With Eddie ‘the Beast’ Hall coming out of retirement to captain the Brits and 2019 World’s Strongest Man, Martins Licis, heading up Team USA, you can bet the battle for the World’s Strongest Nation title was heavily fought!
In front of 4,000 fans at the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena, the World’s Strongest Nation competition featured some of the strongest men and women in the world, including 3 x World’s Strongest Woman, Donna Moore; Gavin ‘the Welsh Bull’ Bilton; Trey ‘Big Thicket’ Mitchell; and 2 x World’s Strongest Woman (u82) Nadia Stowers.
The challenges facing the athletes included a strongman relay race with giant logs, the legendary Hercules Hold, a Giant Axle Deadlift rep-off and a Tug of War!
It was the women who stole the show, with Gabi Dixson beating the likes of Gavin Bilton, Kevin Faires and Martins Licis on the Hercules Hold. Although it was Gabi’s first time using this piece of equipment, she held the giant pillars weighing 250kg (per hand!) for a jaw dropping 1 minute and 8 seconds, setting a female record that’s going to be tough to beat—and even entertaining the crowd while doing it! Bravo Gabi!
Gabi Dixson sets a female record on the Hercules Hold at World’s Strongest Nation 2022
The Axle Deadlift event featured giant 360kg and 220kg axles which the teams had to rep out in head-to-head battles. The competition was electrifyingly close, with the UK and USA tied for points overall in this event. But it was USA’s Gabi Dixson who once more wowed the audience with her performance, winning the event overall and taking the bonus athlete point for Team USA.
Donna Moore and Nadia Stowers go head-to-head on the Axle Deadlift at World’s Strongest Nation 2022
The penultimate event was a crowd favourite and something never before seen at a Giants Live contest: an epic Tug of War!
Team UK v Team USA Tug of War at World’s Strongest Nation 2022
Despite Team Captain, Eddie Hall, picking up an injury in the Viking Press event, it was Team UK who led the way throughout the competition, giving them a time advantage in the final and deciding event—a relay-style race to load 5 weights (weighing 150-250 kilos) to the top of the huge Power Stairs!
Team USA came nail-bitingly close, but it was the Beast’s British Bulldogs who took the win to become the World’s Strongest Nation!
The team format brought fresh challenges and fresh faces to the world strongman stage. It was a fitting end to an immense year of competition, but just the start of more to come as the World’s Strongest Man qualifying tour returns in 2023—and Team USA will no doubt be back to reclaim that Strongest Nation trophy!
Watch the full World’s Strongest Nation 2022 replay only at Official Strongman!
Get tickets for the next show here!
