The end of April saw the first running of the Arnold Classic Brazil. Brian Shaw just edged out Hafthor Bjornsson here, with Krzysztof Radzikowski continuing his impressive 2013, by finishing in third place. Moving into May, the start of the month featured a qualifying event with a twist. London’s Strongest Man was organised under the Giants Live banner and held at Genesis Gym in London. There were three weight classes in action on May 4th; under-90kgs, under 105kgs and open weight competitors. The top prize for the victors in both the under-90kgs and under-105kgs was an invitation to their respective Europe’s Strongest Man contests later in the year. The winner of the open weight class now finds himself closer to a WSM place, as his performance earned a spot at a Giants Live competition, which is the main route to WSM qualification.

The brainchild of Colin Bryce, this provided a great opportunity for everyone who has ever watched either WSM or Giants Live on television, to step up to the plate and make their mark on the strength scene. With Bryce acting as the MC, it was an action-packed day with barely time for the athletes to catch their breath.

There were five events in total, with each of the weight classes performing their respective lifts simultaneously. It lead to quite a spectacle, as it is not often that you will see u-90kgs, under 105kgs and open weight competitors all lifting on adjacent contest platforms at the same time. Former BSM and UKSM competitor Jay Hughes was on refereeing duties for the under-90kg athletes, whilst Dave ‘Bulldog’ Beattie, multiple world champion, powerlifting record holder, and owner of the venue, was overseeing the under-105′s.

With a Europe’s Strongest Man place in their weight category waiting for them, the action was hard fought from the first minute, and ultimately it was the German Markus Krümmer who took first place in the u-90′s, followed by Tom Hibbert and Tosin Mobee. In the under-105kgs category, Rob McGee was in dominant form, taking a well-earned top spot. Shane Burns and Lee Johnson rounded out the podium. Both winners will now switch their focus to the under-90kgs and under 105kgs contests later in the year.

The open weight category featured a mix of experienced men and others who are at the start of their strongman careers. 2009 and 2010 WSM competitor Rob Frampton was in action, as were men with UKSM experience in Lloyd Renals and Paul Carter. Ben Kelsey, who swapped field athletics for strongman was present, as was Jason Pittuck. Pittuck is the son of the three times WSM participant, and twice BSM winner, Bill Pittuck, who was on hand offering advice and encouragement to Jason. A host of other talent were also at Genesis including Lance Lavallee, a Canadian strongman who made the long journey to try and win his place at Giants Live. A veteran of 8 WSM contests and a finalist every year since 2006, Terry Hollands was officiating in the open weight class.

Jason Pittuck

First up was the Squat, which was 250kgs for repetitions. Frampton made an impressive start with nine good squats, but was overtaken by Kelsey’s phenomenal twelve repetitions. This was undeniably one of the highlights of the day. Next up was the Farmer’s Hold for time, and SCL regular Dan Gracia put in a strong showing with the 155kg kit. For Frampton, it was the end of his contest after dropping one of the implements on his foot, and he ended the day in hospital. As ever though, he will be back.

The Log Lift for repetitions followed soon after, and Renals came to the fore with the 125kg equipment. Looking rock solid, the newly married man took the win, moving from floor to overhead in one motion on each of his nine lifts. After three events, it was Renals, Kelsey and Lavallee who were setting the pace.

Lloyd Renals

After a brief break, the fourth event of the day was an old-school classic. Last seen at WSM in 1989, where it was won by the legendary Jon-Pall Sigmarsson, the 140kg stone had to be lifted to shoulder height for repetitions. Luke Fullbrook performed well here, as did Renals and Lavallee, tying with six good lifts apiece. Heading into the final event, the Deadlift, it was between Renals and Kelsey for the overall victory. Renals knew that eight lifts with the 275kgs would be enough for him to take the overall victory. Kelsey won the discipline with 11 repetitions, whilst Renals posted ten repetitions. With that performance in the last event of a hectic day, Renals duly booked his Giants Live spot.

Renals, who has perhaps been unfortunate not to have competed internationally already, will now get this opportunity. Kelsey showed that he can be a force in the heavyweights after moving up from the under-105kgs class, in spite of still having a bodyweight of under 115kgs. Fullbrook’s injury concerns seemed to be behind him on May 4th, whilst the Canadian Lavallee also put in a solid showing.

