There are many fans of strength sports that are new to competitive strongman as well as some fans that only watch it when it’s on their TV. What those fans may not know is that the big boys in the Open field aren’t the only one making heavy objects look like toys. There are Masters contests, amateurs working to be the future of the sport, and lighter divisions with world-class athletes that perform amazing feats of strength. We found five such moments that were worthy of recognition as 2019 draws to a close.
5. Bryce Yanoshewski Wins 2019 Canada Nationals Lightweight Title
Yanoshewski entered the lightweight division of the 2019 Canada Nationals strongman event and everyone else was competing for second place on this day. He won three events (Axle, Tire Flip, and Stones) and placed in the Top 4 of the other two to win the contest by 11 points. He was actually the highest scoring athlete out of any division in the contest.
4. Matt Cole Wins 2019 Britain’s Strongest Man 105kg
Cole was coming off defending his UK Strongest Man (105 kg) title when he entered the 2019 Britain’s Strongest Man 105 kg contest. While there were several highlights of his performance, one that stood out was his performance in the Farmer’s Walk. He carried the 140kg (308 pound) weight and practically ran the 20 meter distance to finish in less than 12 seconds. He finished before his opponent in that heat made it halfway down the course.
3. Pavlo Nakonechnyy Dominates Arnold Europe Amateur
Nakonechnyy was a heavyweight in the Arnold Europe Amateur and dominated the contest similar to Mateusz Kieliszkowski did the pro version of this contest. The Ukrainian powerhouse swept all five events and closed out the event by performing 6 reps of the Stone to Bar with the 165 kg (363 pound) stone to clinch the victory by over 11 points.
2. Magnus ver Magnusson Owns the Hercules Hold
This was a special attraction event as a part of the Giants Live Wembley event. Former World’s Strongest Man Bill Kazmaier challenged fellow WSM champion Magnus Ver Magnusson to a Hercules Hold contest to see which legend would last the longest. Magnusson grabbed hold of the handles which were attached to the 140 kg (308 pound) pillars and stood tall for 1 minute and 41 seconds before finally releasing and allowing them to fall. Unfortunately, Kazmaier suffered an injury on his attempt but the contest still entertained and inspired the crowd at Wembley.
1. Terry Hollands Wins Masters World Strongest Man
Hollands had a memorable year overall. He got married as well as won an amateur bodybuilding contest. He followed up his bodybuilding performance by entering and winning the 2019 Masters World Strongest Man contest. It was only a matter of weeks between the two events so for him to compete in two sports that have such different demands on the body and win them both is a testament to the type of athlete Hollands is.
Featured Image: Instagram/magnusvermag