THE STRONGEST IN LATVIA

07.01.1971 (Dzimtenes Balss)

When the weightlifting record attempt competition was held in Riga, the judges weighed the bar several times — so that the new records would be completely accurate. In the second heavyweight, Arturs Sliede reached 186 kilograms in the press, 205.5 kilograms in the clean and jerk, and 540 kilograms in the clean and jerk (now his Latvian record in the clean and jerk is 542.5 kg — Ed.). He failed to set a new Latvian record only in the snatch. The stable man of the "five hundred club", who had improved his Latvian record in the clean and jerk by 17.5 kg, was warmly welcomed by Latvian sports veteran Voldemārs Šmidbergs :

— Great, boy! There's no room for words — now you're the strongest in Latvia...

In the life of Arturs Sliede, studies and sports play a key role. Nine years ago, he graduated from Riga Secondary School No. 2 with a silver medal. The athlete also successfully graduated from the Faculty of Automatics and Computing at the Riga Polytechnic Institute. Currently, 27-year-old A. Sliede works as a lecturer at this Institute. Among his students is also one of our most outstanding weightlifters, Kārlis Pumpuriņš, who has broken world records five times. Arturs Sliede teaches Kārlis Pumpuriņš physics. 

Meanwhile, another student, A. Sliedem, is in the weightlifting hall of "Dinamo". Once a week, he comes here... Jānis Lūsis. The Olympic champion in javelin throw lifts weights together with the strongest man in Latvia, which does not prevent him from learning the "secrets" of muscle training.

But the advisor to both strongmen in such times is Mikhail Fraifelds, the Merited Coach of the Latvian SSR. 

The cooperation between Jānis Lūsis and Arturs Sliede began earlier. Both were Latvian national track and field athletes, went on field trips together, fought together for the good name of Latvian sports. Track and field athletes - shot putters, discus, javelin and hammer throwers - also have to be strong. Former national track and field athlete Arturs Sliede threw the shot put 16.66 m. 

Couldn't he have gone any further? In the world of shot putters, 16.66 m is a very modest result. It turned out that even a man who weighs 133 kg himself needs more strength. Shot putter Ivars Driba  advised:

— You, Artur, train with weights.

And three years ago, Arturs Sliede started training in weightlifting. He achieved the results of the first sports class independently. The bar was A. Sliede's new passion, and he became a weightlifter. Exactly a year ago, Sliede already entered the "five hundred club" - he lifted 510 kg in the triathlon. Of course, great merit goes to the weightlifting coach of "Dinamo" M. Freifeld. His students have many times have broken world records: V. Stepanovs (6 times), G. Ivančenko (6 times), K. Pumpurlņš (5 times) and A. Majasins (1 time). 

True, A. Sliede has not yet approached the threshold of the world record, but other Soviet strongmen have already founded the "six hundred thousand" club.

Arturs Sliede is full of determination and fighting spirit:

— I think I will be able to lift 560 kg, coming in third place in the Soviet Union Championship.

... In the gym "Dinamo" loves the barbell. After finishing work at the institute, Arturs Sliede comes here, as usual. He watches: Jānis Lūsis puts 150 kg on the barbell, the Olympic champion's muscles tense, he pushes ... There!... This is another step for Jānis Lūsis on the way to the Olympic Games in 1972 in Munich.

When the workday is over, Arturs Sliede and his wife Ilona enjoy listening to or reading poetry. Ilona is still studying, and she is the main "culprit" that Arturs is fascinated by the poems of Imants Ziedonis and other Latvian poets. Arturs, in turn, has gotten Ilona interested in following sports.

A. SPARS