Luke Fullbrook

Renals’s triumph was a clear illustration of just how much, and how rapidly, he has improved over the last 18 months, and he was a fully deserving winner on the day.

Meanwhile, in the Strongman Champions League, Krzysztof Radzikowski won the opening event, the Iceman Challenge (Lapland), with Tomi Lotta and Laurence Shahlaei taking second and third respectively. At the second SCL contest of the year (FIBO), Lalas carried his fine form into Germany, winning ahead of Hafthor Bjornsson. Radzikowski put in another solid performance to finish in third.

The Giants Live contests, which can ensure qualification to WSM, have also begun, and they are some of the hardest fought of all. The promise of a WSM spot is what everyone is chasing, tempting competitors to travel the globe in order to get a chance to realise this objective. For its first event of 2013, Giants Live returned for a second successive year to the Melbourne FitX event, with the top three finishers earning their places at WSM 2013. American Derek Poundstone, who somewhat surprisingly failed to make the WSM final in 2012 for the first time since 2008, made the 10,000 plus miles trip. His compatriot Nick Best, a WSM finalist in 2010, also made the long journey, as did the Englishman and twice WSM competitor, Jack McIntosh. They were joined by the finest athletes from the southern hemisphere, including WSM competitors Frankie Scheun, Eben Le Roux and Warrick Brant.

It was Poundstone who emerged victorious, in spite of having torn his right biceps only one week earlier at the Arnold Classic. Best took second place, although he also picked up an injury along the way. Rounding out the top three was the South African, Scheun, which additionally meant that he claimed the title of the Southern Hemisphere’s Strongest Man 2013. Those three men can now begin to prepare in earnest for WSM in the autumn, knowing that they have already booked their places.

                                                                               Derek Poundstone

Moving Into April, another qualifying process was also under way, with the top two finishers receiving invitations to the Giants Live Europe’s Strongest Man contest, to be held at Headingley Carnegie on June 29th.  Additionally, the first four in the standings would be invited to the Giants Live British Open in Gateshead on the 3rd August. This was an all-British affair on April 7th, with a host of WSM competitors, including McIntosh, Mark Felix, Eddie Hall and Graham Hicks all in action.  Experience told in the end, and Felix, a veteran of seven editions of WSM, came out on top, winning three of the six events (Hercules Hold, Deadlift and Stones).  McIntosh was a worthy runner-up, 4.5 points behind Felix, and both now progress to Europe’s Strongest Man in the summer. Hall ended the day in third place, with Hicks one place further back.

                                Eddie Hall

For Felix, it has been a positive start to the year, after a number of injuries in 2012. In addition to his triumph here, he took second place at the All-American Strongman Challenge in January and sixth place at the Arnold Classic in March, with yet another stunning display on the Hummer Tyre Deadlift as his personal highlight in Columbus.

In Las Vegas, Callie Marunde and Nick Best held the ‘Sin City Strongman Challenge IV’. For the top two finishers, a place at a Giants Live contest was up for grabs. It was another tremendous contest, with the American Robert Oberst taking the win after six events. Canadian Scott Cummine was a worthy runner-up, and both of these men will now head to Europe for Giants Live in the summer. Oberst also took third place at the All-American Strongman Challenge at the start of the year, whilst Cummine has been a multiple winner of Western Canada’s Strongest Man. Both men now get the chance to show what they can do internationally, with a WSM place now in their sights.

Even at this relatively early stage of the strongman year, it is clear that some of the best known World’s Strongest Man competitors have hit the ground running, finding form immediately, which bodes extremely well for WSM 2013.

Europe’s Strongest Man is back again this year at Headingley, Carnegie Stadium, Leeds on 29th June 2013.

This years competitors have been confirmed as:

1. Zydrunas Savickas

2. Hafpor Bjornsson

3. Vytautas Lalas

4. James Fennelly

5. Laurence Shahlaei

6. Terry Hollands

7. Krzysztof Radikowski

8. Mikhail Koklyaev

9. Johannes Arsjo

10. Ervin Katona

11. Mark Felix

12. Jack McIntosh

Events will include:

* FARMERS WALK 120-130kg for 80 Metres

* YOKE 420kg for 40 Metres

* MAX LOG

* DEADLIFT Car for Reps 330-350kg

* KEG TOSS

* STONES 120-180kg

British Open Championships will take place prior to this event at Gateshead Stadium on the 3rd August 2013.

