Prepare for a jam-packed weekend of strongman competition ahead. The 2021 Giants Live World Finals is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland at the SSE Hydro Arena. The roster features 10 of the top strongmen in the world, including the 2021 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Tom Stoltman. Stoltman is making his return to competition after withdrawing from the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) contest due to testing positive for COVID-19.
Speaking of the 2021 ESM, the winner of that contest, Luke Stoltman, will also compete in Glasgow. Additionally, 2021 WSM bronze medalist Maxime Boudreault, 2021 Giants Live World Open champion Evan Singleton, and 2021 Scotland’s Strongest Man (SSM) champion Andy Black are also set to compete. Here is the full roster:
2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals Roster
- Gavin Bilton
- Adam Bishop
- Maxime Boudreault
- Mark Felix
- Gabriel Peña
- Evan Singleton
- Kevin Faires
- Luke Stoltman
- Tom Stoltman
- Andy Black
Many other top strongmen that might be expected to appear on this list, such as 2020 WSM champion Oleksii Novikov or JF Caron will be in Dubai, UAE competing in the 2021 World’s Ultimate Strongman contest on the same day.
[Related: 2021 Rogue Invitational Strongman Roster — Kieliszkowski and Licis Return]
2021 World Tour Final Events
The events for the World Tour Finals are the same events performed at the 2021 SSM contest, which means Black has both home-field advantage and experience with the implements. Here are the events each strongman will contend with:
Nicol Stones
The first event is not often seen in strongman competition but has made a resurgence in 2021. The Nicol Stones event is a farmer’s carry for distance that requires a lot of grip strength for success. However, unlike a standard farmer’s carry event, the weight of the Nicol Stones is uneven. One stone weighs 114 kilograms (251.3 pounds) and the other weighs 138 kilograms (304.3 pounds), making it more difficult to remain upright and balanced while walking forward.
The current record in the event is 19.5 meters by Luke Stoltman. Laurence Shahlaei recently broke the world record for the Dinnie Stones — similar to the Nicol Stones but heavier — by walking them 4.52 meters. The Dinnie Stones weigh 144.5 kilograms (318.6 pounds) and 188 kilograms (414.5 pounds).
Log Lift for Reps
The second event of the competition is the log lift for reps with a 150-kilogram (330.7-pound) log. Luke Stoltman is arguably the strongest overhead presser in the field as he won the log lift event at the 2021 WSM contest and holds the current British log lift record of 221 kilograms (487.2 pounds).
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However, this is an event for max reps rather than max weight, which means athletes like Tom Stoltman and Boudreault, who historically perform well in speed events could also rank well.
Axle Deadlift for Reps
Another event with the goal of max reps rather than max weight, this contest is putting the strongmens’ cardio to the test. The expectation going into this event is likely Bishop being the man to beat. The deadlift is one of his strongest events — he won the KNAACK Deadlift event at the 2021 WSM contest by locking out 345 kilograms (760 pounds) 10 times.
Car Walk
Competitors will harness up inside a car frame, and walk is as far as possible. This is similar to a yoke walk with the weight placed perpendicularly on the strongmens’ shoulders rather than parallel with an actual yoke.
Atlas Stones
The final event is the go-to finisher for Giants Live contests — the Atlas Stones. To predict anyone other than Tom Stoltman as the winner of this event is likely foolish. The 2021 WSM champ is the world record holder in this event — 286 kilograms (630 pounds) — and has an unblemished record in the event for nearly two straight years. At the 2021 WSM contest, his win in the Atlas Stones event secured him the title against four-time WSM Brian Shaw.
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[Related: Donna Moore Wins 2021 UK’s Strongest Woman — Final Results and Event Recaps]
Strength in Scotland
Tickets are currently available to witness the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals in person via Ticketmaster, Eventim, and/or Tickets-Scotland. The one-day event will secure whoever finishes on the podium a spot at the 2022 WSM contest.
Will Tom Stoltman be able to perform at his best following his bout with COVID-19? Will Andy Black, Luke Stoltman, or Evan Singleton leverage the momentum from their recent competition victories to land on the podium again? In a one-day event with a roster this stacked, anything can happen.
Feature image: @giantslivewsm on Instagram
