Geoff Capes, the British shot put record holder and two-time World’s Strongest Man, has passed away at the age of 75.
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“The family of Geoffrey Capes would like to announce his sad passing today, 23rd October,” his family told the BBC. “Britain’s finest shot putter and twice world’s strongest man,” they added.
The cause of death has not been revealed.
As the seventh of nine children from Holbeach, Lincolnshire, Capes represented Great Britain in the shot put event at three Olympic Games between 1972 and 1980.
Capes achieved his best finish in his final competition at the 1980 games in Moscow, having navigated Britain’s call for a boycott. In his quest for a medal, he made the difficult decision to resign from his decade-long position on the police force.
During the competition, Capes achieved a throw of 21.68 meters. Although this distance secured him fifth place at the Games, it established a British record that still stands today.
Following his retirement from Olympic competition, Capes captured the World’s Strongest Man title twice—first in 1983 and again two years later in 1985. Capes was also a six-time champion at the World Highland Games
After retiring from competition, he transitioned to coaching, where he mentored numerous aspiring athletes. Additionally, he made appearances on two reality television shows.
Capes, who stood 6’5 and weighed around 375 pounds at his peak, was also renowned for his affection for budgerigars, commonly known as parakeets. In 2008, he even held the position of president of the Budgerigar Society for a year.
Generations of Fans Pay Tribute to Geoff Capes
Of course, in the wake of his passing, generations of admirers paid tribute to Capes.
Eddie Hall, the 2017 winner of the World’s Strongest Man competition, honored Capes by calling him a “true legend of strength.”
“Not only was Geoff a two-time World’s Strongest Man and a record-breaking shot putter, but he was also a giant in heart and spirit,” Hall said, per the BBC.
“He paved the way for athletes like me, showing that British grit and determination could conquer the world,” he added.
Saddened to hear of the passing of Big Geoff Capes. In later years he'd ref strongman at my local gym… RIP Geoff…
— UKADS (@ukads3) October 23, 2024
Here he looks over a VW Polo pic.twitter.com/YO0Wukbjsb
World Athletics president Lord Coe also paid tribute to Capes following news of his death.
“Geoff’s passing is a sad moment for so many of us in both British and global athletics. He was a huge figure in British athletics and brought the crowds back to our sport. Fiercely independent, competitive, but always protective of the teams that he captained with distinction,” Coe said.