Juha-Matti Räsänen (born May 19, 1974) is a strongman competitor from

Kuopio Kuopio ( , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Savo. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Kuopio is approximately , while the Kuopio sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is the mos ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. Juha began training for strongman in 1995, began competing as an amateur in 1996 and turned professional in 2000. Juha competed in the

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

and 2002 World's Strongest Man contests, finishing 9th and 6th respectively. Juha is a 2-time winner of Finland's Strongest Man in 2002 & 2003, and is a 3 time runner-up. Juha holds the

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 ...

for throwing a 60 kg man 5.40 meters (17 ft 8in) in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in July 2006. He was primarily known for his back strength, claiming a deadlift of 385 kg (849 lbs), and easily won that event in his heat of the 2001 World's Strongest Men competition.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasanen, Juha-Matti Finnish strength athletes Living people 1974 births Sportspeople from Kuopio