Žydrūnas Savickas

Career Savickas became interested in strength sports after watching a Lithuanian regional strongman contest on TV in 1989. Three years later, aged 17, he took part in that same contest in 1992 and defeated several older and more experienced competitors, which prompted him to train powerlifting.

1995–1997 After 3 years of training equipped powerlifting, Savickas participated in 1995 Lithuanian national powerlifting championships in the +125 kg weight class and won. In 1996 Lithuanian national powerlifting championships he broke Lithuanian junior national records in squat, bench press, deadlift and total.

At 1997 IPF World Juniors Powerlifting Championships, Savickas totaled in single ply equipment with a squat, bench press and a deadlift.

1998–2000 In 1998, Savickas won his first Lithuania's Strongest Man contest. Savickas then competed at the 1998 and 2000 World's Strongest Man contests but failed to qualify for the finals on both occasions.

Savickas won the silver medal in the 2000 IPF World powerlifting championships in Japan under the super heavyweight category with a total of in single ply equipment, Savickas squatted , bench pressed and deadlifted at a bodyweight of .

2001–2002 In 2001, a contest in the Faroe Islands dealt Savickas a major setback, as he tore both patellar tendons during the Conan's Wheel event. Many believed that the extent of the injury meant that his career was over. In September 2005, he broke three world records and won the IFSA Strongman World Championships in Quebec, Canada. In December 2005, Savickas won the IFSA World Team Championships with Team Europe.

On October 24, 2005, Savickas represented Lithuania in a team competition with Vidas Blekaitis, Saulius Brusokas, and Vilius Petrauskas. Team Lithuania placed 5th overall at the IFSA World's Strongest Nation contest in Ukraine.

In 2005 Lithuanian national powerlifting championships, Savickas squatted a career best in single ply equipment.

In 2006 he won IFSA Dubai Grand Prix, IFSA World St.rongman Challenge, IFSA Holland Grand Prix, IFSA Latvia World Cup, United Strongman Series Lithuania and the IFSA World Championships for the 2nd time in 2006 in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Savickas won 5 out of the 7 total contests during the inaugural 2008 Strongman Champions League season and won the 2008 overall title 58 points ahead of second-place finisher Ervin Katona.

2009–2010 In June 2009, Savickas won Fortissimus after finishing runner-up in 2008 behind Derek Poundstone. On October 3, 2009, Savickas won the 2009 World's Strongest Man competition ahead of defending champion and five-time winner Mariusz Pudzianowski. He had not competed at WSM since 2004.

On the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy on April 1, 2010, Savickas set a record of 70 meters (229 ft 7 in) for the longest distance carrying a 300 kg yoke. The record was part of the Italian TV series Lo Show dei Record. In June 2010, Savickas won the Europe's Strongest Man competition.

In September 2010, Savickas and Brian Shaw tied for points at the 2010 World's Strongest Man competition, but Savickas won the championship on countback. He also set a new world record for the Giant Wooden Log Lift by lifting .

Savickas won five Strongman Champions League events during the 2011/2012 season, in Finland in March 2011, Germany on April 16, 2011, the SCL Semi-finals in Canada in October 2011, Latvia in November 2011 and the SCL Finals in Sarajevo, Bosnia on February 7, 2012. Ervin Katona won the overall championships, with Savickas as the runner-up. During the SCL Finals in Sarajevo, Savickas set a new world record in the Log Lift with .

In September 2011, Savickas lost his WSM crown to Brian Shaw at the 2011 World's Strongest Man contest at Wingate University, North Carolina, coming in second place for the fourth time.

2012 Savickas won the 2012 Europe's Strongest Man contest on June 23, 2012, his second ESM title after winning in 2010. Savickas also set a new world record in the Log Lift with a lift of . This was his 8th consecutive Log Lift world record. During the SCL Holland event, Savickas set another world record in the Log Lift with a lift of . This was Savickas' third Log Lift world record in 2012 and 9th consecutive Log Lift world record.

On October 1, 2012, Savickas regained the WSM crown by winning the 2012 World's Strongest Man contest in Los Angeles, California. This was Savickas' third WSM title, and became the fifth competitor in WSM history to win three or more WSM titles. Savickas also set a new Log Lift world record in the finals with a lift of 220 kg (484 lb).

On October 7, 2012, Savickas won the 2012 World Log Lift Championships which was held at the same venue as the SCL Savickas Classic event. This was his fourth consecutive World Log Lift Championships title.

