Le Defi Mark Ten International
Encyclopedia
Le Defi Mark Ten International was one of the most prestigious strongman
contest in the world in th 1980s and early 1990s. Staged in Quebec, Canada, it was begun as a tribute to Louis Cyr
and was notable for the quality of the strength athletes it attracted, which included a number of winners of the World's Strongest Man
competition from including Jon Pall Sigmarsson
, Bill Kazmaier
and Magnus Ver Magnusson.
competitions had begun in the late 1970s as a distinct set of disciplines from other strength related sports such as powerlifting or Highland Games
. However, the associations of the new phenomena with its sporting forbears resulted in certain countries being at the vanguard of such competitions. One such country with a deep rooted past in strongman competition was Canada, and in particular Quebec
, referred to as a "cradle of strongmen". In 1984 Jean-Claude Arsenault began to promote a competition named after the most famous of Quebec's strongmen of the past, Louis Cyr
. The Louis Cyr Tournament was quickly a success and gained the sponsorhip of a cigarette company resulting in its change of name to Defi Mark Ten.
The first outing of the competition caused some newspapers to claim that "Nationalism marred contest" citing the fact that Quebec was painted on the backdrop to the competition deliberately separate from Canada and grouped with France. Despite this, there was noted by the same newspaper an impressive camaraderie amongst the athletes.
The event attracted the very top strength athletes in the world. Amongst these names were Bill Kazmaier
, Magnus Ver Magnusson
and Jon Pall Sigmarsson
. The Canadian Tom Magee
was the winner of the first three tournaments and the giant Mark Higgins
has been cited as the final winner before the sponsorship ran out in 1992. A final contest was reportedly held two years later, with Raimundas Zenkevicius claiming that title although sources differ. In 2008 a competition called Fortissimus
, founded by Paul Ohl, was staged in Canada which also claimed to be a tribute to the great Louis Cyr and was thus seen as the natural successor to the Defi Mark Ten International.
{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Year
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Champion
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Runner-Up
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|3rd Place
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Location
|-
|1992 ||
Mark Higgins
|| ||||
Montreal
|-
|1991 || Mark Higgins
|| || || Montreal
|-
|1990 || Mark Higgins
||
Bill Kazmaier
||
Magnus Ver Magnusson
|| Montreal
|-
|1989 || Magnus Ver Magnusson
|| || || Montreal
|-
|1988 || Hjalti Arnason
|| Magnus Ver Magnusson
|| Tom Magee
|| Montreal
|-
|1987 || Bill Kazmaier
|| Mark Higgins
|| Robert Dubeau || Montreal
|-
|1986 || Tom Magee
|| Jon Pall Sigmarsson
|| Mark Higgins
|| Quebec City
|-
|1985 || Tom Magee
||
Riku Kiri
|| Jon Pall Sigmarsson
|| Quebec City
|-
|1984 || Tom Magee
|| || || Quebec City
|}
Strength athletics
Strength athletics, more generally known as strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions...
contest in the world in th 1980s and early 1990s. Staged in Quebec, Canada, it was begun as a tribute to Louis Cyr
Louis Cyr
Louis Cyr was a famous Canadian strongman with a career spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His recorded feats, including lifting 500 pounds with one finger and carrying 4,337 pounds on his back, show Cyr to be, according to former International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness...
and was notable for the quality of the strength athletes it attracted, which included a number of winners of 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...
competition from including Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...
, Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
and Magnus Ver Magnusson.
History
Live strength athleticsStrength athletics
Strength athletics, more generally known as strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions...
competitions had begun in the late 1970s as a distinct set of disciplines from other strength related sports such as powerlifting or Highland Games
Highland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
. However, the associations of the new phenomena with its sporting forbears resulted in certain countries being at the vanguard of such competitions. One such country with a deep rooted past in strongman competition was Canada, and in particular Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, referred to as a "cradle of strongmen". In 1984 Jean-Claude Arsenault began to promote a competition named after the most famous of Quebec's strongmen of the past, Louis Cyr
Louis Cyr
Louis Cyr was a famous Canadian strongman with a career spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His recorded feats, including lifting 500 pounds with one finger and carrying 4,337 pounds on his back, show Cyr to be, according to former International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness...
