Jouko Ahola

Last updated
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola 2007.JPG
Jouko Ahola in 2007
Born (1970-12-01) 1 December 1970 (age 54)
Hämeenlinna, Finland
Occupation(s) Strongman, powerlifter, actor
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) [1]
Title2× World's Strongest Man
2× Europe's Strongest Man
Finland's Strongest Man
Website Official website
Competition record
Strongman
Representing Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
World's Strongest Man
1st 1997 World's Strongest Man
2nd 1998 World's Strongest Man
1st 1999 World's Strongest Man
World Muscle Power Championships
1st1998
IFSA
1st1998 Finland Grand Prix
1st1999 Germany Grand Prix
1st1999 Finland Grand Prix
2nd1999 Czech Grand Prix
2nd1999 Holland Grand Prix
2nd1999 Hungary Grand Prix
World's Strongest Viking
4th1996
World Strongman Challenge
1st1995
1st1999
Strongest Man Alive
1st1998
1st1999
Europe's Strongest Man
4th1996
1st1998
1st1999
European Hercules
1st1995
1st1996
2nd1997
Atlantic Giants
1st1999
World's Strongest Team
1st1997 w/Riku Kiri
2nd1998 w/Sami Heinonen
1st1999 w/Janne Virtanen
Finland's Strongest Man
2nd1996
1st1997
Powerlifting
Representing Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
IPF Junior World Championships [2]
5th1993125kg

Jouko Ahola (born 1 December 1970) is a Finnish former strongman, powerlifter and actor. He is a two times World's Strongest Man winner, a two times Europe's Strongest Man winner, and a World Muscle Power Classic winner.

Contents

With a career 50% international winning percentage with 11 wins, he is also regarded as one of the best pound for pound strongmen in history.

Strongman

1994–1996

Ahola started his career with the 1994 European Hercules competition. The following year he won 1995 World Strongman Challenge in Russia and then 1995 Europe's Strongest Man. He then won 1996 European Hercules and broke two stonelifting world records and another world record in the car walk event, walking a 444 kg (979 lb) car for 27.6 metres. [3]

1997

Ahola started the year by winning 1997 Finland's Strongest Man and placing second in the 1997 European Hercules. He then participated in his first World's Strongest Man competition and won 1997 World's Strongest Man held in Nevada, winning it in his very first appearance. Together with Riku Kiri, Ahola also won the World's Strongest Team competition. [4]

1998

The following year he emerged runner-up to Magnus Samuelsson in 1998 World's Strongest Man but won both 1998 World Muscle Power Classic and 1998 IFSA Helsinki Grand Prix. At the Finnish highland games expo, he broke László Fekete's Atlas Stone (for max) world record by loading a 215 kg (474 lb) stone on top a 3 ft 8 in whiskey barrel. He also established another world record in the Hercules hold event, holding 197 kg (434 lb) in each hand for 45.70 seconds. [3]

1999

The next year, he won 1999 World's Strongest Man [4] becoming a two times champion. To this day, he is one of only ten men to be a repeat champion. He also managed to win 1999 IFSA Finland Grand Prix, 1999 Atlantic Giant, 1999 Beauty and the Beast, and together with Janne Virtanen, won World's Strongest Team again. [4]

His last competition was 2002 IFSA China Grand Prix.

Personal Records

Powerlifting

Strongman

Acting career

After his strongman career, Ahola has directed his focus towards films. So far, his most notable roles have been in Kingdom of Heaven , Bad Day to Go Fishing , War of the Dead and Invincible . [8]

Ahola starred in Werner Herzog's 2001 film Invincible as early 20th century Jewish strongman Zishe Breitbart. [8] Jouko played a former world wrestling champion in Alvaro Brechner's 2009 film Bad day to go fishing , (Mal día para pescar). The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival.

Jouko appeared in the music video for Robin's "Faija skitsoo" in 2012. [9] He also made a cameo appearance on the second season of The Dudesons TV series, which aired worldwide in 2008.

Jouko also serves as a judge and event organizer for the World's Strongest Man contest. [10]

In 2013 he appears in the new History Channel series Vikings . [11]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001 Invincible Zishe Breitbart
2005 Kingdom of Heaven Odo
20067 miljonärerJerry
2009 Bad Day to Go Fishing Jacob van Oppen
2011 War of the Dead Captain Niemi
2012Basement PerspectiveShort
2013 Vikings Kauko3 episodes
2013Ella ja kaverit 2 - PaterockPaten turvamies
2015WendyeffektenYeton
2018Veljeni vartijaOululainen portsari #3

Miscellaneous

References

  1. ↑ HITstrongman (2012-01-11). "1997 World's Strongest Man". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-08-18.[ dead YouTube link ]
  2. ↑ "Ahola Jouko - powerlifting and bench press performances, records, bio, photo, video". En.allpowerlifting.com. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jouko Ahola's Official Home Page". Dlc.fi. Archived from the original on 2014-06-05. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  4. 1 2 3 "David Horne's World of Grip". Davidhorne-gripmaster.com. 2014-03-30. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  5. 1 2 3 Sami Koskinen. "Powerbuilding WSM - Workout with Jouko Ahola". Samson-power.com. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  6. ↑ "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 08 - Stonelifting (Irregular stones)". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  7. 1 2 "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 15 - Static holds". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Jouko Ahola".
  9. ↑ "Tässä on teinipoppari Robinin uusi musavideo". Findance. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  10. ↑ "Jouko's Back!". Ironmind.com. 2005-05-02. Archived from the original on 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  11. ↑ "Jouko Ahola vaihtoi työkalut järeään sotakirveeseen | Hämeen Sanomat" (in Finnish). Hameensanomat.fi. Archived from the original on 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
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