Adrian Rollinson
Encyclopedia
Adrian Rollinson (born 1965) is a British
strongman
competitor, notable for being a repeat competitor at the World's Strongest Man
.
. He came to prominence in strongman circles relatively late when he made the finals of Britain's Strongest Man
in 1999, though he did not earn a place on the podium. In 2000 he won a Geoff Capes UK Strongest Man heat to qualify for the UK's Strongest Man 2000 show. For a long while, the top five placed athletes from Britain's Strongest Man qualified for the finals of the World's Strongest Man
and Rollinson found himself thrown in with the world's best in 2000 at the finals in South Africa. He appeared three more times in the WSM, after strong finishes in Britain's Strongest Man ("BSM"). In 2004 he came second in the BSM but ironically came closer to the title in 2005, at which he finished third. In this 2005 BSM, the title was decided by the three top scoring competitors racing in a Farmer's Walk event. Rollinson had dominated the entire competition prior to that, being the only man to complete the Atlas Stones and having pressed 9 reps on the log press. However, for the top three, prior points were discarded in favour of the Farmer's Walk . Mick Gosling
won the event and Rollinson, not known for his speed, came third. This would prove to be his final BSM. In addition to these major competitions, Rollinson also took second spot in the Iceland's Strongest Man tournament as a guest. After his retirement he remains active as a promoter of tournaments, notably the nationally renowned "Mighty Midlander" contest.
Outside of strongman, Rollinson worked as a roadworker in his native Dudley. He landed a role as a Gyptian bodyguard in 2007 in the movie, The Golden Compass, the Hollywood adaptation of the first in Philip Pullman
's trilogy, His Dark Materials
. He filmed five scenes in London just before Christmas 2007 but did not meet the principle stars Daniel Craig
or Nicole Kidman
. He did film with Eva Green
, Tom Courtenay
and Jim Carter
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
competitor, notable for being a repeat competitor at the World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
.
Biography
Adrian Rollinson was born in 1965 in DudleyDudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
. He came to prominence in strongman circles relatively late when he made the finals of Britain's Strongest Man
Britain's Strongest Man
Britain's Strongest Man is an annual strongman event held in the United Kingdom. Competitors qualify for the final through regional heats and the winner is awarded the title of "Britain's Strongest Man"...
in 1999, though he did not earn a place on the podium. In 2000 he won a Geoff Capes UK Strongest Man heat to qualify for the UK's Strongest Man 2000 show. For a long while, the top five placed athletes from Britain's Strongest Man qualified for the finals of the World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
and Rollinson found himself thrown in with the world's best in 2000 at the finals in South Africa. He appeared three more times in the WSM, after strong finishes in Britain's Strongest Man ("BSM"). In 2004 he came second in the BSM but ironically came closer to the title in 2005, at which he finished third. In this 2005 BSM, the title was decided by the three top scoring competitors racing in a Farmer's Walk event. Rollinson had dominated the entire competition prior to that, being the only man to complete the Atlas Stones and having pressed 9 reps on the log press. However, for the top three, prior points were discarded in favour of the Farmer's Walk . Mick Gosling
Mick Gosling
Mick Gosling is famous for being the winner of Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2005. He is the brother of fellow strongman and former holder of the title "Britain's Strongest Man", Richard Gosling....
won the event and Rollinson, not known for his speed, came third. This would prove to be his final BSM. In addition to these major competitions, Rollinson also took second spot in the Iceland's Strongest Man tournament as a guest. After his retirement he remains active as a promoter of tournaments, notably the nationally renowned "Mighty Midlander" contest.
Outside of strongman, Rollinson worked as a roadworker in his native Dudley. He landed a role as a Gyptian bodyguard in 2007 in the movie, The Golden Compass, the Hollywood adaptation of the first in Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
's trilogy, His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
. He filmed five scenes in London just before Christmas 2007 but did not meet the principle stars Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
or Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
. He did film with Eva Green
Eva Green
Eva Gaëlle Green is a French actress and model.Green performed in theatre before making her film debut in The Dreamers , which generated controversy over her numerous nude scenes. She achieved greater fame for her parts in Kingdom of Heaven , and in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, for...
, Tom Courtenay
Tom Courtenay
Sir Thomas Daniel "Tom" Courtenay is an English actor who came to prominence in the early 1960s with a succession of films including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner , Billy Liar , and Dr. Zhivago . Since the mid-1960s he has been known primarily for his work in the theatre...
and Jim Carter
Jim Carter
Jim Carter is an English actor.-Early life:Carter was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. His father worked for the Air Ministry and his mother was a land girl and later a school secretary...
.