By Ossian Shine
LONDON (Reuters) – Geoff Capes, British strongman, shot put record holder and renowned budgerigar breeder, has died aged 75, his family said on Wednesday.
Capes left an indelible mark on British sport, birdkeeping and 1980s popular culture.
“The family of Geoffrey Capes would like to announce his sad passing today, 23rd October. Britain’s finest shot putter and twice World’s Strongest Man,” they said in a statement.
Born in 1949 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, Capes excelled in athletics, representing Britain in three Olympic Games from 1972 to 1980, and setting the national shot put record of 21.68 metres which has stood for 44 years.
Although his best Olympic finish was fifth in 1980, he won two Commonwealth gold medals as well as a haul of European medals.
Capes worked as a policeman and was a dedicated budgerigar enthusiast.
A world-class breeder, in 2008 Capes was appointed president of the Budgerigar Society and his expertise saw him regularly featured in specialist publications.
Standing 197cm tall and weighing 170kg at his peak, Capes won the World’s Strongest Man titles in 1983 and 1985. Known for feats of immense strength, Capes was a household name in Britain in the 1980s, admired for his ability to tear phone books and bend steel bars with ease.
Capes had a strong presence in British pop culture, featuring in commercials, one in which he memorably rolled a car over with his bare hands.
His TV appearances ranged from the children’s show Blue Peter, where he competed against fellow strongmen, to the quirky 1980s series Supergran.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine, Editing by Ed Osmond)
