WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN 2020(capital letters are stronger)

[Bazooka]

On Nov. 11-15, 2020, 25 of the strongest men in the world gather in Bradenton, FL to compete in the 43rd edition of the SBD World's Strongest Man (WSM) Championship. The event will not allow in-person attendance due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. The competition details are as follows:

When: Nov. 11-15, 2020.

Where: Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island in Bradenton, FL.

Competition Schedule:
• Qualifying Rounds: Nov. 11-12, 2020 (25 athletes competing).
• Finals: Nov. 14-15, 2020 (10 athletes competing).

The only sporting event that matters begins next week in Florida with no crowd.  2019 winner Martins Licis is out with injury(shame, great guy) Thor and Eddie Hall have retired from it and are in full training for their boxing math next year, Eddie Hall will be presenting though.

Mateusz Kieliszkowski announced yesterday he is out due to a tricep injury, as is Rob Kearney.

The Stoltman Brothers, Luke Richardson, Mark Felix, Graham Hicks, Adam Bishop .and Terry Hollands represnting the UK.

Predictions:

1st:  Brian Shaw, going to take his 5th title, he is looking ridiculous is training https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TdhCUdfIBbs&t=470s. Mateusz out has made this much easier for Shaw.

2nd: Luke Stoltman, best stone lifter at the moment.

3rd: JF Caron.

A few I would like to win, and Shaw has lost many of his big rivals, but I'd also be happy if he won his 5th title because he's a lovely bloke.

I assume it will be on Channel 5.

C'mon strength heads.

[paruses]

Dropped out of watching this a few years ago but find it enthralling. Will there be a CAB watchalong?

One of my favourite posts on CaB is about this - I wouldn't do it justice from memory but it involves one man carrying weighted shopping bags chasing another man carrying a cut-out bus. I am laughing as I type.

[Bazooka]

I started a thread last year?  or 2018, but I will certainly be watching, strongman videos have filled much of my lockdown YouTube viewing.

[Famous Mortimer]

I've been a fan since the Geoff Capes days, so I'll definitely be watching too. Licis seemed like a nice guy and a slightly surprising champion, so it'll be a shame not to see him again. I also didn't realise Thor had retired, he seemed head and shoulders above everyone else when he wasn't injured (and he did something after the WSM, I remember seeing a video on Eddie Hall's channel).

I find that Brian Shaw fella a bit dull, like he doesn't seem to have much of a personality. I like a good intense Scandinavian or Eastern European lad - shame Žydrūnas Savickas is out? All I got from this site - https://barbend.com/2020-worlds-strongest-man-roster/ - is that he's not competing this year (although he is doing an event against Brian Shaw soon).

Also, is Mark Felix ever going to retire? It does feel a bit odd to have so many British guys in it, none of whom (apart from big Stoltman) really stand much of a chance.

[Bazooka]

I also didn't realise Thor had retired, he seemed head and shoulders above everyone else when he wasn't injured (and he did something after the WSM, I remember seeing a video on Eddie Hall's channel).

Also, is Mark Felix ever going to retire? It does feel a bit odd to have so many British guys in it, none of whom (apart from big Stoltman) really stand much of a chance.

Hathor won Iceland's strongest man unsurprisingly aging the other month, but I think he wanted to spend more time with his family, and he's really slimmed down, as has Eddie for their fight, both are still absolutely tanks though.

I wouldn't write off the other British guys, especially has four or so of the best are out, win against Shaw and Caron,no but podium is possible this year. Graham Hicks is one of the best static event athletes ever and has placed podium before.

[evilcommiedictator]

I'm out, all these STRONGMEN are far too clean for me, let me see the ones who push the real limits of HUMAN ENDURANCE by injecting themselves with every anabolic steroid imaginable

[SpiderChrist]

I started a thread last year?  or 2018, but I will certainly be watching, strongman videos have filled much of my lockdown YouTube viewing.

I bet they have, you dirty old bollocks.

[mikeyg27]

If you need a lesser STRONGMAN fix then Eddie Hall, Brian Shaw, Nick Best and Brian Obrest had a show on the History Channel called THE STRONGEST MAN IN HISTORY which was the four of them attempting to recreate legendary feats of strength from the annals of time. It turned out they attempted to repeat the barrel lifting of 18th century strongman Thomas Topham about 100m from my workplace without anyone knowing a thing about it.

[imitationleather]

I always used to watch this on Channel 5 during the Christmas holiday period.

Might get back into it. Could be exactly what my life is currently missing.

[Cuellar]

Thor's on twitch you know. Not sure what he gets up to.

[Gulftastic]

Does rugby union turd Inverdale have anything to do with it these days?

[Famous Mortimer]

Does rugby union turd Inverdale have anything to do with it these days?

It was Eddie Hall and...a guy, last year. Oh, and the British championships (at least) had a skinny kid who looked like he'd just finished a hosting gig on CBBC, interviewing the competitors. Don't think Inverdale has been involved for a while.

Graham Hicks is one of the best static event athletes ever and has placed podium before.