Athletes have been confirmed as:

*Terry Hollands

*Simon Johnson

*Mark Felix

*Eddie Hall

*Graham Hicks

* Laurence Shahlaei

** WINNER OF SCOTLANDS STRONGEST MAN

*** 3 X Internationals

Events will include:

• Yoke – Approx. 400kg

• Stones – 100kg-180kg

• Deadlift for max

• Log for reps – Approx 140-150kg

• Loading Medley (barrels and sacks)

• Conan’s wheel

Promotional videos for both events can be viewed via the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycnDPaasw_A&feature=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGnwWw5L9Kw

Please check out www.europesstrongestman.com for more details.

Tickets for the event can be obtained from:

Ticket Box Office: 0871 425 1315

Continuing the recent trend of highly competitive finals, WSM 2012 did not disappoint in this regard. With eight countries represented, three debutants, two former winners and six gruelling events to be contested, the potential for another classic final was high. What followed will go down as one of the hardest-fought battles since WSM began back in 1977.

The first event, the Yoke, saw impressive showings from 2011 champion Brian Shaw, Vytautas Lalas and Mike Jenkins. For Shaw, this was an event where his repaired left biceps did not affect him, and he blasted down the forty metre course, making the 975lb implement look like it weighed half that. The early loser here was 2009 and 2010 WSM, Zydrunas Savickas, who finished in a lowly seventh place.

The question at this initial stage was whether Savickas could put himself back into title contention in the remaining five events.  Big Z came back with the best possible retort by winning the next event, the Log Lift, with a world record lift of 220kgs. This edged Zydrunas ever closer to the 500lbs (227.5kgs) barrier, which is a truly mind-blowing thought.  For Jenkins, his attempt at 220kgs could not have been much closer to a good lift, with him agonisingly close to matching Savickas. Polish debutant Krzysztof Radzikowski confirmed his status as one of the finest overhead lifters of his generation, with a 210kg press, tying him for second with Jenkins. Lalas continued his impressive start, taking fourth place with 200kgs.

Rounding out day one was the Bus Pull, and when it comes to pulling vehicles, Terry Hollands is a tough, tough man to beat. After his disappointment in the Log Lift, the Englishman put himself right back into the mix, winning the third event of the final, ahead of  the Icelandic giant Hafthor Bjornsson and Lalas. At the close of proceedings on day one of the final, it was a Lithuanian in first place. However, it was Lalas rather than his compatriot Savickas who was setting the pace at the halfway stage. Behind him, one point separated Jenkins, Savickas and Shaw, in second, third and fourth places respectively.

Heading into day two, the issue of whether Lalas would continue his excellent string of results was quickly answered as he put in yet another solid showing in the opening event of the second day, the Deadlift. Although his compatriot Savickas took first place, with a performance of metronomic efficiency, Lalas did far more than minimise his losses, and he tied for second place with the resurgent Hollands.

With two events remaining, it was a Lithuanian one-two at the top of the standings, with a clear gap opening up between them and the rest of the field. The Natural Stones was the penultimate discipline, and it was Bjornsson who dominated here, loading all five in a blistering time of 25.52 seconds, the only man to record under thirty seconds on the event.  Savickas picked up another point on Lalas, by placing second. For Hollands, it was a disastrous event. The Englishman tore his left biceps and that marked the end of his contest, just as he had worked his way back up the leaderboard and looked capable of mounting a challenge.  Whether he will return for another tilt at WSM later this year remains to be seen.

With one event remaining, the Power Stairs, half a point separated Lalas and Savickas, and this was also the margin between Shaw in third place and Bjornsson a position further back. It proved to be a task too far for Lalas, whose comparative lack of height hurt him badly on the high stairs. There were no such problems for Savickas, however, whose second place behind Bjornsson, ensured that he was crowned as the 2012 WSM.

