The crowning of the 2021 World’s Strongest Man will be shown on Channel 5 on UK television on Saturday 1st January, New Year’s Day, at 7.00pm. The Grand Final will be a 90-minute bonanza of brawn where you’ll be able to see the winner of the 2021 World’s Strongest Man.
The 2021 World’s Strongest Man Grand Final features 10 athletes who all successfully negotiated their qualifying heat. In all 25 athletes qualified for this year’s World’s Strongest Man event, with two men from each heat of 5 moving through to the Grand Final.
A total of 10 of the world’s strongest men from across the globe have qualified to vie for the sport’s ultimate prize, the World’s Strongest Man title. Each of the following 10 men have progressed from their heat to the 2021 World’s Strongest Man Grand Final:
There are 6 gruelling, events that make up the 2021 World’s Strongest Man Grand Final. Competitors are awarded points according to their placing in each test of strength. At the end of the 6 events, the athlete with the most points will be declared 2021 World’s Strongest Man.
The events for the 2021 World’s Strongest Man Grand Final are:
America’s Brian Shaw of Colorado, a 4-time World’s Strongest Man winner set a new world record in the 15kg (33lb) keg toss, clearing a height of 7.75m (25’ 5”) at the 2021 World’s Strongest Man finals in Sacramento, California.
The previous Keg Toss world record was held by Iceland’s Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, who threw the 15kg (33lb) keg 7.15m (23’ 5”) in Norrkoping, Sweden, at the 2016 Giant’s Live strongman contest.
The “Colorado Colossus,” AKA, Brian Shaw (USA) is a 4-time winner of the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest and is arguably the favourite to add a record-equalling 5th title to his CV. His last WSM victory came in 2016, in Kasane, Botswana. A fifth win would equal the title haul of Poland’s Mariusz Pudzianowski, who is the only man to win the contest 5-times.
Scotland’s Tom Stoltman, aka “The Invergordon Goliath” was strongly fancied to improve on his second-place finish in 2020 and become the first Scot to win the World’s Strongest Man final. The 6’ 8” (2.03m), 27-stone (174kg or 384lb) Highlander was beaten into second place last year by Ukraine’s Oleksii Novikov, but many felt the young Scot had thrown away the title after mishandling an implement and losing an event he looked certain to win.
Canada’s Jean-Francois Caron is an extremely consistent performer and was predicted to at least make the podium at the 2021 World’s Strongest Man Final. He placed 3rd in the 2020 World’s Strongest Man finals in Bradenton, Florida and undoubtedly posed a huge threat to the title this year.
Defending 2020 World’s Strongest Man, Oleksii Novikov (UKR) was unable to reach the grand final and defend the title he won in Bradenton, Florida. After losing out in a highly competitive heat to America’s Bobby Thompson, Scotland’s Luke Stoltman and Kevin Faires of the USA his involvement in this year’s competition came to a shock end.
Scotland’s Tom Stoltman of Invergordon won the 2021 World’s Strongest Man final in Sacramento, California, defeating 4-time winner Brian Shaw of the USA, by 3 points and Canada’s Maxime Boudreault. Tom Stoltman became the first Scottish athlete to ever win the coveted World’s Strongest Man title.
On his way to claiming the 2021 World’s Strongest Man title, Tom Stoltman took 3 event wins from the 6-event contest. The Invergordon Goliath, AKA, Tom Stoltman won the opening two events, the Giant’s Medley and the Titan’s Turntable to get off to the perfect start. He was second in the Keg Toss, but only managed 8th and 6th in the log lift and deadlift. The “Albatros,” as he is known put his huge arms to good use in winning the final event – his speciality – the Atlas Stones to claim victory by a 3-point margin.
One route to the 2022 World’s Strongest Man Finals is to place in the top 3 at a Giants Live Arena Tour event. Any athlete who achieves a podium place in one of the 8 Giants Live arena shows, receives an automatic qualification spot for the World’s Strongest Man Finals.
There are 8 Giants Live Arena shows in 2022, including the jewel in the Giants Live crown – Europe’s Strongest Man. Tickets are now on sale for these events which are on the following dates:
The prize fund for the 2021 World’s Strongest man was set at $200,000, with the overall winner set to receive $75,000. This amount has increased and now reflects the prestige due to the sport’s greatest title. Winners can expect to earn much more from topping the podium however, with earnings from sponsors, bonuses and the likelihood of securing lucrative sponsorship deals greatly enhanced.
One of the most frequently asked questions in any sport and one that often provokes heated debate is “who is the GOAT – the greatest of all time?” Strongman is no exception to this age-old conundrum, but to objectively answer such a question is fraught with difficulty.
The most prolific winner of the World’s Strongest Man title is Poland’s Mariusz Pudzianowski who captured the title an incredible 5-times in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008. As the man to have won more World’s Strongest Man titles than any other, some would consider him to be the strongest man in history.
An often-mentioned contender for the strongest man in history is Lithuania’s Zydrunas Savickas. Big Z, as he is known won the World’s Strongest Man title 4-time in all in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014. Zydrunas’s claim for the title of strongest man in history is strengthened by the unparalleled number of competition victories and world records he has set during his long career, most notably in the log lift, where he became the first man to exceed 500lb (227kg).
Few would overlook America’s Brian Shaw for the title of being the strongest man in history. The Colorado Colossus, as he has been called has claimed 4 World’s Strongest Man victories, with wins coming in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2016.
So what are you waiting for, head to Channel 5 to watch the 2021 World’s Strongest Man.
