User:Kwib/European Muscle Power Classic

European Muscle Power Classic

2004 (last held)
The official logo of World Muscle Power 2003
Tournament information
Location	Scotland from 1985-2002 Quebec 2003-2004
Established	1985
Final year	2004
Format	Multi-event competition
Final champion
Hugo Girard

The European Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) (sometimes known as the European Muscle Power Championships) was one of the most enduring annual strongmen competitions, running for twenty years and in that time attaining the position of the second most prestigious strongman contest in the world, after the Europe's Strongest Man. It was notable for that reason and for the quality of the strength athletes it attracted, which included every winner of the Europe's Strongest Man competition from 1980 onwards including Jon Pall Sigmarsson, Geoff Capes and Bill Kazmaier from the 1980s right up to the five time WSM champion Mariusz Pudzianowski, who was never able to capture the WMPC title.

History

The European Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) first took place in 1985, with the by then established European's Strongest Man having made the popularity of strongman competitions such that this second european title was viable. In a sport notorious for the difficulty with which organisers are faced in making an event enduring, the EMPC stood side-by-side with the Europe's Strongest Man for almost twenty years and in that time saw many other events come and go. From the outset it attracted the very best athletes in the field and the final placings in that inaugural 1985 competition saw Jon Pall Sigmarsson, Geoff Capes and Bill Kazmaier on the podium, all previous winners of the Europe's Strongest Man and who between them won that title nine times. The event was organized and produced by Doug Edmunds and later the Reeves brothers. For its inception until 2002, the event was held in Scotland, home of the Highland Games, which has a claim to be the progenitor of strength athletics. The quality of the entrants continued unabated, attracting the very best in Europe, and the competition quickly became regarded as the second most prestigious title after Europe's Strongest Man.

By the late 1990s, although regarded highly still, the WMPC profile appeared to dip.

Events

Events were held over two days, and over the years the events changed although popular events included:

• The wench.
• The Tree Trunk Lift
• The McGlashen stones
• The log press
• The Basque circle
• The Anvil Hold
• The super yoke
• The Carry and Waddle

Results

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location 1997 Riku Kiri TBC TBC 1996 Riku Kiri TBC TBC 1995 Forbes Cowan / ? / ? Mintlaw 1994 Manfred Hoeberl Andreas Gudmundsson Wayne Price Peterhead 1993 Manfred Hoeberl TBC Bill Pittuck TBC 1992 / Jamie Reeves TBC TBC 1991 / Jamie Reeves TBC TBC 1990 Jon Pall Sigmarsson TBC TBC 1989 / Mark Higgins TBC TBC 1988 / Mark Higgins TBC TBC 1987 /? Mark Higgins ? Jon Pall Sigmarsson ? Bill Kazmaier TBC

• Results from David Horne's World of Grip</ref> (except for third place in 2001 from )

See also

• List of strongman competitions

Category:Strength athletics Category:Strongmen competitions