Upon reflection, this was a genuinely fascinating WSM final. Given the calibre of the athletes however, this came as no great surprise. The weights being lifted were higher than ever and the fitness of the finalists was unparalleled.  In winning his third WSM crown, Big Z joined the elite club of triple WSM victors, adding yet another title to his already vast haul. After a very poor run in the Yoke race, Zydrunas proceeded to demonstrate precisely why he has been the premier competitor in his field for many years. The Lithuanian legend drew upon his twenty years of experience and reduced his deficit on Lalas in textbook fashion.  Savickas’ displays in both the Log Lift and Deadlift were phenomenally impressive. Whilst his world record in the Log was the headline-grabber, Savickas’ Deadlift performance was a masterclass, with each repetition as smooth as the previous one. That is quite a feat when dealing with 360kgs.

Vytautas Lalas can take immense satisfaction with his second place. He was a model of consistency, only fading during the final event, and has marked himself out as a real contender in every contest which he enters. As the first Icelander to make the WSM podium since the legendary Magnus Ver Magnusson in 1996, Bjornsson put in a tremendous performance. His triumphs in the closing two events of the final, which ultimately secured him his third place finish, showed that he still had plenty of gas in the tank at the end of an arduous competition.

Given the improvements in the strength, technical abilities and cardiovascular fitness of the competitors which are being witnessed year on year, WSM 2013 already promises to be quite a contest.

Final standings

1 – Zydrunas Savickas (Lithuania) 49 points

2 – Vytautas Lalas (Lithuania) 44.5 points

3 – Hafthor Bjornsson (Iceland) 42.5 points

4 – Brian Shaw (USA) 40 points

5 – Mike Jenkins (USA) 38.5 points

6 – Krzysztof Radzikowski (Poland) 32.5 points

7 – Terry Hollands (England) 28.5 points

8 – Jean-Francois Caron (Canada) 21.5 points

9 – Johannes Arsjo (Sweden) 19.5 points

10 – Ervin Katona (Serbia) 9.5 points

]]> http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/uncategorized/wsm-2012-results/feed/ 0 http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/uncategorized/a-wsm-fans-review-of-the-new-2000s-dvd-disc-set/ http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/uncategorized/a-wsm-fans-review-of-the-new-2000s-dvd-disc-set/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:19:50 +0000 Paul http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/?p=4181 A lifelong Strongman Fan, Peter Fox gives his thoughts on the 2000′s WSM finals, email us your thoughts on the highlights of the decade (wsm@strong-support.com) and we will publish the best on our news page.

As the 1990′s gave way to the new Millennium, WSM entered its fourth decade as the world’s premier strength athletics event. Four times winner Magnus Ver Magnusson and reigning champion Jouko Ahola had made their final appearances at WSM, and the turn of the century  saw new faces (and a few familiar favourites) emerge and cement their places in WSM history. Over the next ten years, as showcased on these discs, there were a host of thrilling finishes and hard-fought contests, with some of the most recognisable competitors ever seen at WSM in action.

2000-2010 featured some truly iconic WSM venues from Sun City, Victoria Falls and Kuala Lumpur through to The Bahamas, Sanya and Los Angeles. In such awe-inspiring settings it was only fitting that the strength feats on show lived up to their surroundings. Some of the highlights of the five disc set are:

