British Olympic shot putter and two-time winner of the World’s Strongest Man, Geoff Capes, has died, aged 75.

Capes represented Great Britain at three Olympic Games and still holds the official record for the UK’s longest male shot put with a distance of 21.68m in 1980. That distance was exceeded by Carl Myerscough in 2003, but it was not ratified by UK Athletics.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Capes family said: “The family of Geoffrey Capes would like to announce his sad passing today.

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“Britain’s finest shot putter and twice World’s Strongest Man.”

His best performance at an Olympics was fifth at Moscow in 1980, but he won the Commonwealth Games gold twice, and European Indoor Championships gold twice.

But it was for his victories in the World’s Strongest Man competition that made Capes a household name.

He won at Christchurch 1983 and Cascais 1985.

World’s Strongest Man 2017 winner Eddie Hall paid tribute to Capes in a social media post.

“One of the true legends of strength — Geoff Capes has sadly passed away,” Hall wrote.

“Not only was Geoff a two-time World’s Strongest Man and a record-breaking shot putter, but he was also a giant in heart and spirit.

“He paved the way for athletes like me, showing that British grit and determination could conquer the world.

“Geoff was an inspiration to so many of us growing up, a man whose incredible achievements and character left a lasting mark on the strength community.

“His legacy will continue to inspire the next generation of strongmen and athletes around the world.

“Rest easy, big man. You’ll always be remembered as one of the greatest.”

British Athletics also penned some nice words about Capes: “British Athletics are saddened to hear the news of former British shot putter, Geoff Capes’ passing.

“Our condolences go out to his family and friends at this time.”

World Athletics president Lord Coe added: “Geoff’s passing is a sad moment for so many of us in both British and global athletics.

“He was a huge figure in British athletics and brought the crowds back to our sport. Fiercely independent, competitive, but always protective of the teams that he captained with distinction.”

Capes stood an imposing 197cm tall and weighed in at around 170kgs.

He became a renowned coach after his competitive career, and also appeared on two reality TV shows.