There are so many different sports out there to keep us entertained, it can be difficult to keep track. Team sports take up most of our sporting calendars as there are always big competitions that are regularly televised.
But there’s so much more to the world of sports than just watching the NFL or Championship League. There are all kinds of niche sporting events out there to be intrigued and impressed by. We’ve all watched curling at the Olympics after all.
The world’s strongest man competition is a high contender for the best niche sporting event out there. New Yorkers are betting more on strongman competitions and who can blame them? Nothing makes a competition more interesting than having some money on who might win.
And with a contest such as the strongman competition, it could be anybody’s game. Let’s take a deeper look into this contest and who the standout stars have been over the years.
What is a strongman competition?
In 1977, a question in the sporting world arose – who is the strongest man in the world? We have competitions for all kinds of other top rated athletes. We know who the fastest man is, the one who can jump the furthest and throw the farthest.
But what was still missing from sporting events was a test to find the strongest man. People who are strong might not have the same athleticism as other sports players. However, their incredible brute strength is definitely something that needs to be celebrated.
That’s why, every year, 25 of the strongest men in the world get together to compete against each other for the top prize. There’s lots of different tests of strength that the competitors must complete in order to be in the running.
It’s not just about who has the strongest bicep muscles. There are two different strength tests that will challenge the strength of the entire body from the arms and shoulders to the legs and glutes.
First on the list is the squats test. Each competitor will have to see how good their leg and glute work is by squatting 317kg (the same as 700lbs). The challengers will then take part in attempting to break the deadlift world record with a lift of a massive 537.5kg (the same as 1185lbs).
It’s a difficult challenge for even the strongest of men on the planet. But let’s take a look through who has participated before and who is likely to give it another try in years to come.
Who are the competitors?
- Gavin Bilton
First on the list of competitors is Gavin Bilton. This 6”6 giant is from Great Britain and is currently 34 years of age. He weighs 390 lbs himself so if he completes the deadlift challenge, he’d be lifting over three times his own body weight. His nickname isn’t “The Bull” for nothing!
A former rugby player, Gavin is no stranger to challenging tournaments. He’s already won the contest twice so let’s tune in to see if he’s able to do it for the third time round.
- Adam Bishop
Adam Bishop is also a competitor from Great Britain but he’s a little more slight in stature than Gavin. He’s a mere 6”3 in height and 331 lbs but is certainly not lacking in strength.
Adam is the current winner of the strongman championship – despite joking about being one of the ‘little guys’ of the competition.
Just like Gavin, he started out as a rugby player before moving onto strength competitions back in 2012. Since then, Adam has gone strength to strength before his win in last years competition. Let’s see if he can do it all again this year.
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf
Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf represents France in the strongman championships. He really is one of the little guys as he comes in at a mere 5”11 and 287 lbs. But don’t let that or his million watt smile fool you, he’s just as strong as the rest of them.
When he’s not in competitions, he’s running his own gym that is specifically tailored to people intending to compete in similar competitions.
- Fadi El Masri
Fadi El Masri is of Lebanese origin, but he has also competed for Australia as well. Fadi’s nickname is the Northside Giant and as he stands at 6”6, it should come as no surprise as to why. He also weighs in at 386 lbs making him the heaviest man on the list so far.
This gentle giant is yet to win a strongman competition, but he’s definitely got the capacity to make it happen in the future. If you’re looking to train like Fadi, he’s got his own 10 week training program that’s made to get you in the strongman kind of shape. No guarantees you’ll end up competing of course.
Which of these impressive athletes do you reckon will win the tournament this year?
