PFISTER, GILLINGHAM, ORTMAYER TO REPRESENT USA AT IFSA WORLDS

by Al Thompson

Friday, September 09, 2005

Karl Gillingham Photo by Joe Pulcinella / photojoe.com

American representation at the IFSA World championships will be in good hands when the premier pro strongman event on the planet gets underway in Quebec City September 24-25.

The competition includes 16 of the world's strongest men, each of whom has survived the continental qualification round. They will vie for top honors that includes an unprecedented purse of $250,000.

West Virginia’s favorite son and Pan Am Champion Phil “Wolfman” Pfister will lead the three-man contingent that also includes Houston’s Travis “Texas Stoneman” Ortmayer and Karl “Gladiator” Gillingham of Minnesota.

IFSA Strongman 2005, presented at Colisée Pepsi on September 24 and 25, will mark the end of a long journey for these strongmen, who have attained the pinnacle of success in their sport.

For Ortmayer, the journey has been a remarkable one. The 6-foot-4, 305 pounder earned his pro card by winning the North American Strongman Society National title in October 2004. Eleven months later he is in a world final.

“It’s Insane, a whirlwind, and really exciting,” Ortmayer said recently. “I love it. It is fun to do well at something you love.”

Ortmayer finished second behind Phil Pfister at the Pan American Games in Sao Paulo Brazil in August finishing ahead of some of North America’s top pro strongmen. Now he will compete against the likes of three-time Arnold Classic champion Zydrunas Savickas of Lithuania and world champion Vasyl Virastyuk of the Ukraine.

Ortmayer said he knows he might be a bit star struck at first, but knows there is a job to be done.

“I’ve watched these guys on television for years and to be competing against them…It gets in your head I think for the first day, but it will go away at contest time,” Ortmayer said. “No one can psyche you out if you give 100 percent every time, come hell or high water.”

Ortmayer has gained a reputation in the United States and now gradually around the world as one of the top Atlas Stones competitors in the business.

Ortmayer says that while notoriety is great, with it comes pressure.

“It is one of my better events,” Ortmayer said of the stones. “I know that all the Americans are picking me to win it because they’ve seen me in action. But I can’t go into it thinking it is automatic. The more people hear about you doing well at the stones, the more they’ll be gunning for you.”

Ortmayer says he has a simple formula for his success at strongman’s signature event.

“I have a strong back naturally,” he said. “But the trick to the stones is the mental part of it. I think each stone has a mind of its own. And they are always trying to mess with my mind ever time.”

The venue location, tickets, etc. are here: http://www.ocktober.com/bmg/ifsa/en/gala.htm

The complete list of athletes and country:
1. Zydrunas Savickas-Lithuania
2. Raimonds Bergmanis-Latvia
3. Vasyl Virastyuk-Ukraine
4. Magnus Samuelsson-Sweden
5. Andrus Murumets- Estonia
6. Tomi Lotta-Finland
7. Mikhail Koklyaev-Russia
8. Igor Pedan-Russia
9. Robert Szchpansk-Polandi
10. Svend Karlsen-Sweden
11. Vidas Blekaitis- Lithuania
12. Phil Pfister-USA
13. Travis Ortmayer-USA
14. Karl Gillingham- USA
15. Geoff Dolan-Canada
16. Mark Felix-Granada

The events are:
DAY 1.
EVENT 1. YOKE RACE 410KG, 30M,.
EVENT 2. LOG LIFT FOR MAX.
EVENT 3. CONANS WHEEL.
EVENT 4. DEAD LIFT, LOUIS CYR GIANT D UMB-BELL.
 
DAY 2.
EVENT 1. FARMERS WALK 160KG, 50M,
EVENT 2. WHEELS O/HEAD 155KG. 90 SEC TIME LIMIT EVENT
EVENT 3. SHIELD FOR DISTANCE. 2 ATHLETES AT A TIME.
EVENT 4. STONES. 140, 150, 160, 170, 180KG HEAVY CHAMPIONSHIP SET.  

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