It is that time of year again, when the World’s Strongest Man TV Series, is on Channel 5 (Ch5).
Yes, as ever, strong men pulling trucks = our time to pull crackers as it is Xmas time in the UK once again. Giants Live, which also acts as the WSM Qualifying Tour, starts the World’s Strongest Man 2021 TV series with 5 one-day strongman contests from locations such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Manchester Arena.
For more details on the WSM TV Listings starting on the 27th December go this article on the World’s Strongest Man 2021: Preview + TV Listings
WSM 2020 winner Oleksii Novikov won the opening Giants Live of the 2021 World Tour at the 150-year-old Royal Albert Hall.
The show was known as the ‘Strongman Classic’. Burkina Faso’s Iron Biby lifted a World Record Axle Press of 217kg. The lift broke Eddie Hall’s record of 216kg.
First event of ‘World Open’ is the legendary ‘World Deadlift Championships’ We head to Manchester’s AO Arena for the 2nd televised strongman contest of the World’s Strongest Man 2021 series. This 2nd episode of the WSM Qualifying series, known as Giants Live, presents one of the most punishing contests to be invited to. The World Open and World Deadlift Championships are combined across one night’s action. It airs in the UK on Thursday 16th December on Channel 5.
Eleven of the World’s Strongest Men, battle it out for money, glory and places at WSM that the World Open title offers. Plus, the World Deadlift Championship 2021 offers the chance to for athletes to try and beat Britain’s Eddie Hall and his famous 500kg Deadlift World Record set in 2016.
Defending World’s Strongest Man Oleksii Novikov of the Ukraine is a favourite to take the World Open 2021 title.
Novikov will be pushed all the way by Britain’s Strongest Man Adam Bishop. The 2020 Giants Live Britain’s Strongest Man is a great deadlifter, which is the first trial of stregnth at the World Open.
Another major threat will come from the USA in the massive form of Evan Singleton. The former WWE wrestler is so fearsome he has been nicknamed “T-Rex”. He stands at 6 foot 6 inches tall and has arms that measure 25” round.
Vying for the World Deadlift Championship 2021 title will be a mix of great strongmen and several “specialist” lifters, most notably Ivan Makarov of Ukraine who many believe will break the 500kg record with the 5kg jump required to earn him $50,000 in prize money, plus the new 505kg Deadlift World Record. A deadlift of 505kg would overtake Eddie Hall’s Deadlift record of 500kg; and at the same time it would end the controversy over the “unofficial” 501kg deadlift that Iceland’s for WSM winner Hafthor Bjornsson (aka “Thor”) pulled in May 2020. That lift by Thor was 1kg heavier than Hall but the lift was done “Out-of-Competition” at his family’s gym in Iceland. A host of lifters could be close to a 505kg deadlift and on the way there they can pull over 1000lbs+ in-competition which so far only 7 men have done in his tory before tonight. Several men look capable of 1000lbs+ in the deadlift, including Ukraine’s Pavlo Nakonechnyy,Mexico’s Gabriel Pena and Estonia’s Rauno Heinla and possibly more.
Channel 5 will be broadcasting the show at 7pm on Thursday 16th December, as well as episodes 3, 4 and 5 of the Giants Live World’s Strongest Man Qualifying Tour throughout the Christmas TV Season.
Whilst there is considerable debate over the legitimacy of certain lifts using modified bars and a variety of lifting aids and techniques, Eddie Hall’s 500kg lift performed in 2016 in Leeds at Europe’s Strongest Man is still by far the heaviest lift performed in competition
At 25” inches flexed they are colossal; but the largest flexed-biceps that have been measured are owned by Iron Biby of Burkina Faso, who is famed for his upper body power. Biby’s right bicep measures an astonishing 28.5” inches around (July 2021, London)
The WSM (World’s Strongest Man 2021) TV series began with Giants Live on December 13th at 7pm, but the WSM Heats begins on Channel 5 (UK) at 7pm, 27th December 2021 and runs each night at 7pm until December 31st 2021. Then the top 10 strongmen from the 5 Heats come together for World’s Strongest Man 2021’s Grand Final, which airs at 7pm, January 1st 2022 in Great Britain (Ch5).
