Geoff Capes
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Geoff Capes (born 23 August 1949 in Spalding, Lincolnshire) is a former British shot put champion, and former two-time winner of the World's Strongest Man title. A true gentleman among giants, Capes stood 6'6" and weighed 23 stones (325 lbs) at his peak condition.
He represented his country many times over 11 years, winning two Commonwealth Games and two Indoor European Championship titles, and put the shot 21.72 metres (71 ft. 3.5 in.) to gain the British and Commonwealth record. He is probably Britain's best-known shot-putter. Geoff Capes is also the most capped British male athlete of all time, receiving 67 International caps, and returning 35 wins.
A persistent story about Capes is that in 1979, he stood in for friend and fellow strongman David Prowse to play the part of Darth Vader in several scenes during filming of The Empire Strikes Back while Prowse was recovering from an elbow injury. However, during an interview on BBC Radio Cleveland on 31 January 2007, Capes was asked about this and he stated for the record that this never actually happened.
Capes turned professional in 1980 and went on to win five World Highland Games titles and other British and European contests. His positive image continued to grow with his outstanding performances in the World's Strongest Man competition. He was particularly known for his incredible hand and arm strength, easily tearing London phone books in half and bending rolled steel bars measuring over 1 inch in diameter and three feet in length into pretzel shapes.
After retiring from strength athletics in 1987, Capes continued his involvement in the sport by training young athletes and acting as a referee at strength competitions in the UK.
Capes originally worked as a roofer and then as a police constable. Capes is now a breeder of budgerigars, and has won top prizes at major shows with his budgie named Wispa. Since 1993 Geoff Capes has run his own security company Capes UK Security Services Ltd. He is also a Justice of the Peace.
[edit] World's Strongest Man results
- 1980 - 3rd
- 1981 - 2nd
- 1982 - 4th
- 1983 - 1st
- 1984 - 3rd
- 1985 - 1st
- 1986 - 2nd
[edit] Trivia
- Geoff is a former member of the Air Training Corps
- Geoff has been appointed to the Bench as a Justice of the Peace
- The actor Robert Shilton once said this about Geoff "he is a hulk of a man, he could throw a fridge to Pluto"
[edit] External links
| World's Strongest Man | ||
| Preceded by: Bill Kazmaier |
First (1983) | Succeeded by: Jón Páll Sigmarsson |
| Preceded by: Jón Páll Sigmarsson |
Second (1985) | Succeeded by: Jón Páll Sigmarsson |
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