Vytautas Lalas
Vytautas Lalas (born 21 July 1982) is a Lithuanian professional strongman.[1] He is most notable for being the winner of the 2013 Arnold Strongman Classic and the runner-up at the 2012 World's Strongest Man.
Several strength analysts and historians regard Lalas as the best athlete to have never won World's Strongest Man title.
Strongman
2007–2011
Lalas started his career with Lithuania's Strongest Man competition in 2007 and emerged third by 2009. In his first international strongman competition, he won 2010 Giants Live Poland competition.[2] This victory qualified Lalas for the 2010 World's Strongest Man competition in Sun City, South Africa, but he was unable to qualify for the finals, emerging third in his group.
Lalas placed third in the 2011 Giants Live London, qualifying for the 2011 World's Strongest Man competition later that year in Wingate, North Carolina. He made the finals for the first time and finished in 6th place. He alspo won 2011 Strongman Champions League Finland, and placed second at the 2011 SCL Bulgaria.[3]
2012
Lalas won second place at the 2012 Europe's Strongest Man competition which qualified him for the 2012 World's Strongest Man later in the year where he eventually emerged runner-up to fellow Lithuanian Žydrūnas Savickas.[1] He was leading the competition coming in to the final event power stairs, where his relatively short stature cost him the title. However, he set a new world record in the giant barbell squat event in the qualifying heats by squatting 317.5 kg (700 lb) for 11 repetitions.[4] He also placed second in 2012 Lithuania's Strongest Man and third at the inaugural 2012 SCL Savickas Classic and third at the 2012 World Log Lift Championships in Vilnius.[5]
2013
In 2013, Lalas accomplished the pinnacle victory of his career by winning the 2013 Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, Ohio which is widely considered the heaviest and most difficult strongman competition in the world.[6] He pressed the 202 kg (445 lb) Austrian Oak, loaded a 244 kg (538 lb) Manhood Stone, pulled 507 kg (1,118 lb) on the elevated Hummer tyre deadlift, pressed a 120 kg (265 lb) giant circus dumbbell for 5 repetitions and became the sixth man to win the prestigious title. Lalas also won the 2013 SCL FIBO in Cologne, Germany,[7] 2013 Giants Live Poland, and emerged runner-up in 2013 SCL Czech Republic and 2013 Europe's Strongest Man competitions. He also was third place in 2013 SCL Portugal. At 2013 World's Strongest Man, he placed sixth.
2014–2016
Owing to the 640 kg (1,411 lb) bale tote (yoke) event of the 2014 Arnold Strongman Classic, Lalas suffered a back injury[1] and dropped to fourth place and owing to the same injury dropped to ninth place at 2014 Europe's Strongest Man. In his return after a hiatus due to recovery in 2015, he emerged third in the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic and won 2016 Arnold Asia and 2016 Lithuania's Strongest Man competitions, but his back injuries started to resurface.
2017–2018
Starting his 2017, he won 2017 SCL World Overhead Lift Championships, 2017 Ultimate Strongman - Viking Apocalypse, and emerged third at 2017 Festival des Hommes Forts de Warwick while sharing the world record in the Cyr junior dumbell press with Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and Matjaž Belšak. The back injuries unfortunately persisted[1] but he managed to win 2018 Lithuania's Strongest Man becoming a two time champion and placed fifth at 2018 Giants Live World Tour Finals. 2018 Burn Showdown (Battle of the North) was his final competition.
Personal records
- Elephant bar Deadlift (Raw with straps) – 420 kg (926 lb) (2017 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Deadlift (for reps) – 370 kg (816 lb) for 3 reps
- Hummer tyre deadlift (15 in off the floor) – 507 kg (1,118 lb) (2013 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Squat – 380 kg (838 lb) for 2 reps (Raw)
- Squat – 320 kg (705 lb) for 11 reps (former world record)
- Log press – 205 kg (452 lb) (2012 Europe's Strongest Man)
- Log press/ Austrian Oak (for reps) – 200 kg (441 lb) for 2 reps (2014 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Axle press – 195 kg (430 lb)
- Cyr dumbbell – 124 kg (273 lb) for 5 reps (2016 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Cyr (Junior) dumbbell – 102 kg (225 lb) for 9 reps (2017 Festival des Hommes Forts de Warwick) (joint world record)[8]
- Manhood Stone (Max Atlas Stone) – 244 kg (538 lb) over 4 ft bar (2013 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Bale tote/ Super yoke – 700 kg (1,543 lb) for 4m in 24.22 seconds (2016 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Farmer's walk (no straps) – 160 kg (353 lb) per each hand for 30m course in 10.67 seconds (2012 Arnold Europe) (World Record)[9]
- Medley – 150 kg (331 lb) per hand farmers walk for 15m course into 250 kg (551 lb) sled drag for 15m course in 29.41 seconds (2013 Giants Live Poland) (World Record)[10]
Personal life
Lalas has two brothers who also compete in strongman. Marius, who won Lithuania's Strongest Man in 2019, and Mantas, who placed 3rd in the same contest.
Vytautas has a wife named Simone, and is based in Dublin, Ireland, where he runs a gym. [11]
Competitive record
Winning percentage: 26.66%
Podium percentage: 60.00%
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Podium | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International competitions | 8 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 30 |
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-2013 | World's Strongest Man | Himself – Competitor |
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Vytautas Lalas". Strongman.org. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ Strossen, Randall J. (9 August 2010). "Vitautas Lalas Wins Giant Live - Poland, Qualifies for World's Strongest Man". IronMind. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ Strossen, Randall J. (11 June 2011). "Vitautas Lalas Wins SCL-Finland". IronMind. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ Strossen, Randall J. (26 September 2012). "World's Strongest Man: Another World Record Today". IronMind. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ Strossen, Randall J. (8 October 2012). "Zydrunas Savickas Double Victory in Lithuania". IronMind. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ "Which Event Really Finds The World's Top Strongman?". Christo Bland for Barbend.com. 6 February 2017. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "Results and Rankings 2013". Strongman Champions League. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 04 - One-arm Overhead presses". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 10 - Arm carries". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 16 - Medleys". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ "Vytautas Lalas". www.roguefitness.com. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
Arnold Strongman Classic champions | |
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