World's Strongest Man
Encyclopedia
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics
Strength athletics
Strength athletics, more generally known as strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions...

  and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year. Competitors qualify based on top placings at the World's Strongest Man Super Series
Strongman Super Series
The Strongman Super Series, known from 2005 to 2008 as the World's Strongest Man Super Series and reverting in 2009 to the World Strongman Super Series, is a sequence of grand prix events in the sport of strength athletics...

 events or are invited based on a top placing in selected national or international competitions. Thirty contestants take part across five heats; the top two in each go through to the ten-man final.

Currently, the event sponsor is Met-rx
Met-Rx
MET-Rx is a brand name of nutritional supplements, originally produced by Met-Rx, Inc., a California company started by A. Scott Connelly, and sold several times since....

, and the top prize is known as the RV Trophy. The event has a number of rival and parallel competitions with which it is often confused including the Strongman Super Series
Strongman Super Series
The Strongman Super Series, known from 2005 to 2008 as the World's Strongest Man Super Series and reverting in 2009 to the World Strongman Super Series, is a sequence of grand prix events in the sport of strength athletics...

 (producing the World Champion) and the IFSA World Championship (run since the IFSA
International Federation of Strength Athletes
The International Federation of Strength Athletes was an international governing body for strongman competition...

 parted company with WSM). However, these are separate competitions.

1970s–1980s

The concept behind "The World's Strongest Men", as it was originally named, was developed in 1977 for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 by Langstar Inc. David Webster
David Webster
David Webster may refer to:* David Webster * David Webster , Chairman of InterContinental Hotels Group* David Webster , Australian TV producer for Ambence Entertainment, creator and writer for Erky Perky* David L...

, a Scot who later received an OBE for his services to sport, was the head coordinator of the competition from its inception. Dr Douglas Edmunds, seven-times Scottish shot and discus champion and twice world caber champion worked with Webster and when David Webster retired from his position Edmunds took over. These two men were responsible for inviting the competitors and choosing the events. In the meantime, in 1982, CBS sold the rights to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

, who in turn sold the rights to TWI. In 1987, the WSM was not held for the only time since its inception. In that year the first and only non-team Pure Strength
Pure Strength
Pure Strength was a strongman competition held from 1987 to 1990 which was created by Tjalling van den Bosch.-Event History:The first year of the event was known as "Pure Strength Challenge" and was a single man competition featuring only Bill Kazmaier, Geoff Capes and Jon Pall Sigmarsson. The...

 competition was held but it was not part of the WSM franchise.

1990s–2000s

In 1995, Edmunds and Webster, along with representatives from the competitors including Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...

, Ilkka Kinnunen and Marcel Mostert formed a governing body called the International Federation of Strength Athletes
International Federation of Strength Athletes
The International Federation of Strength Athletes was an international governing body for strongman competition...

 ("IFSA"). The IFSA began organizing its own bespoke events, such as the IFSA European Championships but also took the lead in working with BBC and TWI to organize the World's Strongest Man competition. For almost a decade the IFSA and WSM were inextricably mixed, but this changed in 2004. The InvestGroup Ventures' sports rights management arm, InvestGroup Sports Management, invested heavily into IFSA and this led to the creation of IFSA Strongman. The strategy was to acquire most of the international assets and properties relating to the strongman sport. In essence this was a new organisation with some, such as Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 describing it as "a new company...with the same name as our old federation". The attempt at dominance was not well received by TWI and disagreement ensued leading to a split in the sport. Previously, in 2001, the IFSA in its former guise had entered an agreement with World Class Events (WCE), headed by Ulf Bengtsson, to run the Super Series. This Super Series was designed to award the World Championship title, but also acted as a qualifying vehicle for the WSM. When strongman split in 2004, the Super Series sided with TWI forming a rival federation to the IFSA. With the WSM being a TWI owned event, IFSA Holdings announced its own world championships for 2005, to be held in Quebec, and thus from that point had no involvement in the WSM contest.

The split with IFSA, which banned its registered athletes from competing at WSM, meant that not all the recognised best strength athletes in the world were eligible to compete. However, the reputation of WSM as the premier event maintained its lure for broadcasting purposes. In recent years, the competition has been broadcast on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...

 and Five. The longevity of the contest in strength athletics and its high levels of TV exposure over the years has led to it being described as "the granddaddy of all strongman contests". The contest has been criticised in recent years for its slant towards athleticism away from raw strength, with other contests whose emphasis is on the latter, such as the Arnold Strongman Classic
Arnold Strongman Classic
The Arnold Strongman Classic is one of the highest profile events featuring strength athletes in the world. Created by Dr. Terry Todd, it is an offshoot of the Arnold Sports Festival which takes place annually in Columbus, Ohio, USA.-History:...

 or Fortissimus
Fortissimus
The Fortissimus is a well recognised event in strength athletics. The name means "the mightiest" and is a multi-event challenge at the end of which the winner is crowned as the "Strongest Man on Earth"...

