'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mark Henry had an eventful career in the WWE. His monstrous strength and appealing personality made him popular with the WWE Universe. However, WWE wasn't the only stage where Mark had established his dominance.
Before arriving in WWE, the multi-time World Champion was a famous international powerlifter. He won renowned competitions around the globe while competing with several world-class athletes.
His career started at the age of 10 when Mark's mother bought him a set of weights. She wanted him to get back in shape with the help of weightlifting.
Mark soon came to know about his limitless potential and decided to dedicate his life to powerlifting.
He went through hard training regimes to turn himself into a world-class competitor. His sheer determination eventually led to the grand stage of the Olympics.
But when did he participate in the Olympics? What was his record at the grand event? In this article, let's throw some light on Mark Henry's Olympic record.
Mark Henry's journey to the 1992 Olympic Games
Mark Henry's powerlifting skills came into the spotlight for the first time during his days at Silsbee High School. At such a young age, Henry was able to squat 600lbs (270kgs), which was considerably higher than the school record. He was given the title of the 'World's Strongest Teenager' by the LA Times.
He once again made headlines in 1990 by winning the National High School Powerlifting Championship. By the time he graduated from high school, Mark was already a three-time Texas state champion.
The talented powerlifter soon began practicing the Olympic style of weightlifting. These particular lifts require a lot more timing and agility. Henry adapted to the Olympic lifts very well and proceeded to break four national weightlifting records after just eight months of training.
Mark's hard work finally paid off as he qualified for the 1992 Summer Olympics. He was just nineteen years old at the time and was ready to show the world his potential.
He finished in tenth place in the super heavyweight class. Although he didn't win a medal, Henry gained a lot of experience by competing at the big event. Later in 1992, he came out victorious at the US Weightlifting American Open.
Mark Henry's journey to the 1996 Olympics.
After the 1992 Olympics, Mark Henry began to work on his skills and athleticism. He took part in many popular events around the world. Mark's biggest victory during this time came when he bagged three medals (gold, silver and bronze) in different categories in the 1995 Pan American games.
His victory in the US National Weightlifting Championship got him a ticket to the 1996 Olympics. The WWE Hall of Famer set many impressive world records during the event.
Mark Henry became a celebrity thanks to these groundbreaking performances. He garnered a lot of attention and publicity from the American sports media. Vince McMahon then decided to sign Mark Henry to a long-term WWE Contract.
Mark Henry went into the 1996 Olympics as the captain of his weightlifting team. He had a lot of momentum on his side and was ready to win a medal for his team.
Unfortunately, he suffered a back injury during this event, which prevented him from performing at his highest level. His injury forced him to drop out after his first clean and jerk lift attempt, causing him to end up in a disappointing 14th place.
It was his last appearance at the Olympics, as he soon retired from full-time professional weightlifting.
Mark Henry has expressed his desire to have one final match in the WWE
After an exciting WWE career, Mark Henry retired from the pro wrestling business in 2018. However, his recent activities have once again made him the talk of the town. Mark Henry recently appeared on Booker T's podcast, where he talked about his desire to have a proper retirement match:
"There's a lot of kids that didn't get to see me wrestle, that they only saw me on YouTube, it's been enough time that is passed. Also, I quit before I had a last match. Before I waved to everybody, I had the pink jacket on, I'm sorry I lied to y'all that I was leaving and retiring - I own it. But I did not get that match where you go and pay tribute to the fans and you go and wrestle somebody that's up-and-coming, that's talented and you give them what we call 'the rub'. I didn't do that and I feel guilty, that's why I'm doing it."
He has also been working hard to get back in shape for that final WWE match. A few days ago, The World's Strongest Man tweeted this picture with the eye-catching caption:
''20 pounds to go."
It looks like we will soon see The World's Strongest Man return for a final run with the WWE. Would you like to see Mark Henry in the WWE again? Sound off in the comments section.
