The World Log Lift Championships
The World Log Lift Championships is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, competing exclusively in the log clean and press. Created initially as part of the Strongman Champions League, it has since been part of Giants Live and the championship has been present in both series, Giants Live running one version of the championship and the World Log Lift Federation taking over the Strongman Champions League's variant of the championship.
History
In its inaugural year 2008, the Strongman Champions League introduced the World Log Lift Championships. The event however had been a staple of strongman competitions since the early 1980s. Beginning with the 1980 World's Strongest Man contest, where Bill Kazmaier hoisted to win the event and set a world record. Kazmaier then increased the record to in 1981 World's Strongest Man. During 1987 Pure Strength, Jón Páll Sigmarsson lifted and Kazmaier regained the record with in 1988 World's Strongest Man. During 1989 Kraftur championships Jamie Reeves took the record up to. During 1992 World Mighty Man in Johannesburg, Manfred Hoeberl surpassed it with until Reeves regained it with on the same competition.At 2002 Strongman Super Series in Sweden Svend Karlsen increased the record to and at 2003 Strongman Super Series in Canada Hugo Girard took it to. At 2004 IFSA Ukraine Grand Prix, Žydrūnas Savickas set a new record with, and Raimunds Bergmanis brought it up to at 2004 Strongman Super Series in Moscow.
Savickas began his long reign over the log lift world record starting in 2005, bringing it up to at 2005 IFSA Hungary Grand Prix, and then to at 2005 IFSA European Championships in Riga. At 2006 IFSA Russia Grand Prix, Savickas raised it to. In 2008 Savickas broke the record with at 2008 SCL Holland and in 2009 with at World Log Lift Championships. At 2012 Europe's Strongest Man Savickas renewed the record to and then up to at 2012 SCL Holland.
At 2012 World's Strongest Man Savickas brought the world record to making it his tenth consecutive log lift world record. At 2013 Europe's Strongest Man, Savickas lifted for another world record, followed by at 2013 SCL World Log Lift Championships. At 2014 Arnold Brazil Savickas took the record to. 8 days later, at 2014 Giants Live Poland, Savickas took the world record to and his final world record was, set at 2015 Arnold Brazil, marking it his sixteenth time breaking the world record.
At 2021 Giants Live world tour finals Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou broke Savickas's final world record with, then at 2023 World Log Lift Championships in Glasgow with and again at 2024 World Log Lift Championships in Birmingham, taking the log lift world record to where it stands today.
Variations
WSM giant log
At 2010 World's Strongest Man, the organizers came up with a more challenging longer log where Savickas established a new world record with.SCL giant log
At 2014 SCL FIBO, Strongman Champions League introduced a log which was thicker than any log which has been used before. Savickas took the record to with this new giant log until it was broken by Krzysztof Radzikowski with at 2015 SCL FIBO, and then by Graham Hicks with at 2017 SCL FIBO.Heaviest Lifts
Continental records (Men)
1 Cheick Sanou, who is a Canadian citizen, has the heaviest lift for this region at, but is not listed as he has declared for Burkina Faso.Event results
2008
Zydrunas Savickas entered the 2008 Log Lift World Championships as the clear favorite, and intended to set a new record with. Savickas' competitors included Mikhail Koklyaev, Ervin Katona, Sebastian Wenta, Oleksandr Lashyn, Tobias Ide, Agris Kazelniks, Oleksandr Pekanov, Krzysztof Radzikowski and Saulius Brusokas.The competition, held in Lithuania, saw each lift judged by three officials similar to Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting. The referees were Strongman Champions League founders Ilkka Kinnunen, Marcel Mostert and Latvian weightlifter Viktors Ščerbatihs, who had won the bronze medal in the + superheavyweight class at the recent Beijing Olympics. One of the strongest contenders, Oleksandr Pekanov, who had a personal best of missed his opener of three times. However, a number of other athletes came away with personal records, and two National Records were set. Zydrunas Savickas missed his world record attempt of, but won the championships with his lift of.
Records
- Source of results:
2009
The championships took place in Kaunas, Lithuania on 21 November 2009.Records
- Source of results:
2010
The Log Lift Championships were not held in 2010, and was moved up to February 2011 to kick off the 2011 season of SCL.2011
The 2011 World Log Lift Championships were held in Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania on 12 February 2011 to kick off the 2011 SCL season. Key competitors were reigning champion Zydrunas Savickas, Vidas Blekaitis and Vytautas Lalas who finished in the top 3 places respectively, with Zavickas winning his 3rd straight log lift title. There were 12 athletes in total, 3 athletes failed their opening weight on all 3 attempts.The event was broadcast live on Eurosport.
2012
The 2012 World Log Lift Championships were held in Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania on Sunday 7 October 2012.2013
The 2013 World Log Lift Championships were held in Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania on Saturday 19 October 2013. Savickas set a new world record with a lift of.2015
The 2015 World Log Lift Championships were held at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, England on 14 February 2015. Savickas attempted to set a new world record with a lift of but narrowly failed.2016
The 2016 World Log Lift Championships were held at the SCL Lithuania event in Vilnius.2017
The 2017 World Log Lift Championships were held at the SCL Lithuania event in Vilnius.2018
The 2018 World Log Lift Championships were held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man. Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou, Eddie Hall and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson shared the first place. Sanou and Hall attempted a new world record but both failed.| # | Name | Log Weight |
| 1 |  convert|213|kg|abbr=on|lbs2019In 2019, there were two World Log Lift Championships, the first of which was held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, again, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man. Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou attempted to set a new world record with a lift of but narrowly failed. The second championship was run by the World Log Lift Federation in Lithuania.2021The 2021 World Log Lift Championships were held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man.2022The 2022 World Log Lift Championships were held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, as the opening event for Europe's Strongest Man.2023The 2023 World Log Lift Championships were held at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, as the opening event for the Giants Live World Tour Finals. Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou broke the world record with a lift of.2024The 2024 World Log Lift Championships were held at the Utilita Arena Birmingham, as the opening event for the Giants Live World Open. Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou broke the world record with a lift of.2025The 2025 World Log Lift Championships were held in Glasgow, Scotland, as the opening event for the Giants World Tour Finals.Records |