2013 Savickas won his inaugural 2013 contest, the Strongman Champions League Holland event held in Kalkar, Germany on June 22, 2013. Savickas also attempted a new Log Lift world record of , but failed to lockout the weight overhead.

On June 29, 2013, Savickas won his third Europe's Strongest Man title. He also set a new Log Lift world record with a lift of .

2015 Savickas secured second place behind Brian Shaw at the 2015 Arnold Strongman Classic, despite being hindered by back and hamstring injuries. He again set a world record in the Austrian Oak event, lifting for four repetitions. However, during the Bale Tote event, he sustained nerve damage to his neck; an injury that would trouble him for years following.

Later that year, at the 2015 World's Strongest Man competition, Savickas again finished as the runner-up to Shaw, once more competing through back and hamstring injuries. He claimed victory at the 2015 World Log Lift Championship.

At 2015 Força Bruta competition held in Rio de Janeiro, Savickas broke the log press world record with .

2016 Savickas again won the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic, a record 8th time. He then emerged runner-up to Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson at the 2016 Arnold Australia and 2016 Arnold South America.

Savickas dropped from 2016 World's Strongest Man competition because of lingering back, neck, and hamstring injuries.

2017 In 2017, Savickas returned to the World's Strongest Man. While he made the finals, he was hampered by past injuries and finished in 9th place. This was the first time he placed lower than 2nd at WSM since the year 2000.

He also won 2017 Giants Live World Tour Finals and 2017 Burn Showdown.

2018 Savickas placed 4th in the 2018 Europe's Strongest Man, and 10th in the 2018, and his last World's Strongest Man finals. Savickas had to withdraw after the overhead press due to injuries to his biceps and Achilles.

In October, Savickas competed in the inaugural World's Ultimate Strongman which contained one of the most stacked lineups of all-time and ended up in tenth place out of twelve.

2019–2022 After winning 2020 Lithuania's Strongest Man and Pasaulio Taurė, he emerged twelfth at the 2021 Shaw Classic. After placing tenth at 2022 Shaw Classic and eleventh at 2022 Arnold UK, Savickas retired from open competitions and switched to masters divisions.

Personal records Powerlifting Done in official powerlifting competitions under IPF rules (single-ply equipment). Squat – (2005 Lithuanian National Championships) (Lithuanian record) Bench press – (2004 Lithuanian National Championships) → Savickas has broken this world record a total of 16 times ever since he did it first with in 2004.small|This includes 14 times with the standard log and once each with the WSM giant log at Apollon's Axle press – (2010 Giants Live Istanbul) (former world record) → Savickas has set this world record 6 times; achieving it 4 times individually and sharing the record twice. Apollon's Axle press (for reps) – × 2 reps (2010 Arnold Strongman Classic) (World Record) Apollon's Wheels press (for reps) – × 8 continental cleans and presses (2006 Arnold Strongman Classic) (joint-world record) Deadlift (stiff bar, raw with straps) – (2012 Europe's Strongest Man) Deadlift for reps (deadlift bar, with briefs and straps) – x 2 reps (2017 World Deadlift Championships) IronMind s-cubed bar Deadlift (at 1-inch deficit, raw with straps) – (2011 World's Strongest Man) (former strongman record) Rogue Elephant bar Deadlift (raw with straps) – (2016 Arnold Strongman Classic) Hummer Tire Deadlift (15 inches from the floor) – (2014 Arnold Strongman Classic) (former world record) Cart wheel Deadlift (for reps) (18 inches from the floor) – for 14 reps (2008 Fortissimus) Bavarian Stonelift – for 85 cm (2012 SCL FIBO) Manhood Stone (Max Atlas Stone) – over 4 ft bar (2011 Arnold Strongman Classic) Keg Toss – over (2004 IFSA Grand Prix Cekol Cup), and over (2001 Beauty and the Beast) Keg Toss – 8 kegs over 4.80 m bar in 15.71 seconds (2013 Europe's Strongest Man) (World Record) Weight over bar – over (2013 SCL Russia) Medicine ball toss – for (2004 Arnold Strongman Classic) (joint-world record) Front hold – for 82.11 seconds (2012 SCL Martinique) (World Record) Fingal's Fingers – 5 fingers in 37.56 seconds (2004 World Muscle Power Classic) (World Record) Fingal's Fingers – 5 fingers in 28.69 seconds (2009 World's Strongest Man) (World Record) Power Stairs (3 x 225 kg (496 lb) Duck walks / total of 15 steps) – 31.60 seconds (2014 Guinness World Records, Italy) (former world record), and 33.97 seconds (2015 World's Strongest Man) Power Stairs (204 kg (450 lb), 227 kg (500 lb) & 238 kg (525 lb) Duck walks / total of 15 steps) – 42.07 seconds (2009 Fortissimus) (World Record) Tyre flip – x 8 flips in 24.24 seconds (2015 Strongman Champions League Holland) (World Record) Super Yoke – for 4 meters in 3.87 seconds (2014 Arnold Strongman Classic) (World Record) Truck pull – for 30-meter course 'uphill' in 43.97 seconds (2002 World's Strongest Man) (World Record) for 3 reps; for 5 reps Raw with knee wraps Bench press Raw – Bench press Raw (for reps) – for 3 reps Deadlift – His winning percentage of 54.5% is fourth only to Rayno Nel, Mariusz Pudzianowski and Mitchell Hooper. However, the winning streak and number of victories of Žydrūnas Savickas, as evidenced by nearly 250 trophies and 200 medals, may never be matched. During an interview with strongman analyst Laurence Shahlaei in 2020, Žydrūnas said that Mariusz Pudzianowski, Svend Karlsen, Derek Poundstone, Brian Shaw and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson are the 5 greatest strongmen he has competed against.

