British Olympian and two-time World Strongest Man Geoff Capes dead at 75

Tributes have flowed for a beloved three-time Olympian and two-time World’s Strongest Man, who died at the age of 75.

Three-time Olympian and two-time World’s Strongest Man Geoff Capes has died at the age of 75.

The hulking Capes stood 197cm and weight 165kg in his prime and represented Great Britain in shot put at the Olympics in Munich 1972, Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980, an event he still holds the British record of 21.68m set in 1980.

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He was Commonwealth champion and European champion twice.

But despite being favoured to take home the prize in his latter two Olympics, Capes’ best finish was in Moscow where he finished fifth.

However, the star was best known as the World’s Strongest Man, which he won twice in 1983 and 1985.

Capes could tear London phone directories in half and bend three-foot long, one-inch diameter steel bars.

But remarkably, his hobby was breeding budgerigars which he held gently in his giant hands.

And he became the president of the Budgerigar Society and was never happier than when he won the world budgie championship and travelled the globe judging bird shows.

One said on X: “I watched him as a young man — my sincerest ­condolences to his family and friends, we’ll miss you Geoff.”

Another added: “Sad to hear the passing of Geoff Capes. A fixture growing up on our TV and during athletics coverage.”

Geoff Capes in 1980. Photo: Tony Duffy/Allsport

Capes was also a budgerigar breeder. Photo by Don Morley/Getty Images

Geoffrey Lewis Capes was born in 1949 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, the seventh of nine children.

And trouble was never far away.

“I was a hell of a fighter as well,” Capes said. “If the next town came down on a Friday and there were only eight or nine of them I’d say, ‘Go back and get some more.’

“I’d fight them on my own. I was quite quiet, but there was an inner aggression.

“My headmaster, a guy called Joe Fathers, took great pleasure in trying to knock it out of me. He had a choice of canes.

“On the last day I went into his office, I took the canes off the wall in the office in front of him and walked out.”

Geoff’s salvation was Holbeach Athletic Club where he was coached by BBC athletics commentator Stuart Storey.

A gifted sportsman, Capes represented Lincolnshire at basketball, football and cross-country. But shot put was where he could channel the chip on his shoulder.

“I threw in bare feet in a concrete circle — and came second from last,” Capes said.

Capes would hitchhike to athletics competitions and was told by Storey that he would achieve great things if he could just direct his energy.

But growing up in the Lincolnshire fens Geoff had a softer side — he was ­fascinated by the natural world and cared for injured birds and animals.

After leaving school he worked as a coalman and an agricultural labourer before joining Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1970. He served in the police force for ten years.

Capes was a giant. Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images

Geoff Capes was a shot put champion. Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images

Geoff Capes representing Great Britain. Photo by Steve Powell/Getty Images

He was allowed time off to compete at athletics meetings, but on a policeman’s salary he could barely afford a daily diet that included nearly 3kg of red meat, a dozen eggs and a large tin of baked beans.

He also consumed two tins of ­pilchards, one and a half pounds of cottage cheese, a packet of cereal, two large loaves of bread with a pound of butter. All washed down with a pint of orange juice and seven pints of milk.

In his last interview he said: “I ate like a f***ing horse! Anything I could get my hands on. But nearly all protein.”

Capes would lift 120 tons in training each week and went on to become the most capped British male athlete of all time, with 67 international credits.

In 1983 he was voted Britain’s best-ever field athlete.

Just before his last Olympics, Moscow 1980, he won Britain’s first strongest man competition and by 1983, he was crowned the World’s Strongest Man.

The following year lost the title to Jón Páll Sigmarsson.

The Icelander who was 11 years younger, taunted: “The King has lost his crown!”

But Geoff swore: “I’ll be back.”

The next year he took the title and roared: “The King has not lost his crown!”

Geoff’s son Lewis and daughter Emma were both shot putters, while two of his grandchildren, Donovan, 19, and Lawson, 15, train at the shot put ring Capes built in his home village of Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire.

In a recent interview he said: “I enjoyed my life and I went around the world. How many people can say that?”

This story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.

Originally published as British Olympian and two-time World Strongest Man Geoff Capes dead at 75