Worlds Strongest Man - 2021

[Body-Buildah]

Roster and Events:

https://barbend.com/2021-worlds-strongest-man-events/

The event — now taking place in Sacramento, CA, from June 15-20 — will see 25 men compete in epic contests such as a Train Pull, Pickaxe Hold, and, to no one’s surprise, Atlas Stones. In total, athletes will complete 14 events across five grueling days.

[El Diablo Blanco]

What does this have to do with Biden?

[Body-Buildah]

What does this have to do with Biden?

Joe will call it racist I'm guessing, because its only white-guys??

[Body-Buildah]

Contest starts tomorrow. Graham Hicks already out of it. (Injury).
Not sure why he made the trip from the UK? Maybe just wanted the paid trip to hang with his buddies and to be there.
Kearney has dropped out as an alternate, got some TV show deal (probably a gay thing) so he wont be doing WSM either. (If he was called upon).

--

Ervin Toots will be replacing Hicks, which is cool, I wanted to see how he would do this year, he packed on some size recently.
(Some extra blood, sweat and gears).

--

Group 1
Gavin Bilton (Originally, Graham Hicks)
Maxime Boudreault
Travis Ortmayer
Brian Shaw **
Aivars Smaukstelis

Group 2
Mark Felix
Johnny Hansson
Trey Mitchell
Evan Singleton
Tom Stoltman **

Group 3
JF Caron **
Robert Oberst
Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted
Luke Richardson
Mikhail Shivlyakov

Group 4
Adam Bishop
Terry Hollands
Jerry Pritchett **
Konstantine Janashia
Chris van der Linde

Group 5
Ervin Toots (Moved into Biltons spot)
Kevin Faires
Oleksii Novikov - Defending Champ **
Luke Stoltman
Bobby Thompson

[Hulkotron]

Will it be conducted via Zoom?

[Matt]

Roster and Events:

https://barbend.com/2021-worlds-strongest-man-events/

The event — now taking place in Sacramento, CA, from June 15-20 — will see 25 men compete in epic contests such as a Train Pull, Pickaxe Hold, and, to no one’s surprise, Atlas Stones. In total, athletes will complete 14 events across five grueling days.

June 15th?  Lol, that's seven months since the previous WSM.  But I suppose now with the Arnold and the Olympia essentially trading dates, it shouldn't be a shock.

Hopefully the guys have had adequate time to train.

I wonder how Oleksii Novikov is looking [last year's winner].  I've not followed him, although I've been closely following JF Caron - he is turning 39 on the 29th of this month, and I think he must be closing in on the end of his run, given that he has won every Canada's Strongest Man contest since 2011 [!].  That would have been a staggering TEN WINS, had the contest been held in 2020.  He has been competing in strongman since 2004.

Regarding JF, I think that you can only go so long at that level in any sport before eventually getting injured and experiencing other problems.  And if he only has another year or two at the top level, moving this contest forward even a few months could make a difference.

JF placed 3rd last year, and I wasn't the only one who thought that [Laurence Shahlaei predicted JF would or definitely COULD win in 2020 - and JF did come close].

[Body-Buildah]

Caron is looking impressive. Novikov is as well (I followed his training videos).

Both will be at the top of course. (Barring any injury).

[Henda]

Contest starts tomorrow. Graham Hicks already out of it. (Injury).
Not sure why he made the trip from the UK? Maybe just wanted the paid trip to hang with his buddies and to be there.
Kearney has dropped out as an alternate, got some TV show deal (probably a gay thing) so he wont be doing WSM either. (If he was called upon).

--

Ervin Toots will be replacing Hicks, which is cool, I wanted to see how he would do this year, he packed on some size recently.
(Some extra blood, sweat and gears).

--

Group 1
Gavin Bilton (Originally, Graham Hicks)
Maxime Boudreault
Travis Ortmayer
Brian Shaw **
Aivars Smaukstelis

Group 2
Mark Felix
Johnny Hansson
Trey Mitchell
Evan Singleton
Tom Stoltman **

Group 3
JF Caron **
Robert Oberst
Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted
Luke Richardson
Mikhail Shivlyakov

Group 4
Adam Bishop
Terry Hollands
Jerry Pritchett **
Konstantine Janashia
Chris van der Linde

Group 5
Ervin Toots (Moved into Biltons spot)
Kevin Faires
Oleksii Novikov - Defending Champ **
Luke Stoltman
Bobby Thompson

Great news, the sooner that disgusting faggot is out of strongman for good the better

[Humble Narcissist]

A gay strongman?  He must be a bear.

[Body-Buildah]

Great news, the sooner that disgusting faggot is out of strongman for good the better

LOL, Gotta love Henda's replies! 

[Body-Buildah]

I take it that Henda is not a member of the Janae Marie (Matt) Kroc fan club??

[Henda]

I take it that Henda is not a member of the Janae Marie (Matt) Kroc fan club??

Haha definitely not mate, that thing is an abomination

[Matt]

Group 1
Gavin Bilton (Originally, Graham Hicks)
Maxime Boudreault
Travis Ortmayer
Brian Shaw **
Aivars Smaukstelis

Nice to see Maxime will be competing again!  This fellar will be 30 later this year.  I've known Max since he was 20, and he was strong then, but is way stronger now.  I worry about Max, in the same way I worry about anyone who takes strongman to a high level - it's just a very hard sport.

I'm curious where Max is training...I haven't spoken to Maxime since September, actually.  So I'm unclear what his training situation is like.  I do know he was going to one commercial gym for his bodybuilding workouts, but that gym has been closed for over 200 days now.  Maxime works out bodybuilding-style just so that he has enough muscle mass to not pull a muscle while doing strongman events.

