It seems that trying really hard and AAS can preserve strength and muscle into the 50s at least for some. I know a guy that is at his strongest point at 56. A lot stronger than I am.
1 Like
Group standings after day 1
| Group 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Stoltman — United Kingdom | 12 |
| 2 | Kevin Faires — USA | 9 |
| 3 | Gabriel Rheaume — Canada | 7 |
| 4 | Aivars Smaukstelis — Latvia | 7 |
| 5 | Andy Black — United Kingdom | 5 |
| 6 | Manuel Angulo — Chile | 2 |
| Group 2 | ||
| 1 | Mitchell Hooper — Canada | 12 |
| 2 | Gabriel Peña — Mexico | 8 |
| 3 | Brian Shaw — USA | 7 |
| 4 | Bobby Thompson — USA | 7 |
| 5 | Konstantine Janashia — Georgia | 6 |
| 6 | Mark Felix — Canada | 4 |
| Group 3 | ||
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov — Ukraine | 12 |
| 2 | Adam Bishop — United Kingdom | 10 |
| 3 | Trey Mitchell — USA | 7 |
| 4 | Mika Törrö — Finland | 6 |
| 5 | Rob Kearney — USA | 5 |
| 6 | Grzegorz Szymanski — Poland | 2 |
| Group 4 | ||
| 1 | Martins Licis — USA | 12 |
| 2 | Maxime Boudreault — Canada | 8 |
| 3 | Gavin Bilton — United Kingdom | 8 |
| 4 | Pavlo Kordiyaka — Ukraine | 6 |
| 5 | Shane Flowers — United Kingdom | 6 |
| 6 | Nedžmin Ambešković — Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 |
| Group 5 | ||
| 1 | Luke Stoltman — United Kingdom | 12 |
| 2 | Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — Australia / France | 8 |
| 3 | Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — Iceland | 7 |
| 4 | Kelvin De Ruiter — Netherlands | 7 |
| 5 | Kim Ujarak Lorentzen — Greenland | 5 |
| 6 | Evan Singleton — USA | pulled out injured |
2 Likes
I guess if you already built that muscle and strength it is easier to hang on to it than it is to try and obtain it in your 50’s.
4 Likes
Don’t want to derail too much, but I think your right.
2 Likes
The Stoltman groupings are definitely hand-picked to guarantee wins for them.
Agree with this, Evan could have been dangerous in group 5 but I believe he had a shoulder injury a little while ago that effected his prep and now it seems he has pulled out due injury or illness, not sure which one. Without Evan in that group Luke should sail through,
1 Like
Speaking as a sports fan in general and a lifelong strongman spectator since the mid 80’s, I’m finding myself increasingly dissatisfied with the modern state of the sport. We all want to accurately identify the strongest man on the planet at least once per year. Nobody disputes the importance of this endeavor.
I’m beginning to suspect that some of the people involved in the business of strongman competitions may not be interested in finding out who the strongest man actually is.
Call me crazy if you want, but I believe there may be a connection with profit motives.
6 Likes
Wait, why is Mark Felix competing for Canadia now?
With the exception to group 3 I think all of the groups have a fairly easily identifiable 1st and 2nd place. With Tom and Luke’s stone lifting being what it is - they would then ease into the finals.
That said - group 2. Shaw 3rd and Janashia 5th? That does surprise me.
Laurence Shahlaei is quiet vocal on his youtube channel that the events in the final determine the winner as much as anything else.
1 Like
As a Brit who watches WSM every Christmas and since training myself keeps up with it and other events throughout the year, this is super disappointing. It’s bad enough that most team sports are pay to win, devaluing the majority of achievements… I thought something like this at least held some credibility as it’s man vs man.
1 Like
Just me being a dimbat mate.
1 Like
Just heard that Evan missed the deadlift due to some anaphylactic reaction he had before the loading meant he couldn’t breath. Been to hospital had some tests and now is back for day 2. Lots of points to make up but he will be trying to get into 3rd in his group and do the stone off. Would be crazy if he can achieve that and make the finals.
1 Like
I heard he was not in the deadlift and returned. But not why. I feel for him. He’s a great strong man.
