Defenders Games 2025: the biggest strength sports competition in the Czech Republic

Ostrava became the epicentre of strength sports from 17 to 18 May 2025 when the Defenders Games 2025 took place here - the first festival of strength sports in Ostrava and the largest competition of this type in the Czech Republic. This unique festival was held for the fourth time and promises an unforgettable experience for all fans of fi tness, strength, discipline and determination.

The festival, held as usual in the iconic Triple Hill Karolina, attracted not only athletes, but also the general public, who had the opportunity to watch some of the biggest personalities of strength sports. The main judge of the event was Matyáš Funiok, the youngest professional strongman in the Czech Republic, who has already participated twice in the prestigious Arnold Sports Festival in Ohio. He was also assisted by Bedřich Jochim and Štěpán Küchner.

The organizers of the festival are Marek Tyl and Barbora Malecová together with the community of Defenders Gym -> strongman club based in Slezská Ostrava. The whole festival is organized under the auspices of Defenders Strong Club. The festival is moderated by Marek Tyl, Jiří Tkadlčík and Dj Lowa.

What was waiting for the visitors?

• Strongman competitions - The strongest strength athletes from the Czech Republic and abroad will compete in disciplines that will test their strength, endurance and mental resilience. Amateur categories were opened (in all weight classes and also profi except OPEN, as Strongman in Aš took place on the same date).
• Loglift record - Patrik Zelezka, holder of several world records, attempted to set a world record in Loglift, a discipline in which competitors lift a heavy log (wooden log) above their heads. Log lifting is one of the most demanding and admired disciplines in strength sports. He tried to lift 205 kg, but this time he failed.
• HMB Tournaments - Full-contact historical jousting by teams from all over Europe provided an interesting spectator experience. Buhurt is a sport in which teams duel in full armour and with exact replicas of historical weapons.
• Deadlift challenge races according to GPC rules performed by Filip Kaňák from Golem Gym.
  Street Workout Zone, where Filip Šauli and other one of the best street workoutists in the Czech Republic also appeared.
• Fitness EXPO - Presentation of equipment, fi tek and training aids used by strength athletes.
• Lectures and workshops - Meetings with experts and professionals in the field of strength sports and healthy lifestyle. Jana Roubalová talked about dietary supplements, Radomil Vasik about the basics of strongman and strength sports, JIri Tkadlcik about his journey to the top and Jan HIblbauer, MD, about anabolic steroids.

Defenders Games 2025 is not only a competition, but also a celebration of strength, determination and community.

Highlights from the strength competitions

Professional category

Profi U80. His performance is all the more remarkable because in addition to participating in the pro race, he also participated in the amateur competition and the Atlas Record Breakers discipline. Despite this heavy load, he managed to win a fantastic second place in the strong pro competition.

Profi U105: The 105 kg category brought some breathtaking moments. Ludvik Lang performed an incredible deadlift with 350 kg, a performance worthy of admiration. Similarly impressive was Benji's (Benjamin Machala) time of just 16 seconds in the Sandbag Tossu, which is one of the absolute best. Overall, it should be highlighted that all competitors in this category managed to pull more than 300 kg, which shows the extraordinary strength of the starting field.

Profi U90. Mark Cummins was close behind with an impressive 345 kg. The mere participation of Cummins, an internationally renowned professional competitor, added a touch of exclusivity to this category and increased the prestige of the whole competition.

Amateur categories

Amateur U105: With 16 competitors, this category was the most numerous and also produced the most exciting fights. The fight for the top positions was extremely close, especially between the first four competitors, where the final standings were decided by really minimal differences.

Amateurs U80: In the amateur category up to 80 kg Ondra Červený deserves attention again, who besides his success in the pro category took a great second place here as well. We should also highlight the participation of Radomil Vasik and overall very close fight, which kept the audience in suspense until the end.

Women's categories

Women OPEN. Special mention should be given to Karin Krchlíková, only seventeen years old, who managed to assert herself in the strong competition. Another impressive performance was 19 repetitions in the deadlift by Jana Roubalova, a result that testifies to her extraordinary endurance and strength.

Women U73: In the U73kg category we witnessed two incredible performances in the deadlift, with both competitors completing 20 reps in under a minute! This is a testament not only to physical strength, but also to indomitable will and perfect technique.

Full results of the competitors are here.