• The often underrated Janne Virtanen shows his class and succeeds Ahola as WSM. The Finn was a quality performer, with an iron grip, and was a tenacious competitor.
• Svend Karlsen realises his dream and becomes WSM. One of the most popular and charismatic figures ever seen at World’s Strongest Man, few begrudged ‘The Viking’ his title. We get the opportunity to see Karlsen at his very best in Zambia, as he added the first place trophy to his runner-up and third place ones.
• WSM fans in 2000 get their first glimpse of Mariusz Pudzianowski. With a record five WSM wins to his name when he retired, Sun City was his debut. Even at this early stage, he was a mass of bugling veins and sinews, and this ultimately became the ‘Pudzianowski decade’. In 2003 in particular, he looked almost superhuman as he blitzed his opponents.
• The Ukranian man mountain Vasyl Virastyuk, in only his second WSM appearance, comes out on top in a star studded final defeating Pudzianowski, Karlsen and Zydrunas Savickas, amongst others. Virastyuk had self-belief in abundance, was built like a tank and simply had no fear of his rivals. The Bahamas in 2004 witnessed Vasyl at the top of his game.
• American Phil Pfister, who had boldly stated to the watching audience back in 2001 that he would take the WSM title back to the USA, does precisely that in 2006. In what was one of the most exciting WSM finals ever, Pfister storms through the events after a poor start, hunting down Pudzianowski until the final event decider.
• American strongmen also feature heavily in the latter portion of the set. Aside from the win for Pfister, there are a string of high quality performances from Don Pope, Dave Ostlund, Derek Poundstone and Travis Ortmayer.
• An absentee since 2004, Savickas returned to WSM in Malta in 2009 to renew his rivalry with Pudzianowski. By 2009 Zydrunas was a vastly different athlete than the one we see early on in 2002-2004. In one of the most eagerly anticipated of all WSM finals, Big Z answered the critics who questioned if he could ever win WSM against his Polish nemesis. For Pudzianowski, it was his last WSM appearance, bowing out against the man who many consider to be the greatest strongman of all time.
• For British fans, Terry Hollands demonstrated that he was a genuine WSM contender. Since 2006 Hollands has been ever present in the final, and was at the forefront of the resurgence of British strongman through the second half of the decade. Hollands’ real potential is first seen in the final in 2007 and he became Britain’s most realistic title contender since Gary Taylor.
• There is also the opportunity to see numerous other competitors who helped to shape the WSM landscape and were mainstays of the competition. These include Magnus Samuelsson, Hugo Girard, Raimonds Bergmanis, Jarek Dymek and many more.

The period from 2000-2010 was a genuinely great one for WSM fans. These five discs illustrate exactly why this era is essential viewing, which I believe will be watched countless times without ever becoming repetitive.

2012 has proved to be an interesting and eventful one for The World’s Strongest Man. The Giants Live Tour has been all over the world searching out the qualifying athletes for the 2012 WSM Finals in LA, USA this year. This competition proved to be very close with many on form athletes in contention for the title. TV coverage of this event will be aired over the Christmas period and fans will finally get the chance to see the action for themselves.

As for the team at WSM we have been busy all year, supporting many strongman events including: Britain’s Strongest Man in Essex in May, Europe’s Strongest Man in Leeds in June and the WSM Finals in LA in September/October, chatting to fans and supplying event merchandise.

We have also been working hard on the website keeping you informed with strongman news, results, events, interviews and supplying fans with good quality merchandise. The range in the online shop has expanded this year and we have more choice than ever to suit all tastes and budgets this Christmas, including the following:

2012 WSM Finals Event Merchandise – now available at reduced prices.

2013 WSM Calendar – Each month features a fantastic image of an athlete competing in the 2012 WSM Finals in LA, a great present for WSM fans and an inspiration for the gym!

DVD’s

New this year the much requested WSM 2000’s Finals DVD will be instore on 14th December, and is now available to pre-order, a big must for any strongman fan. Our WSM 80’s and 90’s finals DVD continue to be best sellers.

For the first time this year we also have the Giants Live Tour (2011) available to buy on DVD, this really is a fantastic DVD, full of action from both established and up and coming athletes.

WSM Designer tee shirts.

New this year! – WSM designer t-shirts – 4 new designs which have proved to be very popular and are selling out fast.

We also have the giftware range, including mugs and an atlas stone moneybank.

For your Christmas orders please be aware of the last guaranteed Christmas postage dates which are: 20^th December for the UK, Western Europe 12^th December, Eastern Europe, USA & Canada 10^th December and Australia and New Zealand 5^th December.

Finally we would like to thank all our customers for supporting the WSM website and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

UK & US BROADCAST DETAILS CONFIRMED

The UK & US broadcast details of the 2012 MET-Rx World’s Strongest Man finals, hosted by the Commerce Casino in LA have been confirmed by Channel 5 in the UK and ESPN in the US.

This year’s competition was always set to be a closely fought battle with Brian Shaw returning to defend his 2011 title. However the outstanding form of many other athletes this year ensured there would be a number of competitors contending for the 2012 title. The strength and determination of this year’s athletes provided a fantastic recipe for a nail gripping final and some great viewing over the festive period.

UK – Channel 5

The five qualifying heats will be aired between 27^th and 31^st December with the final being broadcast on New Year’s Day.

