With COVID-19, an unfortunate number of athlete drop-outs, and the events still not being released (at the time of this writing) — the build-up to the 2020 World’s Strongest Man has been rocky. But now we’re just days away from the premier strongman competition, which is set to take place from Nov. 11-15, 2020, in Bradenton, FL.
Leading up to the competition, the 2020 WSM roster has been seriously shaken up. First, the entire 2019 WSM podium was out. Last year’s WSM winner Martins Licis was hit by a car, runner-up Mateusz Kieliszkowski suffered a triceps injury, and Hafthor Bjornsson is busy being a dad and boxing. Then, Konstantine Janashia, Wesley Claborn, and Martin Forsmark tested positive for COVID-19 and had to withdraw.
There’s still a host of amazing, competitive athletes who will take part in this year’s WSM. So, leading up to the show, BarBend spoke to four 2020 WSM competitors — Evan Singleton, Terry Hollands, Jerry Pritchett, and Robert Oberst. We asked them three questions (hey, they’re busy after all) and organized the answers below.
Q: What’s the one strongman event you’d get rid of, and why?
Evan Singleton: Probably squats. I’m not a fan of them, and I like strongman because of the diversity of events. If I wanted to squat, I’d be a powerlifter.
Terry Hollands: The log press, for no other reason than it is my worst event.
Jerry Pritchett: Dumbbell. It’s just not a favorite of mine.
Robert Oberst: Conan’s wheel. It’s a terrible event that always causes injury. They could save it by changing it from a carrying event to a push event, as it is on Conan The Barbarian.
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Q: Who is your ideal training partner?
Evan Singleton: Brian Shaw. He’s a fountain of knowledge, and I could pick his brain forever. Plus, he’s intense to train with. I like that.
Terry Hollands: I’ve been fortunate enough to train with some great strongmen over the years, but I’ll say, Adam Bishop. We’ve trained together leading up to this year’s contest. Or, Brian Shaw. We’ve been friends for many years and trained together a few times and have had some great sessions.
Jerry Pritchett: All of my training partners that I have now! They support and push me week in and week out.
Robert Oberst: Brad Pitt, just so he can feel like the second prettiest guy in the gym.
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Q: What is one piece of strength training advice that you’d give to a younger version of yourself?
Evan Singleton: Experience is irreplaceable. You learn so much about yourself as a competitor and a person by actually competing against others in a competitive setting.
Terry Hollands: Look after your nutrition and recovery. These were two areas that I neglected the most in my early years.
Jerry Pritchett: Start strongman training earlier. I started powerlifting in 1996 and entered my first strongman contest in Phoenix, AZ, in 2008.
Robert Oberst: Don’t listen to old powerlifters who can’t stand up straight.
Don’t Miss the 2020 World’s Strongest Man
You can check out the official 2020 WSM roster, given exclusively to BarBend. Also, check out our how to watch article, and be sure to read up about the $1.99 Facebook Live stream that WSM will air at 4:30 p.m. EST each day from Nov. 10-15, 2020. The stream will include athlete interviews, event results, and behind-the-scenes footage.