It's also interesting to see Mark Felix STILL competing...at the World's Strongest Man level?    LOL!  How is that even possible?  Isn't Mark Felix turning 54 this year?  I think he was born in 1967...I remember he was almost 50, probably like five years ago.

Here's a video I took of Max at one of the Ontario's Strongest Man contests:

[anvil]

So far, Tom Stoltman won his group in the loading medley

[Matt]

Kearney has dropped out as an alternate, got some TV show deal (probably a gay thing) so he wont be doing WSM either. (If he was called upon).

Is that what they call gay porn these days?  He's doing all sorts of legitimate cinema with all-male casts:

[Body-Buildah]

Nice to see Maxime will be competing again!  This fellar will be 30 later this year.  I've known Max since he was 20, and he was strong then, but is way stronger now.  I worry about Max, in the same way I worry about anyone who takes strongman to a high level - it's just a very hard sport.

I'm curious where Max is training...I haven't spoken to Maxime since September, actually.  So I'm unclear what his training situation is like.  I do know he was going to one commercial gym for his bodybuilding workouts, but that gym has been closed for over 200 days now.  Maxime works out bodybuilding-style just so that he has enough muscle mass to not pull a muscle while doing strongman events.

It's also interesting to see Mark Felix STILL competing...at the World's Strongest Man level?    LOL!  How is that even possible?  Isn't Mark Felix turning 54 this year?  I think he was born in 1967...I remember he was almost 50, probably like five years ago.

Here's a video I took of Max at one of the Ontario's Strongest Man contests:

I believe Felix just turned 55. Old man strength for sure. Good at grip and deadlift.
Just not as good at DL as Caron and Jerry.

[joswift]

He looks gassed already..

[Dave D]

Where in Sacramento is it held?

[Matt]

I believe Felix just turned 55. Old man strength for sure. Good at grip and deadlift.
Just not as good at DL as Caron and Jerry.

Hahaha, whhaaatt??  Wow...I have NEVER heard of a 55-year-old strongman at that level.  Old man strength may apply to someone who is 38-39-40...maybe a bit older than that...but 55?!  I have never heard of an athlete at that level at such an advanced age.

I mean...for perspective, we have a long-term care home where I'm from that allows people in as young as age 55:

https://www.thunderbay.ca/en/city-services/thunder-bay-55-plus-centre.aspx

Soon, Mark Felix will be able to qualify for the senior discount, if he hasn't already. 

It would be impressive to be 45 and competing at the world level in strongman - 55 is another thing entirely.

[Matt]

He looks gassed already..

I wonder how JF Caron would do in a fight against fellow Quebecois citizen Georges St-Pierre?  Photo attached below.

While searching for the photo above, I found this...

https://pt-br.facebook.com/galwaypowerlifting/videos/had-to-share-thisreposted-from-gsp_gym50s-are-the-new-30s-super-proud-of-this-la/2554459221477028

You know, I honestly wonder what role deadlifts play in body repurposing.  For competition, it's one thing - but is there any muscle that can't be developed using other exercises?

[Body-Buildah]

Tracker:

https://www.strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=825

Looks like Luke Richardson and Terry Hollands have withdrawn.

LOL on fat "Big-Mouth Oberst", 0 reps on Squat.  He does tons of yapping and normally sucks, not sure why they invite him back.
He never has to qualify, etc?

[ThisisOverload]

So far, Tom Stoltman won his group in the loading medley

I'd like to see the Stoltman brothers do well, they are good people.

[Matt]

Tracker:

https://www.strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=825

Looks like Luke Richardson and Terry Hollands have withdrawn.

LOL on fat "Big-Mouth Oberst", 0 reps on Squat.  He does tons of yapping and normally sucks, not sure why they invite him back.
He never has to qualify, etc?

Really?  On what basis do they allow him to compete?  I don't recall him ever making the podium before.  Is he there to represent he USA, or...I don't know how special invites work in strongman [that's the first I heard of them].  I remember that Greg Kovacs got invited to compete at the 1996 Mr. Olympia contest on the basis of how he looked at the CBBF Nationals in Canada that same year, and I recall Gunter Schlierkamp getting special invites to the Mr. Olympia as well [in 1998, I think, and perhaps others].  But I didn't know they do that in strongman too.  I don't get how the politics work there.

I have found strongman to be corrupt sometimes [like Mariusz Pudzianowski winning, because Met-RX was the sponsor and picked events suitable for him - as well as Eddie Hall's 2017 win, which had events favourable for him, probably to allow him to win one, and then move on, giving room for the other guys to win, and preventing further strain on Eddie's body from competing at that level].

[Body-Buildah]

WSM is basically (mainly) a TV show, they can invite who they want it seems.
I guess he did well on the loading race thing, but yes, he's never one to be in the finals, never does qualifiers, etc.
(His TV show popularity on that thing he did w/ Shaw/Hall may have something to do w/ it).

Caron and Maxime looking good so far...

[Dreadlifter]

Tracker:

https://www.strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=825

Looks like Luke Richardson and Terry Hollands have withdrawn.

LOL on fat "Big-Mouth Oberst", 0 reps on Squat.  He does tons of yapping and normally sucks, not sure why they invite him back.
He never has to qualify, etc?

Oberst always talks the talk but never steps up. To his credit he did previously hold the US log record, but he hasn't been relevant or healthy for a good few years now.

Disappointed to see Richardson and Hollands withdraw. Looks like Hollands is retiring on the back of it, Richardson I think was a bicep tear.