The World Log Lift Championships (sometimes referred to as World Log Lift Challenge) is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, competing exclusively in the log clean and press. Created initially as part of the Strongman Champions League, it has since been part of Giants Live and the championship has been present in both series, Giants Live running one version of the championship and the World Log Lift Federation taking over the Strongman Champions League's variant of the championship.
In its inaugural year, the Strongman Champions League introduced the World Log Lift Championships. The event had been a staple of strongman competitions since the early 1980s. Beginning with the 1980 World's Strongest Man contest, where Bill Kazmaier hoisted 157 kg (346 lb) to win the event and set a world record. Over eight years Kazmaier increased the record to 170 kg (370 lb). Jamie Reeves, winner of the 1989 World's Strongest Man contest, managed 177 kg (390 lb) in 1989, and 180 kg (400 lb) at the 1992 World Mighty Man contest in Johannesburg, South Africa..
It was ten years before 2001 World's Strongest Man winner Svend Karlsen set a new record of 185 kg (408 lb) at the Strongman Super Series event in Sweden. In 2003, Hugo Girard set a new record at the Strongman Super Series event in Canada with 186 kg (410 lb). In 2004, Žydrūnas Savickas set a new record of 188 kg (414 lb), and Raimunds Bergmanis brought the record up to 190 kg (420 lb) at the Strongman Super Series event in Moscow.
Savickas began his long reign over the log lift world record starting in 2005, bringing it up to 200 kg (440 lb) in Hungary, and then again at the 2005 IFSA European Championships in Riga, Latvia with 202.5 kg (446 lb). Savickas set another new record in 2006, bringing it up to 205 kg (452 lb).
In 2008 Savickas broke the record twice more, with marks of 207.5 kg (457 lb) kg and 210 kg (460 lb). Savickas set yet another world record of 212.5 kg (468 lb) at the 2009 World Log Lift Championship.
Savickas had a banner year of world records in 2012. He set records of 215 kg (474 lb) at the 2011 SCL Finals in Sarajevo, Bosnia on 7 February 2012, 216 kg at the 2012 Europe's Strongest Man contest in Leeds, England on 23 June, and yet another world record of 217.5 kg (480 lb) at the SCL Holland event in Zevenaar, Netherlands on 30 June 2012. Savickas' final world record of 2012 was 220 kg (490 lb), set during the finals of the 2012 World's Strongest Man contest which he eventually won, marking his third WSM title, and his tenth consecutive log lift world record.
In 2013, Savickas set another world record at the 2013 Europe's Strongest Man in Leeds, England with a lift of 221 kg (487 lb). Savickas' last world record was 228 kg (503 lb), set in 2015 in Brazil, marking his sixteenth break of the world record.
The current world record is 230 kg (507 lb) set by Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou at the 2023 World Log Lift Championship, part of the Giants Live World Tour Finals in Glasgow, Scotland.
Year
|
Champion
|
Runner-Up
|
Third Place
|
Host location
|
2008
|
Žydrūnas Savickas
|
Mikhail Koklyaev
Oleksandr Lashyn
Sebastian Wenta
|
|
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
2009
|
Žydrūnas Savickas
|
Krzysztof Radzikowski
|
Vidas Blekaitis
|
Kaunas, Lithuania
|
2011
|
Žydrūnas Savickas
|
Vidas Blekaitis
|
Vytautas Lalas
Patrick Baboumian
Ervin Katona
|
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
2012
|
Žydrūnas Savickas
|
Krzysztof Radzikowski
|
Vytautas Lalas
Vidas Blekaitis
Mikhail Koklyaev
|
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
2013
|
Žydrūnas Savickas
|
Vidas Blekaitis
|
Krzysztof Radzikowski
|
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
2015 GL
|
Graham Hicks
Eddie Hall
Žydrūnas Savickas
|
|
|
Doncaster, England
|
2015 WLLF
|
Vidas Blekaitis
|
Krzysztof Radzikowski
|
Dainis Zageris
|
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
2016
|
Rob Kearney
Vidas Blekaitis
|
|
Vytautas Lalas
|
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
2017
|
Graham Hicks
|
Vidas Blekaitis
Vytautas Lalas
|
|
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
2018 GL
|
Eddie Hall Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
|
|
|
Leeds, England
|
2018 WLLF
|
Žydrūnas Savickas
|
Vidas Blekaitis
|
Dainis Zageris
|
Alytus, Lithuania
|
2019 GL
|
Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou
|
Rob Kearney
Graham Hicks
Mateusz Kieliszkowski
|
|
Leeds, England
|
2019 WLLF
|
Rongo Keene
|
Vidas Blekaitis
František Piros
Jared Leask
|
|
Panevežys, Lithuania
|
2021
|
Luke Stoltman
Graham Hicks
|
|
Oleksii Novikov
|
Leeds, England
|
2022 GL
|
Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou Luke Stoltman
|
|
Bobby Thompson
|
Leeds, England
|
2022 WLLF
|
