo. 48 4. Jon Einar Haugland, 46 5. Stian Lonnum Thue, 34 6. Jens Petter Odegård, 32,5 7. Håkon Haugland, 30 8. Morten Aamodt, 28 9. Mattis Bjorheim, 15,5 10. Stefan Sekej, 12 11. Tommy Horne, 6 12. Roger Kvasnes, 4,5

Why?

by Jyrki Rantanen, Editor in Chief

Welcome to the renewed Power News .- One of the renovations is that we skip the editor part in the beginning of the magazine and I write a blog instead of it…this first one is actually published in the net sometime ago, but it is good to clear out my thoughts why I started running antidoping to these sports…

Anti-Doping I have decided to be the one to take a huge step forward and the agreements are now done with FINADA, that all US Championships including strongman/woman, Highland Games and DiamondGirl™ etc. will be under dopingtesting starting from 2015, when WADA rules are changing for example raising the first ban penalty up to 4 yrs.

What does it mean? It means, that in all US World or other Championships the winners and drawed competitors will be tested by FINADA and inside of

Finland all athletes participating to US/ HE national championships must sign the anti-doping contract where they allow FINADA to test them when ever, where ever and so on.

Why? Why I have started to work on getting US strongman/woman, highland games, diamondgirl and grip events under proper doping testing - there´s several reasons for it and here´s a few of them: - It has become clear, that if our sports are wanted to be actual/ credible sports in the eyes of bigger crowds they need to be part of global trusted anti-doping program. At the moment the sports are mainly circus for smaller groups of spectators.

- Concern of health issues as during the past years the weights have just gotten crazier and the news of injured

and even dead athletes have become more everyday news.

- The use of drugs has become a way too abroved as nowadays it seems that if someone says/claims to be training with natural ways, he/she is more or less concidered to be a freak as not following the main road with the risk of ”hero todaygone tomorrow mentality”.

- So, in overall I don´t want anyone who is aiming to US competitions to take risks with his/her health because of any title it offers. Also I want to offer the opportunity of success to the athletes, who choose the longer way for becaming strong as they deserve it along with the most likely longer, healthier life they are facing via that choice.

Continues on next page.

- One of the main reasons is also the youngsters - I want to show them via athletes examples, that with long term training you can become strong without PED´s, too. I´m doing growing number of actions with young people who are interested about training and strength My message to them is that ”training is the best drug”...yes, you can not be in the top of the world in a few years with clean ways as it usually takes 5-7 years of active training before there´s bigger amount of useful power seen in a human body with proper training, eating and resting (so, parents, friends of young trainers...if someone suddenly puffs up 20-30kg of ”muscle” in 6-18 months with major power level raises it is usually not just due the one has been on strict diet and training hard - even though those things are the main things to do while getting stronger (along with resting enough).

Don´t get me wrong - I do not want to blackpaint any former or current athletes in

any level in any sport...it is just the truth, that there has been and is a lot of PED´s used in strength events as there is no proper testing organized until this action - so everything has been basically allowed. It is also the reason, why these news are posted so early before the action starts - we want to allow people enough time to start from cleaner table if they want.

Also I´m not doing this to shine my own achievements - in the past I have done my exams with PED´s, but have had some ”wiseness” in it...at first I did not want to start growing up towards 150kg due I wanted to look more like multisport athlete, so lightweight classes was my choice and there my quite multiple sports history combined to some ”good genetics” allowed me to do fairly well time after time totally clean and time after time with low dosages, which gave me the approx of 10% power level increase in certain strict power lift events. During the 25 yrs career with iron the total time with PED´s have been under 5% of the training weeks (so am I

now approx 95 % lifetime natural? :) and that all was in 4 year period (which ended about 10 yrs ago), which included long breaks between. On the funny side I also realized, that when counting back I have won a competition more often clean than when ”juiced” - when you are clean, your head works better, you use more technique and most likely you are in better shape when it comes to cardio side of the events.

My usage was not much compared to the young people starting directly training with PED´s as they want to be similar as the bodybuilders in the cover of magazines as fast as possible without no-one telling them that it is not worth of it. I want to be one the persons, who tells it to them as there´s so much more in life, too and also specially in lighter weight classes and other great sports like Highland Games or Grip events you can do really well - even in world class just by training long, eating right and resting enough.

Continues on page 21.

And to the ones, who do not have the patience to wait the success I can only tell, that most likely many times your success is spoiled by someone who beats you as he/ she has longer history in training and that way he/she has abilities you can not get from any injection or pill.

I know this decision to start tested competitions will has it´s effects - there will be athletes, who will stop doing these shows, but in the other hand I´m 100 % sure there´s

more athletes joining the event as the weights come down to level what you can imagine to lift. Also I´m sure that this is the right road to get lightweight/women´s classes more up in publicity and that is what this sport needs to generate more visibility in the eyes of sponsors and other co-operators, too.

It most likely opens many doors to cooperations to places, where it has not been possible before.

US competitions will vanish from the competition fields during the future years due the lack of competitors if the world has gone already so deep to dirt, that there´s no-one coming to compete...even still I will consider this as the right decision, so I don´t have to think after 20-30 yrs, that what if I would have done that decision..

It is also possible, that this is like shooting to your own foot and the

Jyrki

Train smart, Stay Healthy and Enjoy life in overall!

Aulanko Winter Challenge 2015 & Queen of the Castle™ US STRONGWOMAN SCANDINAVIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 14th, March 2015 will

Nordic team in mixed

Strongwoman Scandi-

combine promotional

events.

navian Championship

mixed competition

The day at Aulanko

in 3 weight classes:

from Highland Games

Spa birthday in

-60kg, -70kg and

& Strongman events -

Hämeenlinna will be

Open.

Aulanko Winter

highlighted with the

The happenings don´t

Challenge will again

traditional Queen of

have entry fees for

look for the best

the Castle™ - US

the audience.

WHO IS DIAMONDGIRL™ 2015?

The Diamondgirl™

men.com - please

signer Tapio

competition 2016 will

attach your sport/

Wirkkala the winner

be held at Aulanko

competition history

will get a diamond,

Spa Hotel in

along with your

which has a retail

Hämeenlinna, Fin-

other statistics and

value of 1500€.

land 31st, October

photo.

Along with other

2015.

prizes #2 will get

For Finnish competi-

The competition is

1000€ in diamonds

tors there will be

held under the new

and #3 500€ in di-

5-10 qualifications

anti-doping rules, so

amonds.

around the country

each competitor

during the first 9

must be members of

The winner will also

months of the year

World Heavy Events

achieve to promo-

and top2 from each

Association and they

tional works via the

qualifications will

do need to have valid

organizing commit-

earn their spots to

anti-doping contract.

tee.

International com-

Along with traditio-

More info about the

petitors may also

nal Champions

competition and

apply a spot to the

trophy, which is de-

events can be found

finals via email to

signed by Finland´s

here:

info@unitedstrong-

most famous de-

http://

the finals.

The next Power News - The Fittest Strength Magazine on Earth™ is coming out on May 2015 - Stay Tuned!

Join in as a member, supporter, co-operator or just order the magazine from www.worldheavyeventsassociation.com / www.uspowernews.com /www.unitedstrongmen.com in December 2015.

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