The MET-Rx World’s Strongest Man Final

WSM Heat 1 – Thursday 27^th December 20:00

WSM Heat 2 – Friday 28^th December 20:00

WSM Heat 3 – Saturday 29^th December 20:00

WSM Heat 4 – Sunday 30^th December 20:00

WSM Heat 5 – Monday 31^st December 20:00

WSM Final – Tuesday 1^st January 20:00

World’s Strongest Man Qualifying Tour (Giants Live)

Qualifying 1 – Thursday 22^nd November 20.00

Qualifying 2 – Thursday 29^th November 20.00

Qualifying 3 – Thursday 6^th December 20.00

Qualifying 4 – Thursday 13^th December 20.00

Qualifying 5 – Thursday 20^th December 20.00

___________________________________________________________________

US – ESPN & ESPN 2

In the US both the qualifying and final events will be aired in full on 30^th December, with a number of repeats aired during 2013. Full details of the broadcasts are listed below.

The MET-Rx World’s Strongest Man Final

WSM Heats and WSM Final – Sunday 30^th December 2:30-7:30pm – ESPN

WSM Heats (Repeat) – Saturday 5^th January 8:30-11pm – ESPN

WSM Heats and WSM Final (Repeat) – Sunday 6^th January 2:30-7:30pm – ESPN

World’s Strongest Man Qualifying Tour (Giants Live)

Qualifying 1 – 5 – Saturday 12^th January 6pm-12am – ESPN 2

WSM Final (Repeat) – Sunday 20th January 7:00 – 9:00pm – ESPN 2

WSM Final (Repeat)- Sunday 3rd February 6:00 – 10:00pm – ESPN 1

(Please note that ALL broadcast timings may be subject to change).

Mike Burke

 Nationality: American

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances: None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing: n/a

Burke had a fantastic start to 2012, winning the All-American Strongman Challenge, which qualified him for the Arnold Classic, where he placed fifth on his debut. Burke completed the trio of Americans who qualified for WSM via Giants Live Melbourne in March, taking third place. What was even more impressive about his podium finish in Melbourne was that Burke managed this position in spite of  a torn intercostal muscle which he sustained during the contest.

Terry Hollands

Nationality: English

WSM debut: 2005

Previous WSM appearances: seven (2005-2011)

WSM finalist: Six times (2006-2011)

Highest placing: Third (2007, 2011)

Something of a fixture in WSM finals, World’s Strongest Man seems to bring out the best in Hollands each year. If he manages to negotiate the qualifiers, it would be the seventh final on the bounce for Hollands. In the modern (post-1994) era of qualifying heats, only Magnus Samuelsson and Mariusz Pudzianowski have managed to make more consecutive finals than Hollands.  One of the best deadlifters and vehicle pullers ever seen in strongman, Hollands is remarkably well conditioned and when on top form is always near the head of the field. A former winner of England’s Strongest Man, UKSM, Britain’s Strongest Man, the SCL champion in 2010 and twice a WSM podium finisher, Hollands stands out as Britain’s most successful strongman of recent times. With his mind set squarely on WSM 2012, few will count Hollands out as a potential winner.

James Fennelly

Nationality: Irish

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances: None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing: n/a

The Irish gym owner is another debutant at WSM 2012, but will be familiar to many British and Irish viewers as a competitor at the UKSM contest and numerous others. A winner of All-Ireland’s Strongest Man and four times consecutively the Republic of Ireland’s Strongest Man, Fennelly has also competed in the SCL and Giants Live.  This year he earned a spot at Europe’s Strongest Man in Leeds after his victory in the Irish qualifying leg. A junior powerlifting champion, the Irishman is relishing the opportunity to compete on the big stage in California.

Krzysztof Radzikowski

Nationality: Polish

WSM debut: 2011

Previous WSM appearances: One (2011)

WSM finalist: None

Highest placing: Fourth in group (2011)

Radzikowski returns to WSM for a second consecutive year following his first place finish at Giants Live Poland. An outstanding overhead lifter with any implement, the Pole has a 205kg competition log lift to his name, and was desperately close to lifting the 216kg log at Europe’s Strongest Man in June. Carrying his good form into August, Radzikowski took third place in SCL Poland. With his deadlifting prowess increasing year on year, he will be disappointed with anything less than making the WSM final.

