World's Ultimate Strongman
World's Ultimate Strongman is an annual strength athletics competition which began in 2018. The event has a number of rival and parallel competitions, including the World's Strongest Man and the Giants Live Tour
Tournament information | |
---|---|
Location | |
Established | 2018; 1 Year Ago |
Number of tournaments | 2 |
Format | Multi-event competition |
Website | worldsultimatestrongman.com |
Current champion | |
Most recent tournament | |
2019 World's Ultimate Strongman |
History
The inaugural edition of the competition was held in Dubai,United Arab Emirates with its winner being Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. The 2019 edition was also held in Dubai and was won by Mateusz Kieliszkowski defending champion Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and recently crowned World's Strongest Man Martins Licis did not take part.
On 22 February 2020 it was announced the competition would be expanding and would hold an event in Bahrain at the Bahrain International Circuit with a purse of $350,000 which is the largest for any strongman competition.[1]
Effects of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
On March 13, 2020, World's Ultimate Strongman released a statement entailing that the recently announced event due to take place on April 11, 2020, in Bahrain was postponed due to concerns over the novel COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak, to which they said that a new date would be found and announced when it logistically and feasibly possible.[2]
Record breaker series
Due to the postponement of worldwide sporting events and travel restrictions being in place in many countries, World's Ultimate Strongman announced an at home/private gym record breaker series with differing strongman record attempts to be livestreamed for free. Below are the record attempts (Men's World Record unless otherwise stated):
Date | Attempt | Athlete | Existing Record and Holder | Record Broken? | New Record if Broken |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 May 2020 [3] | Maximum Deadlift (standard bar) | 500kg ( |
Yes | 501kg | |
16 May 2020 [4] | Maximum Log Lift | 228kg ( |
No | - | |
23 May 2020 [5] | Maximum Atlas Stone Lift | 273kg ( |
Yes | 286kg | |
30 May 2020 [6] | 100kg Dumbbell Press for Repetitions | No officially verified record | Yes | 11 repetitions | |
6 June 2020 [7] | Maximum Atlas Stone Lift Women's Under-64kg Record |
139kg | Yes | 141kg | |
13 June 2020 [8] | Maximum Log Lift American Record |
214kg ( |
Yes | 216kg | |
20 June 2020 [9] | 400kg Deadlift (standard bar) for Repetitions | 5 repetitions ( ( |
No | - | |
Equalled | - | ||||
20 June 2020 [10] | Raw Bench Press (power bar) | 349kg ( |
No | - | |
27 June 2020 | Maximum Deadlift (standard bar) Masters (Over-40s) Record |
430kg ( |
No | - | |
No | - | ||||
4 July 2020 | Maximum Log Lift Women's Record |
129kg ( |
Yes | 135kg | |
11 July 2020 | 400kg Deadlift (standard bar) for Repetitions | 5 repetitions ( ( ( |
No | - | |
No | - | ||||
1 It was found during the event that Maddox's bar had been mis-loaded with one side being 11kg heavier than the other.
2 It was found during the event that Bishop had 402.5kg on the barbell, rather than 400kg, causing an unofficial world record of 402.5kg for 4 repetitions.
Championship breakdown
Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 [11] | ||||
2019 [12] |
Commonly contested events
- Deadlift – Lifting weights or vehicles straight off the ground until knees lock in a standing position. The 2018 edition consisted of a max silver dollar deadlift a variation in which the weight is lifted from 18 inches (460 mm) which is double the height of the standard bar. The 2019 edition used the conventional strongman version of the deadlift a standard deadlift bar with straps and deadlift suit allowed.[13]
- Super Yoke – Apparatus composed of a crossbar and two uprights. The uprights each have a heavy weight attached to them, such as a refrigerator or diesel engine, and the competitors must carry the yoke on their shoulders for a short distance.[14]
- Shield Carry – Athletes compete in carrying a 'shield' usually weighing between 160–180 kilograms (350–400 lb) for distance or a set distance for the fastest time. Shield carry can be its own event or can be used alongside the super yoke.
- Press Medley – Athletes must press various equipment such as a log, axle, circus barbell and giant dumbbell. With the fastest athlete being the winner of the event.
- Vehicle Pull – Vehicles such as transport trucks, trams, boxcars, buses, or planes are pulled across a 100-foot (30 m) course as fast as possible. One variation sees the competitors pull the object with a rope toward them. Another has them attached to a rope which is attached to a vehicle, while they use another rope to pull themselves down the course.[15]
- McGlashen Stones / Atlas Stones – Five heavy round stones increasing in weight from 100–160 kilograms (220–350 lb) are lifted and set on platforms. When the stones were first introduced to the competition, it was an individual event and the platforms were all of equal height. The modern Atlas Stones event takes place on a 16–33-foot (5–10 m) long course and the competitors participate two at a time. In the 2019 edition a first of its kind 10 stone event was introduced with stones ranging from 100–200 kilograms (220–440 lb).[16]
References
- Owen, Dan (February 22, 2020). "World's Ultimate Strongman announce expansion". Sport 360. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- "2020 World's Ultimate Strongman Bahrain postponed due to Covid-19". Instagram. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
- Hafthor Bjornsson breaks world record with 1,104-pound deadlift
- Luke Stoltman FAILS To Break Log Lift World Record
- Strongman Tom Stoltman Lifts World Record 286kg/630lb Atlas Stone Over Bar
- Strongman Oleksii Novikov Sets World Record In Giant Dumbbell for Reps
- Rhianon Lovelace (-64kg) Hoists a Massive 141kg/311lb Atlas Stone for New World Record
- Rob Kearney Sets 475 Pound American Log Lift Record
- Rauno Heinla Victorious In 400kg/880lb Deadlift For Reps World’s Ultimate Strongman Event
- Julius Maddox Misses 800 Pound Raw Bench Press Record
- Sunderland, Tom (October 27, 2018). "Hafþór Björnsson wins inaugural World's Ultimate strongman". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- Balf, Celia (October 25, 2019). "Mateusz Kieliszkowski wins second edition of World's Ultimate Strongman". Bar Bend. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- "Deadlift". Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- "Yolk". Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- "Vehicle Pull". Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- "Atlas Stones". Retrieved February 2, 2020.