. The Louis Cyr Tournament was quickly a success and gained the sponsorhip of a cigarette company resulting in its change of name to Defi Mark Ten.
The first outing of the competition caused some newspapers to claim that "Nationalism marred contest" citing the fact that Quebec was painted on the backdrop to the competition deliberately separate from Canada and grouped with France. Despite this, there was noted by the same newspaper an impressive camaraderie amongst the athletes.
The event attracted the very top strength athletes in the world. Amongst these names were Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
, Magnus Ver Magnusson
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
and Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...
. The Canadian Tom Magee
Tom Magee
Tom Magee is a former Canadian powerlifter and strongman competitor from Winnipeg, Canada.-Strongman/Powerlifting:Tom was the 1982 IPF World Powerlifting Champion in the +125kg division....
was the winner of the first three tournaments and the giant Mark Higgins
Mark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
has been cited as the final winner before the sponsorship ran out in 1992. A final contest was reportedly held two years later, with Raimundas Zenkevicius claiming that title although sources differ. In 2008 a competition called Fortissimus
Fortissimus
The Fortissimus is a well recognised event in strength athletics. The name means "the mightiest" and is a multi-event challenge at the end of which the winner is crowned as the "Strongest Man on Earth"...
, founded by Paul Ohl, was staged in Canada which also claimed to be a tribute to the great Louis Cyr and was thus seen as the natural successor to the Defi Mark Ten International.
Results
{| border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0 1em 0 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 91%;"{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Year
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Champion
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Runner-Up
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|3rd Place
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Location
|-
|1992 ||
Mark HigginsMark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
|| ||||
MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
|-
|1991 ||
Mark HigginsMark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
|| || ||
MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
|-
|1990 ||
Mark HigginsMark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
||
Bill KazmaierBill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
||
Magnus Ver MagnussonMagnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
||
MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
|-
|1989 ||
Magnus Ver MagnussonMagnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
|| || ||
MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
|-
|1988 ||
Hjalti ArnasonHjalti Arnason
Hjalti Árnason is a former Icelandic strongman competitor and world champion powerlifter. Hjalti was known by the nickname "The Great Ursus". He first began in strength sports by competing as a junior powerlifter representing Iceland in 1983...
||
Magnus Ver MagnussonMagnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
||
Tom MageeTom Magee
Tom Magee is a former Canadian powerlifter and strongman competitor from Winnipeg, Canada.-Strongman/Powerlifting:Tom was the 1982 IPF World Powerlifting Champion in the +125kg division....
||
MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
|-
|1987 ||
Bill KazmaierBill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
||
Mark HigginsMark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
||
Robert Dubeau || MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
|-
|1986 ||
Tom MageeTom Magee
Tom Magee is a former Canadian powerlifter and strongman competitor from Winnipeg, Canada.-Strongman/Powerlifting:Tom was the 1982 IPF World Powerlifting Champion in the +125kg division....
||
Jon Pall SigmarssonJón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...
||
Mark HigginsMark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
||
Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
|-
|1985 ||
Tom MageeTom Magee
Tom Magee is a former Canadian powerlifter and strongman competitor from Winnipeg, Canada.-Strongman/Powerlifting:Tom was the 1982 IPF World Powerlifting Champion in the +125kg division....
||
Riku KiriRiku Kiri
Riku Kiri is a Finnish sportsman, best known for competing in the World's Strongest Man competition, narrowly missing out on capturing the title on more than one occasion...
||
Jon Pall SigmarssonJón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...
||
Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
|-
|1984 ||
Tom MageeTom Magee
Tom Magee is a former Canadian powerlifter and strongman competitor from Winnipeg, Canada.-Strongman/Powerlifting:Tom was the 1982 IPF World Powerlifting Champion in the +125kg division....
|| || ||
Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
|}
- Results from David Horne's World of Grip