Eben Le Roux

Nationality: Australia

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances: None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing: n/a

A former bodybuilder who turned to strongman, Le Roux has been a regular podium finisher in Australia’s Strongest Man, taking second place in 2008, 2009 and 2011, with a third place finish in 2010. Le Roux made his Giants Live debut in March at the Melbourne Fit-X, finishing in seventh place.

Alex Moonen

Nationality: Dutch

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances: None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing: n/a

The only man from the Netherlands at WSM 2012, Moonen has been one of Holland’s top competitors for a number of years now, with one second and three third place finishes in Holland’s Strongest Man since 2009. As the first Dutchman at WSM since Peter Baltus and Jarno Hams in 2003, Moonen will be looking to make an immediate impression on his debut and translate his domestic form to WSM. A very solid overhead lifter,  Moonen has also been seen in SCL action for a number of years now.

Josh Thigpen

Nationality: American

WSM debut: 2005

Previous WSM appearances: Three (2005, 2006, 2011)

WSM finalist: None

Highest placing: 3rd in group (2005, 2006)

The popular American returns to WSM once again, aiming to book his first qualification through to the final at his fourth attempt. Thigpen took an impressive third place in Hungary, in spite of a biceps injury, at the Giants Live WSM qualifier. A man who has interests as diverse as chess and MMA, Thigpen is a tough competitor and now looks to be in good shape heading into Los Angeles in 2012.

Vytautas Lalas. 

Nationality: Lithuanian

WSM debut: 2010

Previous WSM appearances: Two (2010,2011)

WSM finalist: Once (2011)

Highest placing: Sixth [tied] (2011)

The Lithuanian number two, Lalas’ progression is continuing at a rapid pace. A WSM finalist in 2011, he took second place at Europe’s Strongest Man back in June in what was a first-rate line up of competitors. A man who is now in the very exclusive 200kgs plus log lift ‘club’, Lalas is also a tremendous squatter and deadlifter, is very mobile, whilst at the same time his weaknesses are becoming less and less. Lalas has been Lithuania’s Strongest Man in the past and also taken both Giants Live and SCL victories. Lalas is a very dangerous competitor, who should not be underestimated.

Name : Graham Hicks

Nationality: English

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances: None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing: n/a

One of three English debutants at WSM 2012, Hicks has made an extremely successful transition from the under-105kgs class. An impressive fourth place at Britain’s Strongest Man in May was one of the highlights of his year, demonstrating that he was able to compete with the best of British talent. A gifted log  lifter, who has a 200kg training lift to his name, Hicks has a definite chance of officially surpassing the  British log lift record in the near future.

Ervin Katona

Nationality: Serbian

WSM debut: 2009

Previous WSM appearances : Three (2009-2011)

WSM finalist: Twice (2010, 2011)

Highest placing: Seventh (2010)

One of the most consistent international performers currently competing, Katona has built up an impressive record of victories and podium placings in the SCL since 2008. A national champion on numerous occasions,  the overall season winner of the SCL in 2011 and a victor in eight SCL contests across Europe since its introduction, the Serbian is never far from the top positions whenever he competes. Katona, as with many WSM competitors, has phenomenal static strength. This is most evident in his pressing, with the Log Lift and Viking Press being two of his preferred events. He has also put this strength to great use in the bench press, with a personal best of 300kgs. A third consecutive final will be his primary aim.

Louis-Philippe Jean

Nationality: Canadian

WSM debut: 2008

Previous WSM appearances: Four (2008-2011)

WSM finalist: Once (2009)

Highest placing: Tenth (2009)

Returning for a fifth consecutive WSM appearance, the Canadian will have his sights set on making his first final since 2009. A former winner of Canada’s Strongest Man, LPJ is the current Canadian log lift record holder with 195.5kgs. Jean is also a tremendous squatter for both maximum weight and repetitions and has shown that when on top form he can mix it with the best in the world.

Ole Martin Hansen

Nationality: Norwegian

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances : None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing: n/a

Currently Norway’s Strongest Man, Hansen follows in the footsteps of a host of former WSM competitors in holding that title. As a debutant, his aims will be more modest than some, but there is no doubt that he will still be looking to become the first Norwegian to make the WSM final since Arild Haugen in 2008. Further into the future, the ultimate aim will be to emulate WSM legend Svend Karlsen and take the biggest prize in strongman.

