Žydrūnas Savickas (; born July 15, 1975) is a Lithuanian former professional

strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...

and

powerlifter Powerlifting is a competitive strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight singl ...

. Throughout his career, he competed in and won 84 international competitions, including four

World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...

titles, two

IFSA Strongman World Championship The International Federation of Strength Athletes (IFSA or IFSA Strongman) was an international governing body for strongman competition. IFSA operated from 1995 to 2007 and was based in Glasgow, Scotland. History Origins In 1995, David Webs ...

's, a

Fortissimus The Fortissimus is a defunct event in strength athletics. The name means "the mightiest" and was a multi-event challenge at the end of which the winner is crowned as the "Strongest Man on Earth". It was set up to bring together the strongest comp ...

title, and a record eight

Arnold Strongman Classic The Arnold Strongman Classic is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, determining who is the Strongest Man in the World. Created by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer and Terry Todd, it is an offshoot of t ...

titles; a competition revered for its focus on testing static, brute strength. Due to these accomplishments, combined with 75 world records, particularly in events such as the deadlift, squat, and overhead press, including an unprecedented 16-year reign as the log lift world record holder, he is widely regarded as the greatest strongman of all time.

Career

Žydrūnas Savickas first became interested in strength sports after watching a Lithuanian strongman contest on TV in 1989. Three years later, he took part in that same strongman contest and defeated several older and more experienced competitors. At age 17, Savickas began to train in

powerlifting Powerlifting is a competitive strength athletics, strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: Squat (exercise), squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athle ...

. In his second powerlifting contest, he broke all the Lithuanian records. In 1998, Savickas won his first Lithuania's Strongest Man contest. He would later go on to win this contest a total of 17 times, with the latest coming in 2022. Savickas then competed at the

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

and

2000 World's Strongest Man The 2000 World's Strongest Man was the 23rd edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Janne Virtanen from Finland. It was his first title after finishing second the previous year. Svend Karlsen from Norway finished second after finishing t ...

contests but failed to qualify for the finals on both occasions. He won the silver medal in the World powerlifting championship in Japan with a total of , just behind Brad Gillingham.

2001–2008

In 2001, a contest in the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

dealt Savickas a major setback, as he tore both

patellar tendon The patellar tendon is the distal portion of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tibial tuberosity. It is also sometimes called the patellar ligament as it forms a bone to bone connection whe ...

s during the Conan's Wheel event. Many believed that the extent of the injury meant that his career was over. However, nine months later, Savickas won the Lithuanian powerlifting championships and a short time later, he also won the 2002 Lithuania's Strongest Man contest. Savickas would go on to finish in 2nd place at the 2002 World's Strongest Man in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He would finish in 2nd place five more times in

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

and

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

and 1st place at the

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

and 2014 World's Strongest Man contests. Savickas won the

six consecutive times from 2003 to 2008. Savickas won the IFSA European Championships in 2005 which qualified him for the IFSA World Championships. In September 2005, he broke three world records and won the

s in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. In December 2005, Savickas won the IFSA World Team Championships with Team Europe and won the IFSA World Championships for the 2nd time in 2006 in

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

. On October 24, 2005, Savickas represented Lithuania in a team competition with

Vidas Blekaitis Vidas Blekaitis (born 14 April 1972) is a Lithuanians, Lithunanian Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. As of 2007, Blekaitis was ranked World No. 4 by the International Federation of Strength Athletes. He placed 4th in the 2009 Arnold Strong ...

, Saulius Brusokas, and Vilius Petrauskas. Team Lithuania placed 5th overall at the IFSA World's Strongest Nation contest in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. In September 2007, Savickas finished in 3rd place at the last ever IFSA World Championships behind runner-up Mikhail Koklyaev and champion Vasyl Virastyuk in Geumsan,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. Savickas won 5 out of the 7 total contests during the inaugural 2008

Strongman Champions League The Strongman Champions League is a Strongman competition circuit, with several Grand Prix events throughout the year and the Strongman Champions League overall champion title going to the overall winner at the end of the season. Competitors in ...

season and won the 2008 overall title 58 points ahead of second-place finisher

Ervin Katona Ervin Katona (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: Ервин Катона; born 5 January 1977) is a Serbian-born Hungarians, Hungarian strongman (strength athlete), strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest M ...

2009–2010

In June 2009, Savickas won

after finishing runner-up in 2008 behind

Derek Poundstone Derek Anthony Poundstone (born September 28, 1981) is an American police officer, former professional strongman and strength coach from Woodbridge, Connecticut. He was the runner-up at the 2008 World ...