, being cited as producing the true strongest man in the world. However, it is routinely described as "the Worlds" by top strongman competitors and despite the critics, it is the leading brand name in the field. No other strongman contest commands close to the WSM's levels of TV exposure.

The 2006
2006 World's Strongest Man
The 2006 Met-Rx World's Strongest Man was the 29th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Phil Pfister, the first American to win the competition since Bill Kazmaier in 1982. The contest took place between the 14th and 23rd of September 2006, in Sanya, China.The 25 competitors in the...

 competition ended in dramatic fashion, with Phil Pfister
Phil Pfister
Phil Pfister , is a leading American strongman competitor, winning the 2006 Met-Rx World's Strongest Man competition and its $41,000 grand prize on September 23, 2006 in Sanya, China. He is the first American to win since Bill Kazmaier in 1982...

 edging out Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 in the final event, the Atlas stones. Pfister became the first American to win the event since 1982, and the only American to win the event outside the USA.

In 2008, local debutant Derek Poundstone
Derek Poundstone
Derek Poundstone Derek Poundstone Derek Poundstone (born on September 28, 1981, 6'1" (1,85m), 341 lb is an American professional strongman athlete from Waterbury, Connecticut....

 had a large lead over Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 after 3 events but Pudzianowski tied the deadlift event for first place and then won the crucial plane-pull to narrow the gap. Pudzianowski and Poundstone then battled for the title of World's Strongest Man in the last event, the Atlas Stones. Pudzianowski blistered through the event and was able to keep pace with the taller and heavier Derek Poundstone. On the final stone, Pudzianowski was able to capitalize on Poundstone's drop and clinched his fifth title.

Competition format and commonly contested events

Initially, eight men representing various sports and strength disciplines were invited to compete against each other in unique events designed to test each individual to the fullest extent. The earliest events were relatively crude, but new ideas were introduced over the years. Some events had a basis in both powerlifting and Highland Games
Highland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...

 heavy events, and others were created based on mythological feats of strength. There are a number of events that make up each competition. The events used in each individual contest vary in order to prevent favoring certain types of competitor.
  • Loading Race – Five heavy objects weighing between 220–360 lbs (100-164 kgs) are loaded onto a truck bed or a similar platform over a course of about 50 ft.
  • McGlashen Stones
    Lifting stone
    Lifting stones are common throughout northern Europe, particularly Scotland, Iceland , Scandinavia and Northern England. They were usually heavy local stones, without any modification, with the challenge being to lift such a stone, proving your strength...

     / Atlas Stones
    – Five heavy round stones increasing in weight from 220–352 lbs (100-160 kgs) are placed on top of high platforms. The course tends to be about 16–33 ft. long and has seen three variations- five stones placed directly in front of platforms, five stones placed away from platforms and competitors carrying them to platforms, and platforms arranged in a straight vertical line with a stone in front of each. In recent competitions this is typically the final event.
  • Truck / Airplane Pull – Vehicles such as transport trucks, trams, boxcars, buses or planes are pulled across a 100 ft course by hand as fast as possible. Also, the vehicles may be pulled with a harness around the shoulders. The 2007 competition featured pulling a fire truck (possibly a nod to 2006 champion Phil Pfister, a professional firefighter), and the 2008 qualifying rounds featured a coal truck (a reference to the coal
    Bituminous coal
    Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...

     mining industry in West Virginia
    West Virginia
    West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

    , where the competition was held).
  • Overhead Press – The heaviest possible load is pressed overhead, or a lighter weight is used for repetitions.
  • Fingal Fingers – A series of progressively heavier, hinged poles ("fingers") are lifted starting from a horizontal resting position and flipped over to the other side. The event takes its name from Fingal
    Fionn mac Cumhaill
    Fionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...

    , a mythological Gaelic hunter-warrior.
  • Power Stairs – A series of three Duck Walk implements ranging from 400–600 lbs (182-273 kgs) are lifted, step by step, to the top of a flight of stairs.
  • Squat
    Squat (exercise)
    In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body...

    – Squatting large weights, like 900 lb (409 kgs) of bricks, a car, or people on a platform. Recently, an apparatus has been used that drops weighted kegs into a cage, one at a time after each successful lift (the event in this case is scored by weight instead of repetitions). The athlete will continue until completion, failure or time expires.
  • Dead Lift
    Deadlift
    The deadlift is a weight training exercise where a loaded barbell is lifted off the ground from a stabilized, bent over position. It is one of the three canonical powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press.-Overview:...

