“Geoff was an inspiration to so many of us increasing up, a man whose unbelievable achievements and character left a lasting mark over the strength Local community. His legacy will keep on to inspire the following era of strongmen and athletes throughout the world.

A spouse and children statement read through: “The family members of Geoffrey Capes wish to announce his unhappy passing now, 23rd October. Britain’s very best shot-putter and 2 times planet’s strongest gentleman.”

: “I think I'd quite possibly be the sole athlete to get so many athletics awards, and be earth champion in a few diverse sports, never to be awarded an MBE, but I'm confident it really is a result of the reality I took a stand versus Margaret Thatcher in 1980 to empower athletes to contend in Moscow, in so sacrificing my police vocation.”

His Frame of mind towards officialdom was Similarly imposing, notably when he was disqualified from the 1978 European Championships in Prague.

As well as his strongman achievements, Capes observed significant achievement while in the Highland Game titles, a standard energy Levels of competition featuring functions much like the caber toss and hammer throw. Capes won 6 Entire world Highland Video games titles during the nineteen eighties, showcasing his amazing flexibility and reinforcing his popularity as an athlete effective at excelling throughout various toughness disciplines.

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Irrespective of acquiring very little in the way of technique, and in many cases competing in bare toes occasionally mainly because he could not manage sneakers, Capes commenced throwing the shot at county stage, hitchhiking his strategy to situations.

Turning professional inevitably brought with it a better profile and meant that Capes appreciated spells in pantomime and on quite a few tv programmes. Report Breakers was a purely natural home for the man who thrived off shows of toughness.

In 2018, Geoff Capes was recognised for his excellent achievements to the Activity being an inductee to our Hall of Fame. Geoff's shot Placing legacy ongoing with his daughter Emma becoming ESAA winner and Youth Olympics bonze medallist. He has also devoted quite a lot of his time giving back again to coaches and athletes.

“I declined he wanted to arm wrestle with me but I introduced him to my pal Gary Mason who loved arm wrestling and left them to it!!”

Geoff Capes leaves guiding a legacy as The most decorated and influential power athletes in background.

He was among the list of favourites with the Olympic title in Moscow in 1980 but, possessing concluded fifth following a sixth-location finish on the Montreal Online games 4 years earlier (mostly guiding throwers from East Germany and the Soviet Union), he left his task where by he was earning £nine.50 per week being a policeman to deal with the planet of strongman.

A bona fide athletics icon, he would typically start off competitions together with his tracksuit on then just take it off while in the fourth or website fifth round when “he meant company”.

His most important at any time throw, nevertheless, came in 1980 when he threw 21.68m in Cwmbran. He went to the Moscow Olympics that calendar year aiming for your medal but a back again damage thwarted his probabilities and he wound up fifth.