Didzis Zariņš
|
Jack Osborn Dennis Kohlruss Jacob Finerty
|
|
Ipswich, England
|
2023
|
Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou
|
Tom Stoltman
|
Tyler Cotton Mitchell Hooper Pavlo Kordiyaka Luke Stoltman
|
Glasgow, Scotland
|
Multiple time champions
[edit]
Champion
|
Country
|
Times
|
Years
|
Žydrūnas Savickas |
Lithuania |
7 |
2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 GL, 2018 WLLF
|
Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou |
Burkina Faso |
4 |
2018 GL, 2019 GL, 2022 GL, 2023
|
Graham Hicks |
England |
3 |
2015 GL, 2017, 2021
|
Vidas Blekaitis |
Lithuania |
2 |
2015 WLLF, 2016
|
Eddie Hall |
England |
2 |
2015 GL, 2018 GL
|
Luke Stoltman |
Scotland |
2 |
2021, 2022 GL
|
At the Championships
[edit]
Continental records
[edit]
1 Cheick Sanou, who is a Canadian citizen, has the heaviest lift for this region at 230 kg (510 lb), but is not listed as he has declared for Burkina Faso.
NOTE: When competitors finish on the same weight, the results are sorted by the competitors' body weights with the lightest being given a higher position.
Zydrunas Savickas entered the 2008 Log Lift World Championships as the clear favorite, and intended to set a new record with 212.5 kg (468 lb).[1] Savickas' competitors included Mikhail Koklyaev, Ervin Katona, Sebastian Wenta, Oleksandr Lashyn, Tobias Ide, Agris Kazelniks, Oleksandr Pekanaov, Krzysztof Radzikowski and Saulius Brusokas.[1]
The competition, held in Lithuania, saw each lift judged by three officials similar to Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting. The referees were Strongman Champions League founders Ilkka Kinnunen, Marcel Mostert and Latvian weighlifter Viktors Ščerbatihs, who had won the bronze medal in the +105 kg (231 lb) superheavyweight class at the recent Beijing Olympics. One of the strongest contenders, Oleksandr Pekanov, who had a personal best of 190 kg (420 lb) missed his opener of 180 kg (400 lb) three times. However, a number of other athletes came away with personal records, and two National Records were set. Zydrunas Savickas missed his world record attempt of 212.5 kg (468 lb), but won the championships with his lift of 200 kg (440 lb).[2]
The championships took place in Kaunas, Lithuania on 21 November 2009.
The Log Lift Championships were not held in 2010, and was moved up to February 2011 to kick off the 2011 season of SCL.[5]
The 2011 World Log Lift Championships were held in Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania on 12 February 2011 to kick off the 2011 SCL season.[5] Key competitors were reigning champion Zydrunas Savickas, Vidas Blekaitis and Vytautas Lalas who finished in the top 3 places respectively, with Zavickas winning his 3rd straight log lift title. There were 12 athletes in total, 3 athletes failed their opening weight on all 3 attempts.[6]
The event was broadcast live on Eurosport.[7]
The 2012 World Log Lift Championships were held in Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania on Sunday 7 October 2012.[8]
The 2013 World Log Lift Championships were held in Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania on Saturday 19 October 2013. Savickas set a new world record with a lift of 222.5 kg (491 lb).[9]
The 2015 World Log Lift Championships were held at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, England on 14 February 2015. Savickas attempted to set a new world record with a lift of 228 kg (503 lb) but narrowly failed.[10]
The 2016 World Log Lift Championships were held at the SCL Lithuania event in Vilnius. [11]
The 2017 World Log Lift Championships were held at the SCL Lithuania event in Vilnius. [12]
The 2018 World Log Lift Championships were held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man. Two strongmen attempted to set a new world record with a lift of | 230 kg (510 lb) but both failed.
In 2019, there were two World Log Lift Championships, the first of which was held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, again, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man. Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou attempted to set a new world record with a lift of 229 kg (505 lb) but narrowly failed.[13] The second championship was run by the World Log Lift Federation in Lithuania
Results (Giants Live)
[edit]
Records (Giants Live)
[edit]
Results (World Log Lift Federation)
[edit]
Records (World Log Lift Federation)
[edit]
The 2021 World Log Lift Championships were held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man.[14]
The 2022 World Log Lift Championships were held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man.
The 2023 World Log Lift Championships were held at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, as the opening event for the Giants Live World Tour Finals.