By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer
World’s Strongest Man (WSM)
WSM has been one of the most notable strength competitions since its introduction in 1977. Each year, 30 contestants are chosen based on their finishes at other strongman competitions, with the most recent winner, and past winners, generally receiving a reentry. Once selected, these athletes are broken up into one of five heats, composed of six people. Each heat will compete in six challenges with competitors earning points for where they finish. The winner picks up 10 points and the other competitors earn a point less for each place they finish behind first, with ties earning half points. At the end of the six events, the top two competitors of each heat will move onto the finals, where they’ll compete in six more events with the same point system, to be crowned the WSM.
The events at the competition are of epic proportions, making even the brawniest of competitors look small; from holding up the weight of a hollowed-out car to pulling a plane the length of a 100-foot course. Two-time WSM champion Bruce Whilem holds the record for the latter competition, which he set in 1977, finishing in 14 seconds.
Other events include the Farmer’s Walk, where contestants navigate a course carrying two 160 kg logs; Power Stairs, where contestants run objects up to 273 kg up and down a staircase, and the Toss, where contestants throw kegs over a 4.42 m wall. Often, the winner of the overall competition is decided in the sixth and final event: Atlas Stones, where athletes place five 100–160 kg stones on top of high platforms.
Last year’s WSM winner and first Canadian winner, Mitchell Hooper, finished second in the Atlas Stones behind defending champion, American Tom Stoltman, but finished the competition 4.5 points ahead to end Stoltman’s two-year reign. The 47th WSM competition will take place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from May 1–5.
Arnold Strongwoman Classic
Co-created by Arnold Schwarznegger, the Arnold Strongman Classic is an international competition that debuted in 2002 and expanded in 2017 to include strongwomen. Both competitions will be taking place between March 1–3 with prize money given to the top 10 finishers of the 11 men and 12 women competitors. This year’s events are the elephant ear deadlift (which has a longer bar, pushing the weights farther out and “decreasing the range of motion” of a traditional deadlift);frame carry (lifting and walking with a frame up an incline); Jeck stone carry for the women (144.5 kg) and the Dinnie stone carry for the men (188 kg) (walking for distance with the stone); monster dumbbell for the women (an overhead press with one arm) and the Apollon wheels for the men (overhead press with an “axle-type barbell” with both hands), and the stone medley, which is expected to be similar to Atlas Stones.Last year’s strongwoman champion was American Victoria Long with 40.5 points. Long entered into the second and final day of competition tied for sixth. She jumped into first aft
er sweeping first place in the remaining three events. This included her 651-pound co-world record elephant bar deadlift with fellow American Tamara Walcott. Hooper was the strongman champion with 41.5 points. He was the picture of consistency on both days, finishing second on day one and finishing in the top three of every event on day two to pull out the win.