    – Lifting weights or vehicles up to about 1,100 lb (500 kgs) straight off the ground until knees lock in a standing position. Lift is for either maximum weight, maximum repetitions with a fixed weight, or for time whilst holding a single repetition. In recent years, a similar keg-loaded apparatus to that described above for the squat has been used.
  • Keg Toss
    Keg Tossing
    Keg tossing is a sport that involves the heaving of a standard 15.5 gallon beer keg. Most people would refer to this type of keg as a "half-keg" or "half-barrel." The keg must be completely emptied before it should be tossed to avoid injuries. There are many different types of keg tossing, as it is...

    – Competitors must throw kegs, of increasing weight, over a 14 in 6 in (4.42 m) high steel wall.
  • Car Carry – Standing inside a roof-less, bottom-less car supported by a harness, competitors must carry the car for the maximum distance or shortest time for 25 meters.
  • Hercules Hold – The athlete stands between two hinged pillars, gripping handles that prevent the pillars from falling to the side. The pillars are held for the longest possible time.
  • Carry and Drag – Two weights are carried to the end of a set distance. An anchor and chain must then be dragged back the same distance.
  • Farmer's Walk – Competitors carry heavy objects weighing from 275-375 lbs (125- 170 kgs) in each hand for a set distance, and compete for the fastest time. A variation involves use of a heavy frame with parallel handles.
  • Yoke Walk / Fridge Carry – A yoke
    Yoke
    A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...

    , composed of a crossbar and two weighted uprights (normally fridges) weighing about 904 lb is carried across the shoulders for a set distance.
  • Husafell Stone
    Husafell Stone
    Husafell Stone, is a legendary lifting stone located in Husafell, Iceland. The stone weighs roughly 418 lbs; and is kept near a goat pen built by pastor Snorri Bjornsson over two hundred years ago. The stone has been used as a test of strength by either simply lifting the stone, or by lifting and...

    – A flat, somewhat triangular rock weighing around 400 lb (182 kgs) is carried high on the chest for a set distance. During the three years in which the competition took place in Africa, this event was known as the Africa Stone.
  • Duck Walk – A 400 lb (182 kgs) pot with a handle is carried, suspended between the legs, over a set course.
  • Log Throw / Caber Toss
    Caber toss
    The caber toss is a traditional Irish athletic event practised at the Irish Highland Games involving the tossing of a large wooden pole called a caber. It is said to have developed from the need to toss logs across narrow chasms to cross them. In Irishtown the caber is usually made from a Larch tree...

    – A five meter long log is thrown for distance or for height over a bar.
  • Tug of War – One on one tug of war in a single-elimination tournament.
  • Pole Pushing – One on one pole pushing in a Sumo-style ring in a single-elimination tournament. The pole has handles at either end.
  • Crucifix – Weights are held straight out at each side for as long a time as possible. A common variation entails weights being held out in front, using either one or both hands.

Official results – top three places

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
2010
2010 World's Strongest Man
The 2010 World's Strongest Man was the 33rd edition of World's Strongest Man and was held at Sun City, South Africa from Sept. 15–22. 2009 champion Zydrunas Savickas won his second consecutive title, Brian Shaw placed second moving up a spot from 3rd the previous year, and Mikhail Koklyaev placed...

 
  Žydrūnas Savickas
Žydrunas Savickas
Žydrūnas Savickas is a professional strongman and is widely considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in the history of the sport...

 
  Brian Shaw
Brian Shaw (strongman)
Brian Shaw is a professional strongman competitor and winner of the 2011 World's Strongest Man competition.-Early life:...

 
  Mikhail Koklyaev
Mikhail Koklyaev
Mikhail Koklyaev is a six-time Russian National Weightlifting champion, strongman competitor and powerlifter.He was born in 1978 in Chelyabinsk, Russia...

 
  Sun City
Sun City, North West
Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :...

 
2009
2009 World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man 2009 was the 32nd edition of World's Strongest Man and took place in Valletta, Malta from the 26th September to 3rd October 2009. It was sponsored by PartyPoker.com...

 
  Žydrūnas Savickas
Žydrunas Savickas
Žydrūnas Savickas is a professional strongman and is widely considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in the history of the sport...

 
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
  Brian Shaw
Brian Shaw (strongman)
Brian Shaw is a professional strongman competitor and winner of the 2011 World's Strongest Man competition.-Early life:...

 
  Valletta 
2008
2008 World's Strongest Man
The 2008 World's Strongest Man was the 31st edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Mariusz Pudzianowski from Poland. It was his fifth title. Derek Poundstone from the USA finished second, and Dave Ostlund also from the USA finished third after finishing sixth the previous year...

 
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
  Derek Poundstone
Derek Poundstone
Derek Poundstone Derek Poundstone Derek Poundstone (born on September 28, 1981, 6'1" (1,85m), 341 lb is an American professional strongman athlete from Waterbury, Connecticut....

