Laurence Shahlaei

Laurence "Loz" Shahlaei (born 25 December 1982) is an English strongman competitor, winner of England's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man, and regular competitor at the World's Strongest Man. He was the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man champion.

Laurence Shahlaei
Shahlaei in 2009
Personal information
Born (1982-12-25) 25 December 1982
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight160 kg (350 lb)
Sport
SportStrongman
Competition record
Strongman
Representing  United Kingdom
World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2008 World's Strongest Man
9th 2009 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2010 World's Strongest Man
4th 2011 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2013 World's Strongest Man
9th 2014 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2015 World's Strongest Man
10th 2016 World's Strongest Man
7th 2017 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2018 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2019 World's Strongest Man
Representing  England
Britain's Strongest Man
8th Britain's Strongest Man 2007
4th Britain's Strongest Man 2008
1st Britain's Strongest Man 2012
1st Britain's Strongest Man 2013
3rd Britain's Strongest Man 2014
3rd Britain's Strongest Man 2016
England's Strongest Man[1]
1st England's Strongest Man 2009
UK Team Champs
1st 2008 (with Rob Frampton)
Strongman Super Series
10th 2008 Sweden Grand Prix
3rd 2010 Viking Power Challenge
3rd 2010 Sweden Grand Prix
3rd 2010 Overall
Giants Live
2nd 2010 Ukraine
4th 2010 Istanbul
2nd 2011 London
1st 2012 Finland
1st 2013 Gateshead
Europe's Strongest Man
3rd 2012 Europe's Strongest Man
5th 2013 Europe's Strongest Man
1st 2016 Europe's Strongest Man
8th 2017 Europe's Strongest Man
9th 2019 Europe's Strongest Man
WSF World Strongmen Championships
2nd 2012
Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic
2nd 2011
Representing  Iran
Strongman Champions League
1st 2011: South Africa
2nd 2011: Finland
1st 2011: Holland
3rd 2011: Canada SCL Semi-finals
3rd 2011 Overall
2nd 2012 SCL Iceman Challenge III
2nd 2012 Germany FIBO
4th 2012 Serbia
2nd 2012 Holland
2nd 2012 China
3rd 2013 SCL Iceman Challenge

Early life

Shahlaei was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire,[2] the son of an Iranian father from Kermanshah and an English mother from Newcastle upon Tyne. He attended Balcarras School, and later moved to Stroud, Gloucestershire.[2]

Strongman career

Shahlaei started strongman training in 2005 and entered his first novice competition that year, where he finished 8th. Within two years, he entered his first Britain's Strongest Man ("BSM"), having won the Midlands qualifier. In that competition, he made a huge impact, making it to the final, only to tear his biceps in the tyre flip, which forced him to withdraw. He won the Midlands qualifier again in 2008, and once again made the final, this time finishing 4th behind Jimmy Marku, Terry Hollands, and Mark Felix. This placing landed him an invite to the World's Strongest Man in 2008. He did not make the final.

In 2009, four years after beginning strongman, he became the UKSC Midlands Strongest Man and also won the UKSC England's Strongest Man, citing this, alongside his WSM 2008 squat win, as the greatest moment of his career (the WSM qualifier titled "England's Strongest Man", which replaced the Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2009, was won by Terry Hollands and Shahlaei did not compete in that). His favourite strongman event is the farmer's walk because it is a good test of natural strength, whereas his least favourite strongman event is the Atlas stones. Shahlaei has said that he admires Bill Kazmaier and Vasyl Virastyuk for their intensity and belief in themselves, qualities he seeks to emulate, and that he believes the greatest strength athlete of all time is Zydrunas Savickas.

Laurence competed in World's Ultimate Strongman in Dubai at the Bab al-Shams Arena in October 2018.

Other work

Shahlaei has said that he would like to set up a sports related business in the future, but his dream is to become an actor. He had a role in The Golden Compass (2007).

On 19 August 2011, Shahlaei competed on Deal or No Deal, where he won £20,000 and lifted presenter Noel Edmonds up above his head.

In August 2012, Shahlaei opened a personal training business in Swindon, Wiltshire.[3] Laurence has since written various training programmes which he sells via his website, as well as various other merchandise labelled 'Team Loz'.

On 2 May 2020, Shahlaei was the official commentator on Hafthor Bjornsson's 501 kg successful world record deadlift attempt done in Iceland during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic.[4]

Stats

In powerlifting

In strongman

  • Squat: 320 kg 12 reps
  • Log: 190 kg
  • Axle: 205 kg
  • Deadlift: 435 kg

Personal life

Shahlaei has two daughters named Ava and Alexa, whom he once described as his greatest achievements. He and his wife, Liz, live in Swindon, Wiltshire.[5]

References

Preceded by
Jimmy Marku (in 2008)
Britain's Strongest Man
2012-2013
Succeeded by
Eddie Hall
Preceded by
Jimmy Marku
England's Strongest Man (Elite/UKSC)
2009
Succeeded by
Eddie Hall (Elite)
Dean Slater (UKSC)
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