In brief, Žydrūnas has dominated the following competitions:

World's Strongest Man – 1st place four times: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 World's Strongest Man – 2nd place six times: 2002–2004, 2011, 2013, 2015 IFSA Strongman World Championships – 1st place two times: 2005, 2006 Arnold Strongman Classic – 1st place eight times: 2003–2008, 2014, 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic-Europe – 1st place: 2012 Europe's Strongest Man – 1st place three times: 2010, 2012, 2013 Strongman Super Series – 1st place 2004 Strongman Super Series – 2nd place 2003 Strongman Champions League – 1st place two times: 2012, 2008 Lithuania's Strongest Man – 1st place seventeen times between 1998 and 2022.

Gallery

Political career Savickas entered politics as a member of the Liberal and Centre Union and expressed interest to run for office since 2008. In 2012, he explained that participating in politics was a "pastime", as he saw his sporting career as his free time and didn't understand what sportsmen are "supposed to do all day".

In 2011, he joined the nonpartisan team of former Mayor of Vilnius, Artūras Zuokas, and won a seat in the Vilnius municipal council in the 2011 local elections. He stated that he does not have large political ambitions and will be an "observer". During his time in office, he led a councillor group on promoting culture and combating alcoholism.

He ran with Zuokas's political party YES in the Biržai-Kupiškis constituency in the 2012 parliamentary election, however, he did not get to the second round. After it merged with the Liberal and Centre Union to form the Lithuanian Freedom Union, he joined the Liberal Movement instead. He ran as their candidate in the Naujoji Vilnia constituency in the 2016 parliamentary election. Describing his political views as a candidate to the Seimas, he identified as a businessman as well as a sportsman, and expressed his desire to lower taxes and reduce the bureaucratic apparatus.

From 2020 onwards, he has been accused of spreading misinformation about George Soros, Antifa, and the COVID-19 vaccine. In 2020, it was reported that he was a moderator of a Lithuanian QAnon conspiracy theory group on Facebook. He was one of the leaders of an anti-restriction protest during the commemoration of the January Events in 2022 and described the pandemic controls of the Šimonytė Cabinet as a "dictatorship" and "anti-constitutional", which got members of the municipal council in his home town Biržai to propose revoking his honorary citizenship.

He switched to the Lithuanian Regions Party and was elected to the council of Molėtai District Municipality on their list in 2023.

Personal life Savickas married his longtime girlfriend Jurgita Savickienė on July 24, 2010, in Lithuania.

At the end of September 2010, a biography entitled Žydrūnas Savickas – žmogus iš geležies'' (Žydrūnas Savickas – A Man From Iron) was published in Lithuania.

Zydrunas Savickas has a YouTube channel where he talks on strongman related topics such as recovery, diet, and training habits. In June 2021, Žydrūnas and his wife Jurgita got divorced.

He got married for a second time on October 12, 2022, in Molėtai taking Brigita Lacytė to be his spouse.