The Latvian Log-Lifting Championship took place in Strenči!

Dainis Zāģeris sets a new Latvian log-lifting record

The Latvian Log-Lifting Championship took place in Strenči, where strongman Dainis Zāģeris set a new Latvian record in this discipline. By lifting a 191-kilogram log, he managed to surpass the previous record (190 kg), which had belonged to Raimonds Bergmanis since 2005.

The Latvian Log-Lifting Championship has been held in Latvia for the second year, and thirteen athletes took part this year, including Dainis Zāģeris, who is currently actively competing in Strongman Champions League events around the world; Oskars Martužans, the winner of the 2014 Latvian Strongman Championship; as well as Aivars Šmaukstelis, Edgars Andersons, Ivars Grahoļskis, Artis Plivda, Māris Rozentāls, Didzis Zariņš, Jānis Ilgavižs, Jānis Šleckus, Igors Podčeredņičenko, Magnuss Vucāns, and strongman competition organiser and strongman Agris Kazeļņiks.

Strongman Dainis Zāģeris won the overall log-lifting victory by setting a new Latvian record. Ivars Grahoļskis achieved the second-best result in this event by lifting 180 kg, while strongman Oskars Martužans of Ugāle finished third with a result of 170 kg.

To provide the spectators with a real show, the strongmen also performed other events. Māris Rozentāls, a strongman and coach from Kuldīga, took part in the out-of-competition crucifix hold with arms extended and set another Latvian record, with a result of 1:08.99. Artis Plivda took the awarded second place with 1 minute and 6 seconds, while Aivars Šmaukstelis came third with 55.09 seconds.

For the first time, one of the events in the strongmen’s competition was holding a car on an incline. Artis Plivda found the contest with the Škoda car the easiest; he held it for the longest time—one minute and 48 seconds. Jānis Šleckus had the second-best result (1:22.49), while Jānis Ilgavižs came third (1:16.92).

In the farmer’s walk, in which the competitors had to cover 15 metres while holding a 175-kilogram weight in each hand, the Kuldīga trio—Māris Rozentāls’s trainees—triumphed. Edgars Andersons took first place (8.36 seconds), Oskars Martužans second (9.26 seconds), and Jānis Šleckus an honourable third place (10.03 seconds).

Igors Podčeredņičenko proved the strongest in log chopping, splitting the log into four pieces in one second and 31 hundredths of a second. Māris Rozentāls achieved the second-best result (2.11 seconds), while Ivars Grahoļskis finished third, completing it in 4.20 seconds.

This was the first strongman competition of the 2015 season, and the “2015 Latvian Strongman Championship” will begin next month. The first stage—team competitions—is scheduled for 6 June in Preiļi and 7 June in Daugavpils.  

The general sponsor of the 2015 strongman season, the company “Autotehnica” -  repairs trucks and their trailers, forestry machinery, tractors and other agricultural machinery, construction equipment, agricultural machinery, and buses. The Latvian Log-Lifting Championship is supported by “Latvijas Gāze”, “Arčers”, “Škoda”, “XL Energy Drink”, “B&B Tools”, “Fiskars”, and the meat-processing company “Nākotne”.  

Information prepared by:

Elīna Gārbena

Public Relations and Marketing Project Manager at SIA “Stipriem Events & Media”

E-mail: elina@stipriem.lv