Geoff Capes, Britain’s biggest shot putter and World’s Strongest Man winner, dies aged 75

Geoff Capes, who competed for Nice Britain within the shot put at three Olympic Video games, gained two Commonwealth titles and twice gained the World’s Strongest Man competitors, has died aged 75.

A household assertion stated: “The household of Geoffrey Capes wish to announce his unhappy passing immediately, twenty third October. Britain’s most interesting shot-putter and twice world’s strongest man.”

Capes was on the peak of his sporting prowess within the Seventies, competing within the Nice Britain workforce for 11 years, and racking up the biggest variety of athletics caps in historical past for his nation. He grew to become a family identify after his monitor and subject profession was over, starring within the massively widespread Superstars TV programme which attracted 10 million viewers at its peak after which successful the well-known World’s Strongest Man title in 1983 and 1985.

Capes was UK shot put champion on three events. He claimed gold on the 1984 Commonwealth Video games in Christchurch, when he recorded a report throw of 20.74 metres. He then defended the title 4 years later in Edmonton, Canada.

He went on to win gold on the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg and Munich in 1984 and 1986, respectively. He additionally claimed bronze within the European Championships in 1984 in Rome.

Capes represented Britain at three Olympic Video games, he was sixth at Montreal 1976 after which fifth at Moscow 1980. He achieved his private finest throw of 21.68m in 1980, which stood as a British report till 2003.

The strongman was not restricted in his pursuits by brawn and muscle as the opposite world title he held was the surprising one among breeding budgerigars. He instructed the Guardian in 2003 of his ardour for the birds.

“All of it started in 1969,” he associated, “once I was a policeman and went to ship a warrant for non-payment of a effective. As I knocked on the recipient’s door, I noticed numerous cages within the entrance room, stuffed with birds of an unimaginable array of colors. I used to be intrigued.

“I went in and had a cup of tea with the proprietor, and spent an hour speaking to him about his pastime. It was a disgrace that on the finish of it I needed to inform him I used to be arresting him.

“However after I’d taken him all the way down to the station and sorted out bail, he got here again with a present for me – three pairs of budgies. I went and acquired all the things I’d want – a shed, breeding items, an aviary – and I’ve been breeding the birds ever since.”