Laurence Shahlaei (born 25 December 1982) is an English YouTuber, strength sports commentator, coach, and a retired strongman competitor. He is most noted for winning the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man competition.[2]
He is also the winner of England's Strongest Man (2009) and Britain's Strongest Man (2012, 2013) competitions at the national circuit.
Shahlaei was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire[3] to an Iranian father from Kermanshah and an English mother from Newcastle upon Tyne. He attended Balcarras School, and later moved to Stroud, Gloucestershire[3] where he developed his passion towards Strength athletics.
Shahlaei started strongman training in 2005 and entered his first novice competition that year, where he finished 8th. Within two years, he entered his first Britain's Strongest Man, having won the Midlands qualifier. In that competition in 2007, he made a huge impact, making it to the final only to tear his biceps in the tyre flip, which forced him to withdraw. He won the Midlands qualifier again in 2008, and once again made the final, this time finishing 4th behind Jimmy Marku, Terry Hollands and Mark Felix. This placing landed him an invite to the World's Strongest Man in 2008. He did not make the finals.
In 2009, four years after beginning strongman, he became the UKSC Midlands Strongest Man and also won the UKSC England's Strongest Man. Shahlaei did not compete in the WSM qualifier titled England's Strongest Man, which replaced the Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2009 and was won by Terry Hollands.
In 2011 Strongman Champions League Holland, he was equal on points with Ervin Katona but emerged victorious on count-back. Shahlaei emerged runner-up to Krzysztof Radzikowski at 2012 WSF Championships in Abu Dhabi and second runner-up to Žydrūnas Savickas and Vytautas Lalas at the 2012 Europe's Strongest Man, but injured his shoulder during 2012 SCL China. He won 2013 Britain's Strongest Man[4] however 3 weeks later, during 2013 World's Strongest Man group stages, he tore his quad during the squat event.
In 2014, Shahlaei emerged runner-up to Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson at the 2014 Battle of the North in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. He suffered a severe injury attempting a personal best deadlift at the World Deadlift Championships in conjunction with the 2014 Europe's Strongest Man, tearing his lat, forcing him to withdraw from the competition despite sharing third place with Martin Wildauer with a 435 kg (959 lb) lift. In 2015 World's Strongest Man group stages, he again sustained an injury during the Norse Hammers event where the second of the three hammers tore his triceps and dropped him to the floor.
In his career spanning over 12 years, Shahlaei competed in 55 international competitions and won 8 of them[5] including his best win, the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man. He also managed to win 4th place at the 2011 World's Strongest Man while securing 7th, 9th, 9th and 10th places in 2017, 2009, 2014 and 2016 respectively, making it five times into the finals.[6] He also competed in the inaugural World's Ultimate Strongman in 2018 and placed 5th in a stacked field of 12.[7] He also placed 7th in the 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic, widely considered the heaviest and most difficult strongman competition in the world.[8][9]
During 2019 World's Strongest Man group stages, Shahlaei sustained a career ending injury when he tore his Achilles tendon while performing the super yoke. He made a brief comeback two years later to his final competition 2021 Giants Live Strongman Classic where he won 7th place.
Shahlaei had a minor acting role in the film The Golden Compass (2007)[10] and in 2011, competed on Deal or No Deal (UK game show), where he lifted presenter Noel Edmonds up above his head. In 2012, Shahlaei opened a personal training business in Swindon, Wiltshire.
Since 2016, Shahlaei has become a popular strongman analyst and commentator, announcing in many popular strongman franchises.[11] Alongside his wife Elizabeth, they maintain a YouTube channel titled Big Loz Official.[12] The channel has covered many strongman-related topics and has released more than 1,750 videos.
Shahlaei also runs a coaching business, with his clients competing in major strongman competitions. In 2023, he coached Mitchell Hooper to both the Arnold Strongman Classic and World's Strongest Man titles.[13]
Shahlaei and his wife, Elizabeth Mason, live in Swindon, Wiltshire.[14] They have 3 children[15] daughters Ava, Alexa and son Lewis.
Powerlifting
Strongman
Winning percentage: 14.54%
Podium percentage: 41.81%
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Podium | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International competitions | 8 | 9 | 6 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 55 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-2011, 2013–2019 | World's Strongest Man | Himself – Competitor | |
| 2007 | The Golden Compass | ||
| 2011 | Deal or No Deal | Contestant |
