The 2021 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Tom Stoltman will no longer compete at the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) contest due to testing positive for COVID-19. Stoltman shared the news on the stories of his Instagram page and on the YouTube channel he shares with his brother, Luke Stoltman.
Luke Stoltman has not tested positive for COVID-19 and will still compete at the 2021 ESM scheduled for Sept. 4, 2021, in Leeds, England. The contest will also feature the 2021 World Log Lift Championships (WLLC). In the video, the Stoltman brothers also share their predictions for which athletes are likely to excel in each event.
In his Instagram stories, Tom expressed his disappointment about not competing at the 2021 ESM. He believes his training prepared him to contend for the top of the podium and the event’s layout suggests the same. Most of the events at the 2021 ESM are favorable to the facets of strongman the Atlas Stone world record holder excels at.
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Tom Stoltman’s weakness historically has revolved around grip strength, which hinders performance in events like the Hercules Hold and the farmer’s walk. Both of those events are not part of the event lineup in Leeds.
I was ready to win Europe’s [Strongest Man], so I’m angry now.
Tom Stoltman apologized to the fans that were excited to see him in Leeds. For those fans that wanted to see him in action specifically, Tom Stoltman says to reach out to him, presumably through his social media channels, and he will “do as many shout outs as he can over the weekend.”
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Tom Stoltman’s 2021 Europe Strongest Man Predictions
Although he won’t be in Leeds to compete, Tom Stoltman did share who he thinks will separate from the field and claim the top spots. For the 2021 ESM title, he believes it will be a battle between the 2020 Britain’s Strongest Man champion Adam Bishop and Luke Stoltman.
Tom Stoltman also expects a big performance from Sweden’s Johnny Hansson. He does not overlook the 2020 WSM champion Oleksii Novikov, who has been on a heater recently with a win at the 2021 Strongman Classic and a bronze finish at the 2021 Giants Live World Open despite knee pains.
Tom Stoltman is currently quarantining and intends to get back into the gym once he has recovered to prepare to compete at the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sept. 18, 2021. Hopefully, “The Albatross” will fend off the virus and get back into performance shape.
Feature image: @tomstoltmanofficial on Instagram
