Fingers is like rugby, a good biggun is always going to beat a good littlun.
On paper shouldn’t be a good event for him.
Wondering when was the last time that the reigning WSM didn’t make it through groups in the absence of injury.
No idea, pretty sure Jammie Reeves didn’t make the final in 1990 but not sure if it was injury or not?
Yeah and Novikov isn’t big. At all.
Checking out the loading race results one thing shocked me. Only 7 guys completed it. I like that. I like the fact that even though it took him 70 seconds Luke Stoltman places higher than a guy faster over 3 objects. This is world’s Strongest man. Not fastest man.
BUT check out Big Tommy. A clear 10 seconds / 20% faster than anyone else. Statement made.
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And one of those is bar far the oldest guy there. Some of these young blokes need to be better
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He’s only two points behind Luke Stoltman but both Luke and Bobby Thompson are good overhead. If Luke beats Thompson in that it will be really tough.
He is probably a better chance at displacing Faires but Thompson and Stoltman are no slouches at stones.
If it’s Vs Stoltman on the stones, well never say never but he’s not winning that. Those boys are class of the field on stones.
My Canadian boys are holding strong, so I’m happy.
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Completely agree. I find it incredibly disappointing when an event is completed by everyone with time being the only deciding factor.
As you say, world’s strongest Man, not world’s fastest.
Obviously you could never get it right all the time, but on things like log overhead or deadlift for reps, the perfect weight would be just heavy enough for one competitor to get zero reps, and another to just get one. In that scenario repping out is a massive flex.
Scores at the end of day 1
Mark Felix blowing my mind, and Brian Shaw doing everything he can to prove me wrong and capitalise on a thinned field this year.
I tend to take a modified view of yours. I believe it should be heavy as well, but they should be finding athletes strong enough to hit the weights, not weak athletes that zero. And the athleticism should also be there to an extent. If you want pure, raw strength, that is what powerlifting is for.
As far as the speed aspect, with the weight of the stuff these guys are doing, strength lends itself to speed. 100m sprints are very much strength based events. This is strength expressed as speed. Strength is measured in more than one way (i.e. how much weight was lifted/moved)
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Agreed on all points, but the fact that different athletes have different strengths and weaknesses you could still have a weight that has one guy Zero on, say, squats, but then win on overhead or truck pull etc.
As for speed in events, while I agree I just don’t want speed to be everything. If they did farmers walk with 50lb dumbbells I could probably best half of the current WSM competitors over a 50m course. It has be heavy enough for the weight to be the most significant factor
Yea, I hear ya, I think some consideration has to be taken into the fact that this is a 4-5 day competition and that these guys compete in anywhere from 5-10 events and you don’t want guys injuring themselves. It already happens often enough at the current level of weights. These are elite level guys that are so strong, the failure point, more often than not, is connective tissues, not inability to pick up a weight.
I do not know if you have ever competed in a strongman competition, but I know for me personally, each individual event isn’t TOO hard or TOO heavy (but it is all hard and heavy), but cumulatively it is definitely a max effort day. And going all out on 5 events in one day is a very large task.
This is just my personal view on WSM, I am not asking you to agree with it, just offering another point of view.
I’m kinda in the same vein as Pinky - I get that there is some athleticism needed. But the biggest factor in each event should be strength.
For example - log reps for time is not about strength. Its about the most efficient technique. If you are 10% more efficient then you win. As the other guys will be gassed well before you. And just because you are 10% more efficient does not mean you are 10% stronger.
Where are log ladders are a REAL test of strength. Especially when the last of the bunch (1 of 4 or 2 of 5) are HEAVY. In WSM I’d say you’d want the last 2 logs at 190kg and 210kg. The sort of logs that some guys can’t do.
Other wise you’re not testing strength.
I think this years loading event got it spot on. 7/25 is less than 1/3. That is a real boost to the guys that are strong. And then athleticism is rewarded in where each of those 7 finished.
The UK’s strongest under 105 has yoke this year. The weight is 420kg. This is the sort of weight you’d find at an open category. I bet the under 105kg guys are faster.
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To each their own I suppose. But I feel like that would take a lot of variety out of the events. Also, repping a log or any event, isn’t strictly about technique. It has a lot to do with muscular endurance as well, which is strength over time. There are many ways to express strength, and, from what I am seeing, your argument is that WSM should be focused on one type of strength: absolute strength.
I am not arguing against your opinion of what WSM should be.
That’s heavier than OSG for 105k WSM. It’s 900 lbs for OSG. I suppose it also depends on distance too. It’s 50 ft at OSG
2 guys out of group 4. It will be interesting the only thing left for the other 3 to compete for is not being in the stone off. If you think your going to be in the stone off anyway, you might not do the last 3 events?
Shaw pulls ahead:
Novikov back in it:
Mate it’s not like I’m taking offence. It different takes on the sport.
Like for over head reps for time. I prefer viking press OR clean as many or few times as you like.
So you can clean a log or axle nce and press it 4 times, drop it. Clean it again then press it 2 times if with in time.
Lukes group tis taking off. Novakov needed a result and got one.
But Luke will be confident of a good pressing medley.
Bishops group all over the place as well.
With Janasha 3pts clear I’d talk to the organisers and call it. I can’t see the value in going all out when the reality is you’re doing the stones.
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And after saying that he wins the event…LOL
Two guys on 11 and two on 10 in that group now. Could be all down to the train pull.
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Not to jinx him, but so far this seems like old Brian. He’s the only person to get all the fingers and he’s been near the top of every event including all athletes.
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Sure does seem like these events are setup for him…just saying… When is the keg toss? He should ace that. I kind of want him to win to be honest Also would like one of the stoltmans even if I can only understand every other word they say. They seem very down to earth solid people.
Finals events, should be good for Brian but anything can happen.
Day Four (Finals Day One)
- Giant’s Medley
- Titan’s Turntable
- REIGN Keg Toss (35lb kegs)
Day Five (Finals Day Two)
- Log Lift
- KNAACK Deadlift (using KNAACK jobsite boxes)
- Atlas Stones
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