Sport
3 January, 2025
Heavy games world record for Fran
Heavy Events returned to the Maryborough Highland Gathering, this time with a world record broken.
The Vic Highland Heavy Events team took part in five traditional events including the Atlas Stone Put, Light and Heavy Weight for Distance, Weight Over Var, Caber Toss and the Atlas Stone Run.
During the first event of the day, a world record had already been broken. Four time Stone Put winner, Fran Fitzpatrick threw 39.3ft, breaking the previous record of 37.5ft, which she had already set herself.
“It was a nice surprise, I knew it was a good throw, but I didn’t count on it being that far,” she said.
“Although you do want to come first and it’s nice to win, it’s also nice to beat what you did at the last one.”
She also won the Masters Women for Light Weight for Distance, the Heavy Weight for Distance and the Weight Over bar.
Briony Rheuben said she was new to some of the heavy events, but won this year’s Open Womens in the Stone Put, Light Weight, Heavy Weight and Weight Over Bar. She says that traditional highland events are very inclusive.
“Anyone can do it really, you have to take your strength training quite seriously, but we have got people from beginners to elite,” she said.
South Australian Lachlan Page won the Open Men Light Weight for Distance, Heavy Weight for Distance, Caber and Weight Over Bar. Originally interested in track and field sport, he continued with heavy events because he loved it.
“Caber and Weight Over Bar are my favourite, it’s a highlight event of the games,” he said.
The Atlas stone run is a challenge event that the athletes choose to participate in. The Men’s winner was Sean Poole who lifted stone four at 140kg, and Kel Glaister at 125kg for stone three.
The Light and Heavy Weight for distance Men’s Masters was won by Lance Holland-Keen. He has been part of strong man and highland game events since 2008, and has competed internationally.
He said that these games are the most authentic he has seen outside Scotland.
“This is one of the closest ones I’ve done to Scottish games, I haven’t done another one with the track athletics, whereas most of them in Scotland have them as well,” Mr Holland-Keen said.