Muscle
man Tomas Bures has won Mr Universe, the competition which launched the career
of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tomas Bures is just under 1.8 m tall but weighs 105
kilos, none of it fat. The Prague kulturista (bodybuilder) is pure, enormous,
almost cartoon-like muscle. Bures works as a moulder in a Prague iron foundry,
pumping up his enormous biceps, triceps and tree-trunk thighs in a small gym
located in a Prague 4 primary school every evening.
All
that pumping paid off for the 31-year-old bodybuilder at the weekend, when he
surprised many by winning the amateur category in the Mr Universe finals in the
English town of Southport. Bures said never in his wildest dreams could he have
imagined such a sensational success.
Tomas
Bures, He almost didn't make the finals, after getting into a fight on the
street six weeks ago and injuring one of his biceps. But, says Bures, that
setback may have helped him take the crown - as he had to focus on getting in
shape quickly on the eve of the event. In the past he has been involved in a
drug-taking controversy: he was handed a three-month ban last year for not
making himself available for testing. No drug tests are carried out during the
finals of Mr Universe.
That
of course is the competition which launched the career of the Austrian-born
actor Arnold Schwarzennger, back in 1967; Arnie later won the professional
category three times. Tomas Bures - the first ever Czech Mr Universe - says he
doesn't plan to turn pro and is already back at work at the foundry, and the
gym.
