The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a mighty adversary for many, Guyana’s strongest man, Carlos Petterson-Grifith included.
Yesterday, the Strong Man champion and powerlifting star disclosed that the restrictive measures of the pandemic has forced him to remain in Guyana.
He was scheduled to compete in Halmstad, Sweden at the World Classic Powerlifting Championships which got underway five days ago.
Petterson-Grifith told this publication that the host country did not allow entry to travelers from Guyana and some other ‘high risk’ territories in spite of their vaccination status.
The 93kg behemoth also disclosed that another weight he could not get off the ground was the Schengen visa which would only have been granted until after the championships.
The visa refers to the European Union passport-free zone that covers most of the European countries. It is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any member of the EU per stays up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions for entry into the EU and the Schengen Area from many countries apply.
“We couldn’t even obtain the visa in time since the date would have been after the championships,” said Petterson-Grifith.
“We applied for it three weeks before the championships but would have gotten it way after, the last time we got it in 14 days.”
Despite being grounded and unable to represent the Golden Arrowhead at the September 23- October 1 event, Petterson-Grifith said it is “just a setback” adding that he is currently in the gym with his hard hat on looking ahead to his next international outing.
“I am training to get stronger for what’s ahead, I will continue working and training to get better,” he declared.
He then revealed that the local federation is aiming to select an outfit to compete at the South American Championships in Ecuador from December 8-12.
The 27 year-old concluded by thanking his supporters and sponsors, Fitness Express, The Ministry of Sport, MVP Sports, DeSinco Trading and GUYBISCO for being in his corner.
