Jouko Ahola
Encyclopedia
Jouko Ahola (born 1 December 1970 in Hämeenlinna
) is a Finnish
strongman
and actor. He won the 1997
and 1999 World's Strongest Man
, and finished second in 1998
. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man
contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998. Jouko was a very successful strongman competitor, at 6' 1" (1.85 m) and 270 lbs (122.5 kg), corresponding to a BMI
of 35.8, which is low by WSM standards.
After his strongman career, Ahola has directed his focus towards films. So far, his most notable roles have been in Kingdom of Heaven
and Invincible
. He also serves as a judge and event organizer for the World's Strongest Man
contest.
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
) is a Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
and actor. He won the 1997
1997 World's Strongest Man
The 1997 World's Strongest Man was the 20th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jouko Ahola from Finland. It was his first title. Flemming Rasmussen from Denmark finished second after finishing fourth the previous year, and Magnus Samuelsson from Sweden finished third...
and 1999 World's Strongest Man
1999 World's Strongest Man
The 1999 World's Strongest Man was the 22nd edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jouko Ahola from Finland. It was his second title after finishing second the previous year. Janne Virtanen also from Finland finished second, and Svend Karlsen from Norway finished third. The contest was...
, and finished second in 1998
1998 World's Strongest Man
The 1998 World's Strongest Man was the 21st edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Magnus Samuelsson from Sweden. It was his first title after finishing third the previous year. 1997 champion Jouko Ahola from Finland finished second, and Wout Zijlstra from the Netherlands finished third....
. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man
Europe's Strongest Man
Europe's Strongest Man is an annual strength athletics competition which began in 1980. The event is held in various locations throughout Europe, and features exclusively European strongman competitors. Mariusz Pudzianowski currently holds the record for most wins with 6 titles...
contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998. Jouko was a very successful strongman competitor, at 6' 1" (1.85 m) and 270 lbs (122.5 kg), corresponding to a BMI
Body mass index
The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
of 35.8, which is low by WSM standards.
After his strongman career, Ahola has directed his focus towards films. So far, his most notable roles have been in Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven (film)
Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic action film directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McKidd, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton, Jon Finch, Michael Sheen and Liam...
and Invincible
Invincible (2001 film)
Invincible is a 2001 drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog. The film stars Tim Roth, Jouko Ahola, Anna Gourari, and Max Raabe. The film tells the story of a Jewish strongman in Germany...
. He also serves as a judge and event organizer for the World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
contest.
Filmography
- InvinsibleInvincible (2001 film)Invincible is a 2001 drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog. The film stars Tim Roth, Jouko Ahola, Anna Gourari, and Max Raabe. The film tells the story of a Jewish strongman in Germany...
(2001) - Kingdom of HeavenKingdom of Heaven (film)Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic action film directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McKidd, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton, Jon Finch, Michael Sheen and Liam...
(2005) - 7 miljonärer (2006)
- Bad Day to Go FishingBad Day to Go FishingBad day to go fishing is a Spanish-Uruguayan film directed by Alvaro Brechner and released in 2009. The film stars Gary Piquer, Jouko Ahola, Antonella Costa and Cesar Troncoso...
(2009) - War of the Dead (2011)
Miscellaneous
- Ahola set world records for Hercules hold (45.7 sec, 197 kg) and Atlas Stone (215 kg).
- Is one of only seven men to be a repeat champion, in the World's Strongest Man competition.
- He regards Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
as his role model. - His nickname is "Jokke."
- His name is often misspelled as Juoko Ahola, Finnish for "Does Ahola drink?"
- Ahola also made a cameo appearance on the second season of The Dudesons TV series, which aired worldwide in 2008.
- Ahola stars in Werner HerzogWerner HerzogWerner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
's 2001 film InvincibleInvincible (2001 film)Invincible is a 2001 drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog. The film stars Tim Roth, Jouko Ahola, Anna Gourari, and Max Raabe. The film tells the story of a Jewish strongman in Germany...
as early 20th century Jewish strongman Zishe BreitbartZishe BreitbartSiegmund Breitbart , also known popularly as Zishe or Sische Breitbart , was a Polish-born circus performer, vaudeville strongman and Jewish folklore hero...
. - Jouko Ahola played a former world wrestling champion in Alvaro BrechnerAlvaro BrechnerAlvaro Brechner is a film director, writer and film producer.His debut feature film, Bad day to go fishing has been exhibited in several prestigious festivals such as Critics Week of Cannes Film Festival.-Biography:He attended the Catholic University of Uruguay where he obtained a degree in Media...
's 2009 film Bad day to go fishingBad Day to Go FishingBad day to go fishing is a Spanish-Uruguayan film directed by Alvaro Brechner and released in 2009. The film stars Gary Piquer, Jouko Ahola, Antonella Costa and Cesar Troncoso...
, (Mal día para pescar). The film premiered at Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.