Strength Stories 7: Jouko Ahola

Jouko Ahola is off-puttingly photogenic. He also happens to be a two-time World's Strongest Man.

[@PitfallHarry72]

Jouko Ahola was amazing. You wouldn't expect that strength out of a guy that size. Mitchell Hooper reminds me of him, as in another man you wouldn't expect to have the strength he does.

[@everythingstrength1485]

His podium % is 2nd to none 💯 I believed he podiumd every show he entered. Also the lightest Worlds Strongest Man ever 💪 he had an insanely strong back 🧐

[@storiedstrength]

He weighed a measly 275 at 6’1 haha

[@everythingstrength1485]

@@storiedstrength goes to show, that pound for pound, he's one of the best 💯

[@anzeerjavec297]

Brian podiumed 13 times

[@JSStrength]

One of my biggest inspirations for strongman, as someone who will also be very undersized

[@everythingstrength1485]

Vytautas Lalas, also was an inspiration to myself. Being only 5'10 and winning the Arnold's in '08 against a VERY stacked lineup. A true David vs. Goliath battle, that no one thought he was going to win.

[@JSStrength]

@@everythingstrength1485 he also barely came in 2nd to Big Z at WSM one year

[@papalegba6796]

Big Z my favourite strong man ever, but this guy well up there. For his size he was crazy strong.

[@alanaliyev456GT]

6'1" 270 lbs vs 6'4" 390 lbs (big z ) and now, True monsters over 400/500 lbs ( for various height) IRON CHEIKH SANOU BIBI....LASHA TALAKHADZE.... MADDOX... SHAW .... SAVATINOV (5"9 !!! 380/420 LBS !!!)

[@alanaliyev456GT]

AHOLA... PUDZIA.... BOTH ARE ATYPICS SUPERHEAVY

[@rpipower]

Very Nice!

[@torringtonstonekeeper]

Yeah big dawg

[@tombrunner8181]

His death as Odo was an impudence, much too early🤬😂

[@simenandersen3262]

Jouko would get 3 more WSM titles I think if he kept going. Svend Karlsen, Janne Virtanen and Magnus Samuelson had too many weaknesses to compete with Youko. 2003 Mariusz Pudzianowski would probably beat him.

[@storiedstrength]

I guess he was just too photogenic to be contained by the sport

[@simenandersen3262]

@@storiedstrength hahahah 😂 I just wish he had continued 3 more years so we could see him in Arnold Classic as well. I think Strongman advanced a lot 2000-2004.

[@storiedstrength]

@@simenandersen3262 oh yeah, seeing him at a heavy show like the Arnold would have been epic

[@Mustaerkki]

He said in some finnish interview that he had several injuries and some inner organ that was injured, that he decided to stop! But now at 53 he gonna do world record in deadlift (over 50y)

[@storiedstrength]

@@Mustaerkki based on some leaked training footage from Tnation, he’s definitely still strong as all get-out

[@everythingstrength1485]

....and the first like 👍😁

[@storiedstrength]

Abtholute thavage