Evan was one of the guys in group 5 I’d have ear marked for qualification. The fact that he is now so far behind is a real bonus for Luke. Luke already had an easier ride on the DL - just needing 4 reps to get full points. If Evan had been there I doubt 4 reps would have won it. So that’s a 380kg dead lift Luke’s not had to do. And being 4pts in front with his strongest event (log lift) to come, the guy in second being a lower seeding and the best competitor in the group 10pts behind. Advantage Stoltman.
Saying that - I think it is fair to say Evan will want to storm the remaining events if he can. So if I were Luke - I’d focus on spending enough energy to finish first out the him, Coraboeuf,
Ruiter & Melsted. He’ll still finish top. Evan is not his problem.
Yes agree he should finish top. Coco is a pretty good presser and the log is lighter this year so it may come down to who is more efficient or quicker with the clean. Still can’t see Luke not wining the group.
1 Like
Group 2 is strong as shit. Mark Felix is the only ‘weak’ competitor in the group, and he will make up points today on the grip event. But the current standings don’t surprise me based on the events they had yesterday. Gabe and Mitchell are monster deadlifters, and move very well. And Brian and Bobby are only 1 point behind Gabe. I have no idea how this group will shake out. I don’t think Bobby has a real shot at making the finals, as I can’t imagine him winning a stone off against… really anyone, haha. But particularly not Shaw.
Shaw is a monster with grip events, stones, log and yoke, which is what we have today and tomorrow. I think Shaw is going to land himself in second going into the stones, and I think he will be up against Gabe. That’s not a good situation for Gabe, unfortunately. I think Gabe’s best chance at the finals would actually be if Shaw manages to pass Mitchell in points over the next three events. If Gabe can have Mitchell as his opponent in the stones, he could pull it out. In any event, I think that even given the current standings, Shaw is the only person in the group I would definitely expect to see in the finals.
My two ‘favorite’ competitors are obviously the two I know personally, Gabe and Trey.
Trey is in a really tough group as well, but I think he has an easier path than Gabe. Novikov is going to be in the finals, he looks so good right now. The other spot will likely go to Bishop or Trey, and based on the events today and tomorrow, I’d give it to Trey. I think Trey will pick up serious points on the log, he likely has a better grip than Bishop, and Bishop isn’t outstanding on the yoke. If Bishop and Trey are in the stone off, Bishop will get crushed. Trey’s just too good at that.
Other predictions are pretty easy. I think Licis and Boudreault come out of group 4, Stotlman and I GUESS Faires in Group 1, although second in group 1 could go another way, and in group 5, I’d say the other stoltman, and… Melsted, because stones.
1 Like
Randomly hope Hooper wins the whole contest. Would be h i l a r i o u s.
3 Likes
That or singleton to manage to come back from basically missing 2 events with a medical issue to make the final and win it.
Hooper looks like a legit contender for a podium spot. He has such a short track record, I don’t know if there is a major hole in his game that could come up in the finals. But damn, he’s been impressive.
I should have put out my overall predictions before the heats started, but I’ll share them now. Nothing has changed for me anyway. I think Licis will win, and I think Tom Stoltman and Novikov will podium. I realize how much of a chalk pick this is, but hell. They’re all at the top of their game right now. I can’t bet against them. The spoilers I would have picked would be Shaw and Luke Stoltman, I think they are very capable of making the podium as well. And now that I’ve seen Hooper making waves, I would add him to the spoiler list.
1 Like
Yeah the group is strong - but if you’d have asked me before - the 2 guys that stand out are Shaw & Janashia. But both are having a nightmare. It is not that the other are doing really well. Those two did not complete the dead lift ladder. Shaw has historically been a good deadlifter.
What ever the out come it is a compelling story. It’s a joke it is not on TV live. I’d love to be watching this.
Given the role he is on - Licis is full of confidence. This might play its part. Other than that the events don’t really favour anyone. Tom will feel confident on the stones. But that is the only “banker” I think any of them have.
Sucks altogether. I tried to forget Kaz being ran out, but my interest has dropped a lot since Big Z, Thor, and Brian left.
I don’t know if there will ever be line-ups like there used to be.