Some parts of this web site are usually not supported on your own recent browser Edition. Make sure you improve to a recent browser version.
Geoff Capes’ journey to strength athletics greatness began in humble beginnings but immediately soared to historic achievements, spanning shot place, strongman competitions, and also the Highland Game titles.
Legendary British thrower competed in three Olympics and was a family identify within the 1970s and eighties as a consequence of his exploits about the athletics and strongman circuits
His attitude to officialdom was Similarly imposing, notably when he was disqualified through the 1978 European Championships in Prague.
All at England Athletics are saddened to learn of the passing of previous shot place British file holder, Hall of Fame inductee and World Strongest Man, Geoff Capes. Commencing his journey while in the Activity being a runner, it was not till being coached by Intercontinental significant hurdler Stuart Storey that Geoff Capes had his throwing possible recognised. From aged sixteen, he commenced environment records and at age 19 he built his Intercontinental debut the place his trajectory sky rocketed from fourth spot at the Commonwealth Game titles to getting the gold just four years later in 1974.
Capes’s achievements brought him cult standing and he appeared primary time on each big tv programme from This really is Your Life as well as the Sooty Exhibit (where by Sweep dreamed of beating him at the tug of war) to Blankety Blank and Supergran (who he almost killed by using a stray toss of an unlimited tree trunk).
sixty eight meters, broke documents and established a brand new national benchmark. That file, recognized in 1980, has remarkably withstood 4 many years of competition and remains a testament to his ability and energy.
1987 Pure Strength showcased Invoice Kazmaier, Jón Páll Sigmarsson and Geoff Capes[19] and was held at Huntly Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Capes entered Even with possessing been in hospital the previous weekend with strained trapeziums. Solid performances in the very first couple rounds belied his affliction but he sooner or later pulled out during the log-lift and finished The competition in 3rd spot.
A third commented: "Unfortunate to hear of the Demise of Geoff Capes. He was a major part of my Television set childhood. Feelings click here are together with his family and friends."
The technical storage or obtain is needed to produce user profiles to send promotion, or to track the user on a web site or across a number of websites for very similar internet marketing uses.
Certainly one of nine kids, his shot-place expertise was passed right down to his family members, with daughter Emma a Youth Olympics bronze medalist.
The specialized storage or entry is necessary for the respectable purpose of storing Choices that aren't asked for from the subscriber or consumer.
In the course of his lengthy occupation, 1974 was his ideal year when he gained European indoor and Commonwealth titles and introduced himself as A very earth-course thrower.
Capes explained himself as being a troubled youth and recalled that he was consistently battling. "If the next town came down over a Friday and there have been only 8 or 9 of them, I'd say, 'Go back and obtain some extra'", he informed The Day-to-day Telegraph in 2023. "I might struggle them on my own. I was really tranquil but there was an interior aggression." Despite his organic inclination in direction of Actual physical things to do, Capes initially struggled to discover accomplishment in athletics. He confronted a 1-year ban from a local football crew immediately after putting a referee in the course of a match. He still left university at 14 to work as being a labourer, carrying sacks of potatoes and taking on different odd Positions.[six] With the age of fifteen, he loaded twenty lots of potatoes on to a lorry in underneath twenty minutes, only to display that it may be performed. By sixteen, he experienced taken about the purpose of assistant coalman and odd-career employee for just a haulier in Lincolnshire.