The 2022 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM) contest will take place on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England. The event’s promoters, Giants Live, released the 11-man roster for this competition via their Instagram page on New Year’s Day — Jan. 1, 2022.
2022 Britain’s Strongest Man Roster
The full roster is listed below in alphabetical order:
- Gavin Bilton
- Adam Bishop
- Andy Black
- Mark Felix
- Shane Flowers
- Desmond Gahan
- Pa O’Dwyer
- Paul Smith
- Luke Stoltman
- Tom Stoltman
The stacked roster includes the last two BSM champions — Adam Bishop, and Tom Stoltman. Graham Hicks was also originally scheduled to compete, but had to withdraw due to a groin injury.
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Past Champions
BSM — organized by Giants Live — is one of the sport’s most competitive and prestigious shows. With so many of the sport’s top exports hailing from Europe, BSM serves not only as a qualifier for World’s Strongest Man (WSM) but a preview of who may populate the podium. Below is a list of the more recent BSM winners.
Tom Stoltman — 2021
The younger of the Stoltman brothers is considered the top dog among heavyweight pro strongmen. In 2021, he won the World’s Strongest Man contest in August and the BSM contest in October. Tom Stoltman is the likely favorite to repeat in 2022. He will compete at BSM one week before traveling to Columbus, OH, for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic.
Adam Bishop — 2020
Bishop won BSM in 2020, impressively beating both Stoltman brothers, who flanked him on the podium (Tom in second, Luke in third). Bishop placed second at the 2021 BSM behind Tom Stoltman and as high as sixth at the WSM (in 2020). Bishop shouldn’t be ruled out as someone who can reclaim this title, regardless of who is in the lineup, as he is one of the world’s top deadlifters.
Graham Hicks — 2019
Hicks won the 2019 BSM contest, but he could not defend his title in 2020 due to an injury and that’s the case again in 2022. He returned in 2021, placing third behind Tom Stoltman and Bishop. Hicks battled injuries throughout the year, including his initial groin injury that kept him out of the 2021 WSM.
Other Notable Contenders
With a sport as unpredictable as strongman, any man on this list can podium on a good day. Here are two other athletes to keep an eye on heading into the 2022 BSM competition.
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Luke Stoltman
Luke Stoltman had a spectacular year in 2021. He claimed the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man title, won the Giants Live World Tour Finals, and is the current British record holder in the log lift. Luke will also compete at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC).
Luke has never won a BSM title, but he has finished as high as third in 2020. He and Tom placing on the podium would be a great way to generate momentum for 2022 after what has to be considered a landmark 2021 for the Stoltmans.
Gavin Bilton
Bilton won the Ultimate Strongman UK’s Strongest Man championship in 2020 and 2021. He did not compete in the 2021 BSM and withdrew from the Giants Live World Tour Finals due to an undisclosed injury. Although he didn’t end 2021 as he likely would have preferred, he will look to kick off 2022 with a big performance in Sheffield.
Featured Image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram | Photo by Zoie carter Ingham
