Magnus Samuelsson

Career

Samuelsson's strongman career started with winning Sweden's Strongest Man in 1995, which got him into the 1995 World's Strongest Man in the Bahamas, where he finished tenth. In 1996 he won his second national title and took second at the World Muscle Power Classic behind Forbes Cowan. At the 1997 World's Strongest Man in Nevada, USA, he placed third behind Jouko Ahola and Flemming Rasmussen, his first of five podium finishes; he also placed fifth in Europe's Strongest Man and the World Strongman Challenge that year, and won his third national title.

In 1998 he won the World's Strongest Man in Morocco, scoring 73 points in the final and winning four events, with Jouko Ahola second and Wout Zijlstra third; he also won the World Strongman Challenge and Atlantic Giant, placed fourth at the IFSA Helsinki Grand Prix and fifth at the IFSA German Grand Prix, and did not compete in Sweden's Strongest Man, letting his brother Torbjörn win it for the first time. In 1999 he placed fifth at the World's Strongest Man in Malta, won the IFSA Czech Grand Prix, placed second at the Viking of the North and Beauty and the Beast, third at Atlantic Giant, and won his fourth Sweden's Strongest Man title.

In 2000 he won IFSA Grand Prix events in Ireland, Poland, Romania and China, placed second in Europe's Strongest Man and the IFSA Finland Grand Prix, third at the World's Strongest Man in South Africa, third at Atlantic Giant, and won his fifth national title. In 2001 he became overall champion of the Strongman Super Series, placed second at the World's Strongest Man in Zambia behind Svend Karlsen, second at the Holland Grand Prix, and third at Europe's Strongest Man, World Muscle Power Classic and Czech Grand Prix.

In 2002 he injured himself in the squat event at the World's Strongest Man in Malaysia and withdrew. In 2003 he placed fourth at the World's Strongest Man in Zambia and third at World Muscle Power Classic, winning only the national title. In 2004 he won the Sweden Grand Prix, beating Žydrūnas Savickas and Svend Karlsen. After competing in the 2005 IFSA Strongman World Championship and winning his ninth Sweden's Strongest Man title, he returned to the 2006 World's Strongest Man but failed to get past the qualifying rounds due to a back injury.

A year later he reached the 2007 World's Strongest Man finals, finishing fifth. After failing to make the finals in 2008, he retired after 14 years of competition. He held the record for reaching the World's Strongest Man finals ten times, with five podium finishes, and finished with 31 career podium finishes.

Media

Samuelsson was offered a role in the film Gladiator but declined, partly because he thought it would be a B movie and did not recognize the actors the agent named.

Did You Know?

• Samuelsson accidentally broke the arm of Australian wrestler Nathan Jones during heats of the 1995 World's Strongest Man when Jones used a novice side-twisting technique.
• He unofficially became the first man to close the IronMind Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper for two reps, and later officially closed it in 2004, becoming the fifth man to get COC#4 certification.
• He set a world record in the Atlas Stones at the 2007 World's Strongest Man, lifting 100–160 kg onto tall platforms in 21.09 seconds.
• Samuelsson was the first person to lift the Inch Dumbbell (78 kg) one-handed with a thumbless grip.
• He set a world record in the Hercules hold (car setup) at the 1999 Beauty and the Beast, holding 300 kg for 47.91 seconds.