Brian Shaw

Nationality: American

WSM debut: 2008

Previous WSM appearances: Four (2008-2011)

WSM finalist: Three times (2009-2011)

Highest placing: First (2011)

The reigning champion, and the man who has been referred to as ‘the evolution of strongman’, Shaw has made his way to the top of the strongman world since his WSM debut four years ago. With almost textbook upward progression, the Coloradan finished third in 2009 in his first final, was second on count-back in 2010, before his victory last year. A genuine man mountain, Shaw moves quickly, has overhead and pulling strength in abundance and has little, if any glaring weaknesses. The 2011 ‘King of Stones’ suffered a setback at the Arnold Classic in March where he tore his right biceps during the first event, but he still managed to finish in fourth place overall. Successful surgery followed soon after and over six months later, the defending champion is back to full fitness and looking to repeat his memorable victory of twelve months ago.

Chris Gearing

Nationality: English

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances: None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing: n/a

A field athlete turned strength athlete, Gearing is still something of a strongman novice, but has made quite an impact in a short period of time. Gearing took a silver medal in the Shot Put in the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2004, and has an impressive field background. In strongman terms, third place at Britain’s Strongest Man this year was followed a couple of weeks later by first place in England’s Strongest Man. In his first appearance at UKSM in August, Gearing took  third. A 400kg deadlifter, Gearing has tremendous potential and when at the top of his game is a tough competitor to beat.

Name: Johannes Arsjo

Nationality: Swedish

WSM debut: 2008

Previous WSM appearances: Two (2008, 2009)

WSM Finalist: None

Highest Placing: Third in group (2008, 2009)

Absent from WSM for a couple of years, Arsjo qualified with a strong second place finish in the Finland Giants Live qualifier in June. This proved to be a productive month for the Swede, as he also took top spot in the Nordic championship, winning five out of six events. Twice Sweden’s Strongest Man, Arsjo was injured immediately prior to the WSM heats in 2010 and had to withdraw from the contest. Two years later, he is back and having competed successfully in powerlifting, is on form, at full fitness and looking to show WSM fans that he remains a world class performer.

Name: Lauri  Nami

Nationality: Estonian

WSM debut: 2012

Previous WSM appearances: None

WSM finalist: n/a

Highest placing : n/a

Earning his WSM invitation via a third place finish in Giants Finland, Nami follows in the footsteps of his Estonian compatriots Aap Uspenski, Tarmo Mitt, Andrus Murumets and Rauno Heinla in representing his nation at The World’s Strongest Man contest. Nami’s has made consistent progress of late, and he has been seen in action in both Giants Live and SCL events for the past couple of years. As recently as the start of September, Nami took second spot in the SCL Gibraltar. A versatile performer, Nami  is also the holder of six Estonian national weightlifting titles.

Mikhail Koklyaev

Nationality: Russian

WSM debut: 2010

Previous WSM appearances: One (2010)

WSM finalist : Once (2010)

Highest placing : Third (2010)

A true strength all-rounder, Koklyaev is a world-class weightlifter, powerlifter and strongman. Ultimately unsuccessful in his objective of being selected for the Russian weightlifting team at the London Olympic Games, Misha has focused all his energy into taking the WSM title in 2012. Second place in the SCL Finland in August, and a tie for first with Savickas a few weeks later in SCL Poland showed that the popular Russian is finding his strongman form at just the right time. This was further confirmed when Koklyaev took the win in his home country in the SCL a the end of August.  Koklyaev’s third place in 2010 in his only previous WSM outing illustrates his pedigree and there is no question that he will be aiming for the very top of the podium this year.

Martin Wildauer

Nationality: Austrian

WSM debut: 2009

Previous WSM appearances: Two (2009, 2011)

WSM finalist: None

Highest placing: Third in group (2011)

After a solid performance in 2011, where he was in contention for a final place until the last event of the qualifying round, the Austrian returns for a third WSM appearance. Still yet to make the final ten, Wildauer has shaken off the injury concerns that slowed his progress a little while ago and believes that 2012 will be the year in which he makes it past the qualifying phase.