Geoff Capes

British shot putter and strongman (1949–2024)

Geoff Capes (23 August 1949 – 23 October 2024) was an English shotput champion, two times world's strongest man and a champion budgerigar breeder (now president of the British Budgerigar Breeding Association.

Geoff Capes
Personal information
Birth nameGeoffrey Lewis Capes
Born(1949-08-23)23 August 1949
Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England
Died23 October 2024(2024-10-23) (aged 75)
Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire, England
Years active1970–1989
Height197 cm (6 ft 5+12 in)
Weight170 kg (375 lb)
Sport
CountryGreat Britain and England
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
European Athletics Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1974 Rome Shot put
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 1974 Gothenburg Shot put
Gold medal – first place 1976 Munich Shot put
Silver medal – second place 1975 Katowice Shot put
Silver medal – second place 1977 San Sebastián Shot put
Silver medal – second place 1979 Vienna Shot put
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Milan Shot put
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1974 Christchurch Shot put
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton Shot put

He was born in 1949 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. He is 6 foot 6 inches tall, which is unusually tall. He weighed 139 kg or 306 stone.

He used to be a policeman but retired when he became a shotputter in the 1970s. His best throw was in 1980 and was 20.5 metres. This record stood until 2003, over twenty years.

Capes once advertised caravans in South Yorkshire.

Capes died on 23 October 2024 in Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire at the age of 75.[1][2][3]

References

change
  1. sport, Guardian (2024-10-23). "Geoff Capes, Britain's greatest shot putter and World's Strongest Man winner, dies aged 75". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  2. "Geoff Capes, former World's Strongest Man winner and shot putter, dies". Sky News.
  3. "Geoff Capes: World's strongest man and British shot put record holder Capes dies aged 75". BBC Sport. 23 October 2024.