WORLD BODYBUILDING HISTORY

GET TO KNOW RESPECTFUL INTERNATIONAL SPORT PERSONS. “AMBER PRIX” HISTORICAL INSPIRERS, SUPPORTERS AND PATRONS.

Throughout six decades of the history of the “Amber Prix” tournament, this prestigious event has been supported by prominent politicians, sports organizers, bodybuilding pioneers, patrons, and public figures from many countries around the world. Their contribution significantly influenced the development of Lithuanian bodybuilding and the strengthening of the international WFF-WBBF movement.

Professor Alfred Gerstl

Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Austria. From 2006 to 2009, he served as patron of the WFF-WBBF World Championships. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the “Amber Prix,” he presented for the people of Klaipeda a collection of original photographs of Arnold Schwarzenegger from that period, as well as a documentary film about the legendary athlete and actor. The photographs and the film were showcased in Klaipeda during the competition. In 2009, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Robert Fico

Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic. From 2011 to 2012, he acted as patron of the WFF-WBBF World Championships. In 2012, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Jerzy Gotowski

Patron and organizer of the 2008 World Championship, laureate of the Order of Saint Stanislaw. In 2009, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Štefan Hrčka

Patron and organizer of the World Championships from 2010 to 2014. In 2011, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Alexander Nevsky

Patron, Hollywood actor and film director, three-time absolute WFF-WBBF “Universe” champion. In 2011 awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Bob Hoffman

Robert Collins Hoffman (1898–1985) was one of the founders of official world bodybuilding. Through his efforts, from 1947 to 1969 world bodybuilding was supervised by the International Weightlifting Federation, a member organization of the International Olympic Committee. Known as the “Father of World Weightlifting,” he created a true “muscle empire” and trained numerous Olympic champions.

Oscar State

Oscar State (1911–1984) served as Secretary General of the International Weightlifting Federation F.I.H.C. (now I.W.F.) from 1960 to 1974. In 1970, he contributed to the establishment of the international IFBB federation and helped it gain membership in the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).

Oscar Heidenstam

Oscar Heidenstam (1911–1991), long-time president of the NABBA Association, opened the way in 1991 for Lithuanian bodybuilders to become members of the international organization. He also influenced NABBA to become one of the first international sports organizations to recognize Lithuania’s independence and the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania.

Ben Weider

Benjamin Weider (1923–2008) was one of the founders of the IFBB commercial company (1946) and the IFBB sport organization (1970). From 1970, he served as President of the International IFBB Federation and strongly influenced the development of bodybuilding in socialist countries.

Brone Dubar

Brone “Brownie” Dubar (Daubaraite, 1906–1986) was a Lithuanian-American athlete, gymnast, and one of the most prominent early pioneers of physical culture and fitness. She is widely regarded as the world’s first female fitness athlete. After emigrating from Lithuania to the United States in 1912, Brone Dubar soon became internationally known for her exceptional acrobatic and gymnastic performances. She toured extensively, demonstrating her athletic abilities in many countries and participating in numerous sports events. Her performances and promotion of an active lifestyle were far ahead of their time and became an inspiration for future generations of athletes. An important part of Brone Dubar’s legacy is also connected to the development of bodybuilding in Lithuania. During the years when bodybuilding was banned or strictly restricted in socialist countries, she supported the international bodybuilding contest “Amber Prix,” maintained contact with its organizers, and sent American sports literature and training materials. In this way, she contributed to the spread of modern physical culture and fitness ideas in Lithuania. Today, Brone “Brownie” Dubar is remembered as a pioneer of sport and fitness whose achievements helped pave the way for women in fitness and left a lasting mark on international sports history.

Georg Tenno

(1911–1967) was one of the pioneers of bodybuilding in the Soviet Union. An officer of the Soviet Army, he was accused of espionage in 1948 and sentenced to imprisonment in labor camps. He shared a prison cell with future Nobel Prize laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. During his imprisonment, Georg Tenno attempted escape five times. In his work The Gulag Archipelago, Solzhenitsyn dedicated the chapter “The Convicted Escapist” to him. In 1968, Georg Tenno’s book Athleticism was published.

Vojtech Fiala

Vojtech Fiala was the president of the National Federation of Bodybuilding of the Czechoslovak SSR. Through his personal connections, in 1975 he managed to secure government approval for athletes to travel to the West and compete in the IFBB European Championships. That year, Petr Stach won the overall European championship title. This victory became a significant achievement for socialist bodybuilding, which at the time was subjected to political pressure and persecution by the authorities. For many years afterward, Czechoslovak bodybuilders continued to compete in the West, while athletes from other socialist countries could hardly even dream of such an opportunity. In 1979, Vojtech Fiala initiated friendly competitions between Soviet and Czechoslovak bodybuilders: the Czechoslovaks were invited to compete in the “Amber Prix” Tournament, while Soviet athletes took part in the Czechoslovak National Championships.

Inar Mardo

1945-2002). Founder and organizer of the international “Georg Tenno Memorial” tournaments since 1970. One of the most respected leaders of Estonian bodybuilding, he consistently supported the organizers of the “Amber Prize” tournament.

Martin Kuta

Patron and organizer of the WFF Professional Fitness World Championships at Prague’s Žofín Palace from 2006 to 2009. In 2008, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Rišardas Krinickis

(1949-2015). One of the leaders of the State Control Committee of the Republic of Lithuania. From 1996 to 2006, he made a significant contribution to organizing international WFF-WBBF events in Lithuania. Two-time absolute champion of the “Amber Prize” tournament. Awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Kęstutis Virketis

Long-time Director of the Legal Department of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania. Participant and category winner of the 1974 “Amber Prize” tournament. In 2024, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Česlav Tamulevic

(1945-2023). Founder and coach of the unique “Vilnius Bodybuilding School,” which prepared athletes for the “Amber Prize” tournament. In 2020, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

Vitalij Asovskij

(1952-2026). Poet and playwright. After the illness of Česlavas Tamulevičius, he took over the leadership of the “Vilnius Bodybuilding School.” In 2020, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.

Valerij Koreskov

Journalist and photographer, one of the pioneers of bodybuilding in the Soviet Union. Awarded the international John Grimek Prize and a UNESCO honorary certificate. In 2018, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.

Professor Vasiliy Bespalenko

Professor at four universities, multiple WFF-WBBF World and European champion. In 2023, he became the absolute champion of the “Amber Prize” tournament. In 2022, he was awarded the Honorary Gold Medal of the World WFF-WBBF Federation.

More information is on international site www.wff.lt