Laurence Shahlaei

Last updated

Laurence Shahlaei
Laurence Shahlaei.JPG
Shahlaei in 2009
Personal information
NicknameBig Loz / Uncle Loz
Born (1982-12-25) 25 December 1982 (age 41)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight145–160 kg (320–353 lb)
Sport
Sport Strongman
Medal record
Strongman
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom and Flag of England.svg England
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
Arnold Strongman Classic
7th2012 Arnold Strongman Classic
World's Ultimate Strongman
5th 2018 World's Ultimate Strongman
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
Giants Live
2nd2010 Ukraine
4th2010 Istanbul
2nd2011 London
1st2012 Finland
1st2018 North American Open
7th2021 Strongman Classic
WSF World Strongmen Championships
2nd2012
Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic
2nd2011
Strongman Super Series
10th2008 Sweden Grand Prix
3rd2010 Viking Power Challenge
3rd2010 Sweden Grand Prix
3rd2010 Overall
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
1st England's Strongest Man 2009
Representing Flag of Iran.svg  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

Laurence Cristiaan David Shahlaei (born 25 December 1982) is an English YouTuber, strength sports commentator, analyst, coach, and a retired strongman and powerlifting competitor. He is most noted for winning 2016 Europe's Strongest Man competition.

Contents

He has made the finals of the World's Strongest Man competition 5 times, winning fourth place in 2011. [1] He also won fifth place at the 2018 World's Ultimate Strongman, [2] and seventh place at the 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic. [3] He is also the winner of England's Strongest Man (2009) and Britain's Strongest Man (2012, 2013) at the national circuit.

Early life

Shahlaei was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. [4] His father is Iranian from Kermanshah and his mother is English from Newcastle upon Tyne. He attended Balcarras School, and later moved to Stroud, Gloucestershire [4] where he developed his passion towards strength sports.

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 (Shahlaei did not compete in the WSM qualifier titled "England's Strongest Man", which replaced the Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2009 and was won by Terry Hollands). His favourite strongman events are the Squat for reps, Farmer's walk, and Super Yoke, while his least favourite is the Atlas stones. [5]

In his career spanning across 15 years, Shahlaei has competed in 55 international competitions and won 8 of them [6] including his best win, the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man. He also managed to win the 4th place at the 2011 World's Strongest Man while securing 7th, 9th, 9th and 10th places in 2017, 2009, 2014 and 2016. Laurence also competed in the inaugural World's Ultimate Strongman competition in Dubai at the Bab al-Shams Arena in October 2018. He placed 5th in a stacked field of 12. [7] He also placed 7th in the 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic, widely considered the heaviest and most difficult strongman competition in the world. [8] His final competition was the 2021 Giants Live Strongman Classic where he won 7th place.

Other work

Shahlaei had an acting role in film The Golden Compass (2007). [9] 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. Shahlaei has since written various training programs which he sells via his website, as well as various other merchandise labeled 'Team Loz'.

Since retiring from competition, Shahlaei has become a popular strongman analyst and commentator. Alongside his wife Elizabeth, they maintain a YouTube channel taitled Big Loz Official [10] sponsored by Cerberus Strength. Since 2016, the channel has covered many strongman-related topics including training, event coverage, athletes and competition analysis, strongman history, trivia, predictions, new developments and live Q&A sessions with strongman fans, and has released more than 1,500 videos.

On 2 May 2020, Shahlaei was the official commentator of Hafþór Björnsson's 501 kg world record deadlift done in World's Ultimate Strongman Feats of Strength series during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. He was also an official commentator at the 2022 Rogue Invitational [11] and 2024 Shaw Classic.

Shahlaei also runs a coaching business, with a number of his clients competing in major strongman competitions. In 2023, he coached Mitchell Hooper to both the Arnold Strongman Classic and World's Strongest Man titles, [12] and also trains 2018 World's Strongest Woman (WSW) champion Andrea Thompson and 2022 America's Strongest Man (ASM) champion Bobby Thompson among a few others.

Personal life

Shahlaei and his wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Mason, live in Swindon, Wiltshire. [13]

They have 3 children [14] daughters Ava, Alexa and son Lewis, whom Shahlaei described as his greatest achievements.

Personal records

Powerlifting

Strongman

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References

  1. "Strongman Archives - 2011 WSM Final". strongmanarchives.com. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  2. "Strongman Archives - 2018 WUS Dubai". strongmanarchives.com. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  3. "Strongman Archives - 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic". strongmanarchives.com. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Shahlaei is England's strongest in www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk". Archived from the original on 16 July 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
  5. "Burnley company reveals deal with Britain's strongest man". Lancashire Telegraph. 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  6. "Laurence Shahlaei". strongmanarchives.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  7. "2018 WUS Dubai". strongmanarchives.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  8. "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.
  9. "'I am iron man' says weight lifter". Stroud News and Journal. 9 June 2007. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  10. "Big Loz Official - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  11. Blechman, Phil (29 October 2022). "2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman Results". BarBend. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  12. Lockridge, Roger (25 April 2023). "Laurence "Big Loz" Shahlaei Recaps 2023 World's Strongest Man Finals, Reacts to Coaching Client Mitchell Hooper's Win". Breaking Muscle. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  13. Profile on archive.org's copy of Official WSM site
  14. "BIG LOZ". mirafit.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  15. GPC-GB (9 April 2022). "2011 Laurence Shahlaei (M)". Openpowerlifting.org. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  16. "Strongman Laurence Shahlaei Breaks Dinnie Stones Carry World Record Of 22 Feet, 4 Inches". Roger Lockridge for Barbend. 7 August 2023. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  17. "Martins Licis Sets World Record in Thor's Hammer Lift - The record going into the event was owned by Hafthor Bjornsson". Roger Lockridge and Phil Blechman for Barbend. 1 August 2023. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
Preceded by Europe's Strongest Man
2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Jimmy Marku (2008)
Britain's Strongest Man
2012–2013
Succeeded by
Preceded by England's Strongest Man (Elite/UKSC)
2009
Succeeded by
Eddie Hall (Elite)
Dean Slater (UKSC)