Graham Hicks is officially out of the 2020 World’s Strongest Man Finals due to a torn biceps. So far, it seems as though the 10 finalists have completed the first event of the 2020 WSM Finals — the Giant Medley. Hicks competed in the medley, which took place on Nov. 14, 2020, but then posted a photo of himself in a cast on his Instagram account. WSM confirmed Hicks’ withdrawal to BarBend shortly after and also said that no other athlete will be replacing him. According to Hicks, he has torn his biceps. He did not explicitly say that he injured himself during the event. The WSM Finals takes place from Nov. 14-15, 2020, in Bradenton, FL. You can see his post below.
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“I don’t even know how to put this into words or what to even say about how I’m feeling right now. All I know is this is not how I visioned my WSM 2020 ending,” Hicks wrote in his Instagram post. “Especially after fighting to be in that final, I thought this was my year. I am absolutely distraught, but these things happen in this sport; it’s all part of the game we choose to play.”
Hicks is not the first athlete to drop out of the 2020 World’s Strongest Man since it kicked off on Nov. 12, 2020 (after being delayed by one day). First, Ervin Toots of Estonia withdrew after injuring his quad during the squat event on day one of the qualifiers. Then, Gabriel Pena, who represented Mexico this year, experienced atrial fibrillation (defined by an irregular and rapid heart rate) and was forced to drop out. Evan Singleton also posted on his Instagram about dropping out due to a torn biceps.
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During day one of the competition, Hicks placed fourth in his group in the farmer’s carry for distance. He carried each 150-kilogram (331-pound) log for a total of 7.47 meters. Then, he managed to squat 315 kilograms (694.5 pounds) for 10 reps, which was just one rep behind group four leaders JF Caron and Bobby Thompson. On day two, Hicks got off to a rough start by placing last in his group during the Monster Truck Medley. He loaded all five objects in a time of 0:56.35. However, Hicks really showed up to the Log Lift for Max Reps event and won his group by pressing the 150-kilogram (330.7-pound) log for nine reps in 1:09.07. Then, Hicks stamped his ticket to the finals by defeating Bobby Thompson in the head-to-head Atlas Stone loading series. Hicks loaded six out of eight increasingly heavy stones to Thompson’s five — 25 seconds faster, too.
Hicks injury is unfortunate, but he remains optimistic: “Onwards to get this sorted and a big come back planned for 2021,” he wrote in his Instagram post. “A massive thank you to each and every one of you that have supported me along my journey. It’s not the end; it’s just the beginning of a new and stronger journey!!”
Featured image: World’s Strongest Man