. On October 3, 2009, Savickas won the 2009 World's Strongest Man competition ahead of defending champion and five-time winner

Mariusz Pudzianowski Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski (; born 7 February 1977), also known as "Pudzian" and "Dominator", is a Polish people, Polish mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Strongman (strength athlete), strongman competitor. With Strongman#In ...

. 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 also won the World Log Lift Championships in 2008, 2009, and 2011 (no contest was held in 2010).

2011

In April 2011, Savickas set a new

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

by performing a 20-meter Farmer's Walk in 7.55 seconds with implements in each hand. The event was broadcast on the Guinness TV show in Europe. Savickas won five

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.

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 . This was his 7th consecutive world record in the Log Lift, not including his world record in the Giant Wooden Log Lift set at the 2010 World's Strongest Man contest. In September 2011, Savickas lost his WSM crown to Brian Shaw at the

2011 World's Strongest Man The 2011 World's Strongest Man was the 34th edition of World's Strongest Man and was held on the campus grounds of Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina, US. The event was sponsored by MET-Rx. The qualifying heats were scheduled for S ...

contest at

Wingate University Wingate University is a private liberal arts university with campuses in Wingate and Hendersonville, North Carolina. It identifies as a university with "Judeo-Christian heritage." The university enrolls more than 3,450 students. It offers 37 ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, 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. Savickas won 11 of the 14

contests in the 2012 season and won the overall championships title. 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 Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. 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

Holland event held in

Kalkar Kalkar () is a municipality in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the Rhine, approx. 10 km south-east of Cleves. The catholic church St. Nicolai has preserved one of the most significant sacral inv ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

on June 22, 2013. Savickas also attempted a new Log Lift world record of , but failed to lockout the weight overhead. Savickas won seven SCL contests in the 2013 season and came second in the overall championships behind Krzysztof Radzikowski. 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 . In August 2013, Savickas finished second in the 2013 World's Strongest Man contest behind Brian Shaw.

2014

At the 2014 Força Bruta contest, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Savickas set a new world record in the Log Lift with , along with a record in the deadlift event, with for 10 repetitions. The following month, at the Giants Live Poland contest held in Dolina Charlotty, Savickas again set a new world record in the Log Lift, becoming the first human to lift . At the 2014 World's Strongest Man, he managed to win his fourth title with just half a point difference over the second-placed Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson and in so doing became the oldest WSM winner in history, at 38 years and 258 days. Zydrunas also set a world record in the giant barbell squat event by squatting for 15 repetitions. Savickas also won the 2014 Arnold Strongman Classic, for the 7th time, defeating his long-time rival Brian Shaw. In addition to his victory, Savickas set new records in both the Austrian Oak, pressing for four repetitions and in the Hummer Tire Deadlift event 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.

2016

Savickas again won the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic, a record 8th time. However, Savickas would miss the 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 competition. 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.

2018

Savickas placed 4th in the 2018 Europe's Strongest Man, and 10th overall in the 2018 World's Strongest Man finals. Savickas had to withdraw from the WSM finals due to injuries to his Achilles and bicep. As of 2024, this would be his last appearance so far at the WSM.

Personal records

Powerlifting

''Done in official powerlifting competitions under IPF rules (single-ply equipment). * Squat – (2005 Lithuanian National Championships) (Lithuanian record) *

Bench press The bench press or chest press is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. The bench press is a Compound movements, compound movement, with the primary muscles involved ...

– (2004 Lithuanian National Championships) (Lithuanian record) *

Deadlift The deadlift is a strength training exercise in which a weight-loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, with the torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting ...

– (2004 Lithuanian National Championships) (Lithuanian record) * Total – (425, 265.5, 400) (2004 Lithuanian National Championships) (Lithuanian record)

