The Post-Journal

Reinhoudt Second In Strongest Man Event Set For Television

FREDONIA – Don Reinhoudt of Fredonia, three-times world power-lifting champion and holder of every type of lift record in that international event, placed second in the annual World Strongest Man competition at Los Angeles.

The event, just completed, was filmed for Wide World of Sports and will be televised in October or November.

There were 10 nation-wide entries for the varied ypes of strength tests plus one man from Sweden.

The winner was Bruce Wilhem of Los Angeles by two points, 44-42, over Reinhoudt.

The first and second placers battled it out at bodyweights of approximately 340 pounds.

Points were given for first, second and third in each event.

Reinhoudt and Wilhem dominated the meet, the Fredonia man with four firsts, two seconds, a third, a fifth and two DNPs (did not place).

It was Reinhoudt’s first shot at the World’s Strongest Man meet, but he won the barrel lift, setting a record at 270 pounds; won the car lift, and also won the girl lift and trolley pull.

He was second in the tire throw an tug-of-war and fifth in wrist turning, called wrist roll in this competition.

Big Don did not place in the wheelbarrow race (several hundred pounds in each wheelbarrow) but was doing okay until he tipped over his one-wheeler. He also did not place inn the refrigerator race after taking third in the iron bar bending.

The girl lift is similar to the squat in power-lifting. The girls are on a platform and the contestant must raise them to a specified height. Reinhout also set a record in this even with 790 pounds.

One of the toughest events is the trolley pull, which Reinhoudt won. A trolley-like apparatus on rails is pulled. Don topped the field with 8,000 pounds.

“I don’t know what I will do in the lifting line now, just rest up for a while, I guess,” he said. Reinhoudt now holds world records in the bench press, the dead lift and squat in power-lifting competition. He had retired from power-lifting when he was invited to the World’s Strongest Man Tournament by Jerry Adler of Trans World International, sponsor of the event.

Reinhoudt, a former public accountant, is now with the Cassadaga Job Corps Center.


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