2021 World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman added another title to his already impressive resume by winning the 2021 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM) contest at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England on Oct. 23, 2021. 2020 BSM champion Adam Bishop finished as the runner-up and 2019 BSM champion Graham Hicks rounded out the top three. This marks Tom Stoltman’s first Britain’s Strongest Man title.
The top two finished in opposite positions one year ago, with Bishop defeating Tom Stoltman. The top three finishers of this contest earned invitations to the 2022 World’s Strongest Man, but all three men were already qualified. The event was streamed live on the Giants Live Facebook page. The full results for all ten athletes at this contest are as follows:
2021 Britain’s Strongest Man Results
- Tom Stoltman — 46 points
- Adam Bishop — 40 points
- Graham Hicks — 36 points
- Luke Stoltman — 35 points
- Pa O’Dwyer —22.5 points*
- Mark Felix — 22.5 points
- Shane Flowers — 20 points
- Paul Smith — 19.5 points
- Andy Black — 19 points
- Desmond Gahan — 14.5 points
Note: O’Dwyer ranked above Felix due to the tiebreaker.
This is the younger Stoltman brother’s second contest victory of the year. Older brother Luke Stoltman also won two competitions — the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man and the Giants Live World Tour Finals. Tom Stoltman’s victory in Sheffield came by finishing no lower than third in any of the five events.
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[Related: 2021 Strongman Corporation Nationals Official Results]
Event 1 – Dumbbell Medley
The competition opened with a pressing event. The men were tasked to press five dumbbells ranging from 80 to 120 kilograms (176.3 to 264.5 pounds) overhead in the fastest time possible.
- Luke Stoltman — four in 33.76 seconds
- Tom Stoltman — four in 35.11 seconds
- Adam Bishop — four in 44.35 seconds
- Graham Hicks — three in 24.82 seconds
- Paul Smith — three in 25.59 seconds
- Pa O’Dwyer — three in 29.31 seconds
- Desmond Gahan — two in 18.9 seconds
- Mark Felix — two in 21.03 seconds
- Andy Black — two in 22.38 seconds
- Shane Flowers — two in 25.22 seconds
An official had to validate each lift before the competitor could move on to the next weight. No man was able to lift all five, but Luke Stoltman took the victory by lifting four of the five in 33.76 seconds.
Event 2 – Super Yoke
The yoke weighed 400 kilograms (881.8 pounds). Each man walked the yoke down the 20-meter course in the fastest time possible within the 60-second time limit. No man needed more than 20 seconds to get the job done.
- Adam Bishop — 9.54 seconds
- Mark Felix — 11.36 seconds
- Tom Stoltman — 11.56 seconds
- Graham Hicks — 11.58 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 12.22 seconds
- Paul Smith — 12.6 seconds
- Pa O’Dwyer — 15.58 seconds
- Shane Flowers — 19.39 seconds
- Andy Black — 19.5 seconds
- Desmond Gahan — 20.04 seconds
Bishop was the quickest, blazing through the course in an incredible 9.54 seconds. 55-year-old Mark Felix was the runner-up by almost two seconds. Third place in this event went to Tom Stoltman — the only time he finished out of the top two all day.
Event 3 – Deadlift for Reps
Deadlifts are traditionally involved in strongman events, either for max lift or max reps. This event featured the latter with 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) loaded on the barbell and a one-minute time limit.
- Tom Stoltman — eight reps (T-first)
- Adam Bishop — eight reps (T-first)
- Graham Hicks — eight reps (T-first)
- Pa O’Dwyer — six reps (T-fourth)
- Mark Felix — six reps (T-fourth)
- Luke Stoltman — four reps (T-sixth)
- Shane Flowers — four reps (T-sixth)
- Andy Black — four reps (T-sixth)
- Paul Smith — three reps (T-ninth)
- Desmond Gahan — three reps (T-ninth)
Note: “T-X” designates that the athletes tied for the respective placing.
The top three finishers overall (Stoltman, Bishop, and Hicks) all tied for first place with eight reps. The first through third place points were added together and split evenly between the top three — nine points awarded to each.
Event 4 – Loading Race
Athletes were tasked with carrying a sandbag, a barrel, and a large tire (weights unknown) down the 20-meter course in the quickest time possible. Competitors ran it in two-man heats.
- Tom Stoltman — 35.01 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 36.25 seconds
- Shane Flowers — 37.52 seconds
- Desmond Gahan — 39.09 seconds
- Adam Bishop — 39.79 seconds
- Paul Smith — 40.16 seconds
- Graham Hicks — 40.95 seconds
- Andy Black — 43.75 seconds
- Pa O’Dwyer — 45.16 seconds
- Mark Felix — 45.58 seconds
All 10 men transferred the four implements from one end to the Motherwell within the 60-second time limit. Tom Stoltman gave himself a greater overall lead with his time of 35.01 seconds with his signature event, the Atlas Stones, Luke Stoltman took silver, while Shane Flowers surprised the field with a third-place finish.
Event 5 – Atlas Stones
As with most major strongman competitions, the Atlas Stones was the final event of the contest. Bishop and Hicks needed a win — and Stoltman to falter — if they were to stand atop the podium. However, the younger Stoltman brother lived up to his nickname as the “King of the Stones” with an event win. He clinched the 2021 BSM title by lifting all five stones (weighing 100 to 180 kilograms) in 18.9 seconds.
- Tom Stoltman — five in 18.9 seconds
- Graham Hicks — five in 20.88 seconds
- Andy Black — five in 22.12 seconds
- Adam Bishop — five in 22.33 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — five in 23.58 seconds
- Pa O’Dwyer — five in 24.24 seconds
- Shane Flowers — five in 25.05 seconds
- Mark Felix — five in 25.27 seconds
- Paul Smith — five in 30.5 seconds
- Desmond Gahan — four in 33.12 seconds
Hicks finished in second and Andy Black finished third in the Stones. Bishop finished in fourth to claim the second-place spot on the overall podium. Nine of the 10 men lifted all five stones up to their respective podiums within the one-minute time limit.
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[Related: Strongman Rob Kearney’s Children’s Book “Strong” to Release in May 2022]
Onto the 2021 Rogue Invitational
Both Stoltman brothers will fly across the pond for their next contest — the inaugural strongman contest at the 2021 Rogue Invitational. That contest will also feature five events, but unlike the 2021 BSM, they will be split across two days of competition.
We’ll see if one week is enough recovery time for the Stoltman brothers to make legitimate plays for the top of the podium and the largest prize purse in strongman history.
Featured Image: @giantslivewsm on Instagram