An individual event though, right? I'm happy to be proved wrong, and will be watching either way (apparently it's on on CBS over here). Also, this will be happening live-ish, if you don't want to wait - https://www.facebook.com/events/356686308897710/

[Bazooka]

Does rugby union turd Inverdale have anything to do with it these days?

No, will be Eddie Hall and usually a nice lady for Channel 5.

[Bazooka]

Thor's on twitch you know. Not sure what he gets up to.

I think he plays CoD.

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

I used to love watching it in the early years and I'll still watch it when it's on, but it's not the must-see it used to be.*

When it comes to strength sports, I find Olympic weightlifting more interesting and watch quite a bit of it on YouTube. And although powerlifting should perhaps me more relatable, with the bench presses, squats and deadlifts being exercises many of us do in the gym, I just find it pretty boring to watch.

*(I have though, completely by chance and on two separate occasions, found myself standing next to two World's Strongest Man winners in pubs: Bill Kazmaier in Amsterdam and Jamie "Pork Pie" Reeves in Wolverhampton).

[Old Thrashbarg]

Does rugby union turd Inverdale have anything to do with it these days?

For the last few years it's been James Richardson presenting, with Danny Wallace and Colin Bryce on commentary. Richardson's always good, Bryce runs Giants Live, so knows his stuff, and Wallace is surprisingly good as a lead commentator.

Then they have a female presenter introducing the events and doing interviews, who seemingly changes each year, and Eddie Hall joining them for the last couple.

[Bazooka]

Qualifier groups announced:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eh7Nwoz9Fc

Group 3:Beaudrealt, Tom Stoltman, Mitchell, and Novikov is definitely the big battler group.

[petril]

I used to love watching it in the early years and I'll still watch it when it's on, but it's not the must-see it used to be.*

it just doesn't feel right when it's not stripped across Christmas and New Year, in that kind of CBBC/Neighbours timeslot. perfect for the join between Christmastime afternoons and Christmastime evenings, when normal routine has fucked off for a couple of weeks. handy anchor, that

[Cuellar]

Wish they'd televise the women's competition too

[Bazooka]

it just doesn't feel right when it's not stripped across Christmas and New Year, in that kind of CBBC/Neighbours timeslot. perfect for the join between Christmastime afternoons and Christmastime evenings, when normal routine has fucked off for a couple of weeks. handy anchor, that

Well the problem is, if you follow the sport then you know the result, but most viewers don't so it gets good ratings over the holiday.

[A Hat Like That]

It is on over those festive weeks, typically 1800ish on Channel 5 and the odd summary/classics

The shame is the removal of the slightly more mental events and using the location more - Rekjavik 1992 seems to be the last one I remember from that era.

No, wait, distinctly remember the Sun City one.

[Bazooka]

Qualifiers over, this year's finalists:

Adam Bishop GB
J. F Caron CAN
Kevin Faires USA
Graham Hicks GB
Jerry Pratchett USA
Oleksii Novikov UKRAINE
Luke Richardson GB
Aivars Šmaukstelis LAT
Tom Stoltman GB
Brian Shaw USA

One Stoltman through, would have liked to have seen Hicks and Felix in another final, but the qualifiers were rough, you could be 5th in your group for an event with a score that would put an athlete 3rd or even 2nd in another group for the same event.

[paruses]

Forgot about this! What channel are you watching on? I looked on 5 but only has 2016 and 2019. It does have a greatest ever series with stuff from 1977+ so if it pisses it down again today I might settle down with a bucket of boiled aggs and some 48oz steaks and have a watch.

[Bazooka]

It's not being shown live, it will premier on Boxing Day on Channel 5 and I think CBS in US. Some of the Atlethes like Brian Shaw have a personal cameraman, so there have been short bursts of footage.

But https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMpZUO4Tq8Y but Laurence Shahlaei the strong man does a really good job of providing updates and he has interviewed many of the big names in the sport.

[Bazooka]

And it's over, sounds like an incredible win.

[petril]

it will premier on Boxing Day on Channel 5

all is good with the world

[Bazooka]

British strongman Aaron Page dies aged 31 from Covid.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/barbend.com/strongman-aaron-page-dies/amp/

[Emma Raducanu]

I see Graham Hicks all the time. Proper Morecambe lad. Usually doing his shopping in Lidl.

What a bizarre place Morecambe is. I used to see Tyson Fury working out in the leisure centre too.

All so low key in the most wonderful ways. KEEP IT REAL MORECAMBE LADS.

[Bazooka]

Attention Strong heads, this Saturday the 12th is The Shaw Classic, Brian Shaw's first namesake competition where he puts up the money. Hopefully an annual event.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/barbend.com/event-list-shaw-classic/amp/

[Old Thrashbarg]

Avoided this thread until now in case of spoilers. Just started watching this year's shows yesterday and the news at the end of the Europe show about Aaron Page was a bit of a shock. Hadn't heard anything about it.

Do wonder why they dealt with it as they did on the broadcast, waiting until the end of the third show to show a quick montage in tribute. Given they've had plenty of time since the tragedy and how prominent a role he's had in each show they've broadcast (and in with a very good chance of qualifying for the World's), a larger tribute/send-off feels like it'd have been in order.