Powerlifter Don Reinhoudt Dies at 78; Won World's Strongest Man in 1979

Former powerlifter Don Reinhoudt died on Monday after he was involved in a car crash in upstate New York, according to TMZ Sports.

He was 78.

According to Daniel Matthews of the Daily Mail, police said that Reinhoudt's Jeep struck a tree, and he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Reinhoudt most famously won the World's Strongest Man competition in 1979, just the third year of the now-legendary event. He also came in second place in 1978.

Additionally, he was a four-time IPF Men's World Powerlifting champ from 1973 to '76 and a three-time AAU US National Powerlifting champion from 1974 to '76. He was inducted into the National Strength and Power Hall of Fame in 2018.

Retired powerlifter Laurence Shahlaei was among those who paid their respects to Reinhoudt on Wednesday, writing the following on Instagram:

"Very sad to learn about the passing of Don Reinhoudt, the second man to win The World's Strongest Man, and one of the pioneers of the modern sports of Powerlifting and Strongman. I was lucky enough to talk to Don a couple of times, and he was incredibly kind and a real gentleman with so many stories to share. Our thoughts are with his wife, family and friends."

Per Matthews, Reinhoudt set a total of 51 world records, "including a 520-pound teeth lift, a 2,550-pound car lift and a 10,000-pound train pull. He lifted a combined weight of 2,420 pounds across bench press (626 lbs), squat (935 lbs) and dead lift (885 lbs)."