Strongman

* Log press – (2015 Arnold Classic Brazil) (''former world record'') ''Savickas has broken this world record a total of 16 times ever since he did it first with in 2004. This includes 14 times with the standard log and once each with the WSM giant log at and SCL giant log at .'' * Log press/ Austrian Oak (for reps) – for 4 reps (2015 & 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic's) (''World Record'') * Apollon's Axle press – (2010 Giants Live Istanbul) (''former world record'') ''Savickas has set this world record six times; achieving it four times individually and sharing the record twice.'' * Apollon's Axle press (for reps) – × 2 continental cleans and presses (2010 Arnold Strongman Classic) (''World Record'') * Apollon's Axle press (for reps) – × 5 continental cleans and presses (2011 Arnold Strongman Classic) (''World Record'') * Apollon's Wheels press (for reps) – × 8 continental cleans and presses (2006 Arnold Strongman Classic) (''joint-world record'') ''Savickas has broken this world record a total of 4 times ever since he did it first with 4 reps in 2003'' * Metal Block press – (2011 World's Strongest Man - group 4) (''former joint-world record'') * Cyr Dumbbell press – (2016 Arnold Strongman Classic) * Cyr Dumbbell press (for reps) – x 4 reps '' as achieved this feat twice' (2014 and 2015 Arnold Strongman Classics) * Giant Barbell Squat (for reps) – × 15 reps (single-ply suit w/ wraps) (2014 World's Strongest Man) (''World Record'') *

IronMind IronMind Enterprises, Inc. is an American niche market business based in Nevada City, California, that specializes in "tools of the trade for serious strength athletes." Though many of its products include strength-training equipment and acces ...

S-Cubed bar Deadlift (at 1-inch deficit with straps) – (2011 World's Strongest Man) (''former strongman record'') * Rogue

Elephant bar The elephant bar is a barbell developed by Rogue Fitness which is specifically used for the strongman raw deadlift. It was first created in 2016 by Terry Todd, the director of the Arnold Strongman Classic. The bar is known for being long and ma ...

Deadlift (raw with straps) – (2016 Arnold Strongman Classic) * Giant Barbell Deadlift (for reps) – × 10 (2006 IFSA World Championships) (''former joint-world record'') * 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) *

Keg Toss Keg-tossing (or keg toss) is a traditional strength sport that involves the heaving of a standard half-barrel beer keg or a similar implement. The basic technique involves swinging the keg in a pendulum like manner and releasing when it is at its a ...

– over (2004 IFSA Grand Prix Cekol Cup), and over (2001 Beauty and the Beast) *

– 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 A medicine ball (also known as an exercise ball, a med ball, or a fitness ball) is a weighted ball whose diameter is about a shoulder-width. The size of a medicine ball is approximately , often used for rehabilitation and strength training. T ...

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'') * Manhood Stone (Max Atlas Stone) – over 4 ft bar (2011 Arnold Strongman Classic) * Manhood Stone (Max Atlas Stone) for reps – x 3 reps over 4 ft bar (2008 Arnold Strongman Classic) * Atlas Stones (110–180 kg set) – 22.31 seconds (2007 IFSA Lithuania Grand Prix) (''former world record'') * Atlas Stones (140–180 kg set) ''in IFSA circle setup'' – 25.65 seconds (2006 IFSA World Championships) (''World Record'') * Natural stone lift to platform – 5 Rocks ranging from 102–159 kilograms (225–350 lb) in 19.44 seconds (2010 Lithuania's Strongest Man) (''World Record'') * Tyre flip – x 8 flips in 24.24 seconds (2015 Strongman Champions League Holland) (''World Record'') * Flip & drag – tyre x 4 flips and sled drag for 20 meters – 32.06 seconds (2012 SCL Savickas Classic) (''World Record'') * Super Yoke – for 4 meters in 3.87 seconds (2014 Arnold Strongman Classic) (''World Record'') * Timber carry – ''with straps'' for 35 ft in 13.01 seconds (2016 Arnold Strongman Classic) *Sled pull – for 20 meter course in 21.66 seconds (2005 IFSA Hungary Grand Prix) (''World Record'') * Truck pull – for 30 meter course 'uphill' in 43.97 seconds (2002 World's Strongest Man) (''World Record'') * Truck pull – for 20 meter course 'extra uphill' in 38.58 seconds (2009 SCL Ukraine) (''World Record'') * Truck pull – for 20 meter course 'uphill' in 42.67 seconds (2008 SCL Holland) (''World Record'') ''During training '': * Squat – for 2 reps; for 3 reps; for 5 reps ''Raw with knee wraps'' *

''Raw'' – *

''Raw (for reps)'' – for 3 reps *

– ''raw with straps on stiff Power bar'' *

(for reps) – for 5 reps in preparation for Arnold Strongman Classic 2014 ''raw with straps on stiff Power bar'' * Standing Overhead Press – for 5 reps ''without leg drive'' * Log Lift – for 5 reps in preparation for Arnold Strongman Classic 2015 ''on steel IFSA log'' * Front Squat – for 3 reps, and for 5 reps ''Raw with knee wraps'' * 18 inch deadlift – for 1 rep in preparation for Arnold Strongman Classic 2014 ''Raw with straps on stiff Power bar ''

