Former World’s Strongest Man Don Reinhoudt Has Died at Age 78

The 1979 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Don Reinhoudt has passed away at age 78. According to NY state police, Reinhoudt was involved in a single-vehicle crash in the town of Pomfret in Chautauqua County, NY, on July 3, 2023.

Per Buffalo News, Reinhoudt’s 2019 Jeep crashed into a tree after going off-road northbound on Glasgow Road. Reinhoudt was pronounced dead after being transported to Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk, NY.

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Don Reinhoudt’s Strongman Career

Reinhoudt is a former WSM champion, having competed in the second, third, and fourth editions of the contest. He ranked second in 1978, claimed gold in 1979, and finished 10th in 1980 after suffering an injury.

In his WSM debut in 1978, Reinhoudt scored silver against the defending WSM champion Bruce Wilhelm. A year later, Reinhoudt took first, followed by the 1978 bronze medalist Lars Hedlund of Sweden in the runner-up spot. They were joined by eventual three-time WSM champion Bill Kazmaier, who came in third.

Kazmaier went on to win his first of three WSM titles in 1980, while Reinhoudt suffered a torn biceps and hamstring, preventing him from finishing the contest. Those injuries led to his retirement from competitive strongman that same year.

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Don Reinhoudt’s Powerlifting Career

During the 1970s, Reinhoudt was a renowned and decorated powerlifter in the superheavyweight +110-kilogram class. He is a four-time IPF superheavyweight world champion, standing atop the podium from 1973-76.

Results aren’t consistent when searching for Reinhoudt’s best-ever lifts in competition. Below, we’ll list both his reported best-ever numbers (from The Barbell) and what Open Powerlifting currently has listed on their site. Both sets of numbers are for raw lifts.

Reported Best Lifts

Squat: 423.9 kilograms (934.5 pounds) 
Bench Press: 275.5 kilograms (607.4 pounds)
Deadlift: 401.6 kilograms (885.5 pounds)
Total: 1,097.7 kilograms (2,391 pounds)

Best Lifts According to Open Powerlifting

Squat: 410 kilograms (904 pounds) 
Bench Press: 275 kilograms (606.2 pounds)
Deadlift: 390 kilograms (860 pounds)
Total: 1042.5 kilograms (2,298.3 pounds)

According to Open Powerlifting, Reinhoudt competed in nine sanctioned powerlifting contests throughout the 1970s and never missed the podium. In fact, he only failed to win gold in his debut meet — a bronze finish at the 1972 AAU Men’s World Powerlifting Championships. Reinhoudt’s nine sanctioned powerlifting contest appearances are listed below:

1976 IPF Men’s World Powerlifting Championships — First Place
1976 AAU Senior Nationals — First Place
1975 IPF Men’s World Powerlifting Championships — First Place
1975 AAU Senior Nationals — First Place
1974 IPF Men’s World Powerlifting Championships — First Place
1974 AAU Senior Nationals — First Place
1973 IPF Men’s World Powerlifting Championships — First Place
1973 AAU Senior AMA Powerlifting Championships — First Place
1972 AAU Men’s World Powerlifting Championships — Third Place

Reinhoudt was known for his feats of strength in powerlifting and strongman, but he dabbled in Olympic Weightlifting as well. 

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Featured image: @bulkamaniauk on Instagram

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