Legacy

In his career which spanned 25 years facing 3 generations of strongmen, Žydrūnas has competed in more competitions than anyone else (153) and has won more international competitions than anyone else (84) as well. His winning percentage of 55% is third only to

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

Svend Karlsen Svend Viking Karlsen (born 6 October 1967) is a Norwegian former strongman, powerlifter, bodybuilder and 2001 World's Strongest Man. Being a winner of the World's Strongest Man, the Europe's Strongest Man, the World Muscle Power Class ...

, Brian Shaw and

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (; transliterated as Hafthor in English; born 26 November 1988) is an Icelandic professional strongman who is widely regarded as one of the greatest strength athletes of all time. He is the first and only person t ...

are the 5 greatest strongmen he has competed against. In brief, Žydrūnas has dominated the following competitions: *

– 1st place four times: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 *World's Strongest Man – 2nd place six times: 2002–2004, 2011, 2013, 2015 *

s – 1st place two times: 2005, 2006 *

– 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 The Strongman Super Series, known from 2001 to 2004 as the ''IFSA World Strongman Super Series'', from 2005 to 2008 as the ''World's Strongest Man Super Series'', and reverting in 2009 to the ''World Strongman Super Series'', is a sequence of grand ...

– 1st place 2004 *Strongman Super Series – 2nd place 2003 *

– 1st place two times: 2012, 2008 * Lithuania's Strongest Man - 1st place seventeen times from 1998 to 2022.

Achievements

Placements: 130 x 1st places, 32 x 2nd places and 22 x 3rd places = 184 x podium finishes from 218 total competitions. *Winning percentage: 54.9% in International circuit & 70.7% at National circuit *Podium percentage: 81.7% in International circuit & 90.8% at National circuit *Top 5 percentage: 92.2% in International circuit & 95.4% at National circuit

Gallery

File:Zydrunas Savickas SUV Deadlift.JPG, During the Strongman Champions League Ireland contest in Limerick, Ireland, 2010. File:Zydrunas Savickas lifting weight.jpg, Savickas during the IFSA Strongman World 2-Man Championship in 2007

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 Leisure (, ) has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Leis ...

and didn't understand what sportsmen are "supposed to do all day". In 2011, he joined the nonpartisan team of former Mayor of

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Artūras Zuokas Artūras Zuokas (born 21 February 1968) is a Lithuanian journalist, businessman and politician who served as the mayor of the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, from 2000 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2015, and as member of Lithuania's unicameral pa ...

, 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 Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

. He ran with Zuokas's political party

YES Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

in the

Biržai Biržai (, also known by several alternative names) is a city in northern Lithuania. Famous for its reconstructed Biržai Castle manor, the whole region is renowned for its many traditional-recipe beer breweries. Name The exact origin of th ...

Kupiškis Kupiškis (; Yiddish: קופישוק) is a city in northeastern Lithuania. It is the capital of the Kupiškis district municipality, mainly known for its sculptures and fourth biggest water reservoir in Lithuania. Kupiškis is located on the Lėv ...

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 George Soros (born György Schwartz; August 12, 1930) is an American investor and philanthropist. , he has a net worth of US$7.2 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundat ...

, Antifa, and the

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...

. In 2020, it was reported that he was a moderator of a Lithuanian

QAnon QAnon ( ) is a far-right conspiracy theories in United States politics, American political conspiracy theory and political movement that originated in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals kno ...

conspiracy theory group on

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

. He was one of the leaders of an anti-restriction protest during the commemmoration of the

January Events The January Events () were a series of violent confrontations between the civilian population of Lithuania, supporting independence, and the Soviet Armed Forces. The events took place between 11 and 13 January 1991, after the Act of the Re-Esta ...

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

to propose revoking his

honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

. He switched to the Lithuanian Regions Party and was elected to the council of

Molėtai District Municipality The Molėtai District Municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. Molėtai is known for its many lakes. There are about 220 lakes in the district and they cover about 7% of the total territory. Since it is only about 60 km north o ...

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 Of 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.

References

External links

Official Žydrūnas Savickas web site

Official book about Žydrunas Savickas web site

Official IFSA Strongman web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savickas, Zydrunas 1975 births Lithuanian strength athletes Living people World record holders in weightlifting People from Biržai Male powerlifters