 
  Dave Ostlund    Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...

 
2007
2007 World's Strongest Man
The 2007 World's Strongest Man was the 30th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Mariusz Pudzianowski from Poland. It was his fourth title. Sebastian Wenta also from the Poland finished second after finishing sixth the previous year, and Terry Hollands from the United Kingdom finished...

 
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
  Sebastian Wenta
Sebastian Wenta
Sebastian Wenta is a shot putter, strongman and Highland Games competitor from Poland. Wenta's athletic career started with volleyball, and he eventually moved onto the shot put and discus throw. He began competing in strongman in 2005 and has quickly risen through the ranks...

 
  Terry Hollands
Terry Hollands
Terry Hollands , is one of the world's leading strongman competitors and was Britain's Strongest Man .-Early life:...

 
  Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...

 
2006
2006 World's Strongest Man
The 2006 Met-Rx World's Strongest Man was the 29th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Phil Pfister, the first American to win the competition since Bill Kazmaier in 1982. The contest took place between the 14th and 23rd of September 2006, in Sanya, China.The 25 competitors in the...

 
  Phil Pfister
Phil Pfister
Phil Pfister , is a leading American strongman competitor, winning the 2006 Met-Rx World's Strongest Man competition and its $41,000 grand prize on September 23, 2006 in Sanya, China. He is the first American to win since Bill Kazmaier in 1982...

 
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
  Don Pope
Don Pope
Don Pope is a strongman competitor from the USA. He is best known for participating in the World's Strongest Man finals of 2005, 2006 and 2007. His best finish was 3rd at the 2006 World's Strongest Man competition. Don has a maximum dead lift of 800 pounds, and can squat nearly 1000 pounds. He...

 
  Sanya
Sanya
Sanya is the southernmost city in China and is a part of Hainan Province. In 2006, it had a population of 536,000, making it, after the provincial capital , the second most populous city on the island. The city is renowned for its tropical climate and has emerged as a popular tourist destination,...

 
2005
2005 World's Strongest Man
The 2005 World's Strongest Man was the 28th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Mariusz Pudzianowski from Poland. It was his third title. Jesse Marunde from the USA finished second, and Dominic Filiou from Canada third. The contest was held at Chengdu, China.-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Heat...

 
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
  Jesse Marunde
Jesse Marunde
Jesse Marunde was an American strongman athlete who placed second in the 2005 World's Strongest Man competition....

 
  Dominic Filiou
Dominic Filiou
Dominic Filiou is a Canadian strongman. Filiou is best known for competing in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 World's Strongest Man competitions. In 2005 he finished third in the finals, a career best. In 2006 and 2007 he was eliminated during the qualifying heats...

 
  Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...

 
2004
2004 World's Strongest Man
The 2004 World's Strongest Man was the 27th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by ]. It was his first title after finishing third the previous year. Zydrunas Savickas from Lithuania finished second for the third year in a row...

  Vasyl Virastyuk
Vasyl Virastyuk
Vasyl Virastyuk , is a strongman competitor from Ukraine.Vasyl Virastyuk competed in the finals of the World's Strongest Man contest in 2003 and 2004. He finished third in 2003 behind then-defending champion Mariusz Pudzianowski and runner-up Zydrunas Savickas...

 
  Zydrunas Savickas
Žydrunas Savickas
Žydrūnas Savickas is a professional strongman and is widely considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in the history of the sport...

 
  Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 
  Nassau
2003
2003 World's Strongest Man
The 2003 World's Strongest Man was the 26th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Mariusz Pudzianowski from Poland. It was his second title, and Pudzianowski's record-setting score of 66 points in the Final eclipsed the previous record of 60. His margin of victory was also a record...

 
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
  Zydrunas Savickas
Žydrunas Savickas
Žydrūnas Savickas is a professional strongman and is widely considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in the history of the sport...

 
  Vasyl Virastyuk
Vasyl Virastyuk
Vasyl Virastyuk , is a strongman competitor from Ukraine.Vasyl Virastyuk competed in the finals of the World's Strongest Man contest in 2003 and 2004. He finished third in 2003 behind then-defending champion Mariusz Pudzianowski and runner-up Zydrunas Savickas...

 
  Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...

2002
2002 World's Strongest Man
The 2002 World's Strongest Man was the 25th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Mariusz Pudzianowski from Poland. Zydrunas Savickas from Lithuania finished second, and Raimonds Bergmanis from Latvia came in third. The contest was held in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Heat...

 
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
  Zydrunas Savickas
Žydrunas Savickas
Žydrūnas Savickas is a professional strongman and is widely considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in the history of the sport...

 
  Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis is a fomer Olympic weightlifting champion and retired strongman competitor from Latvia....

 
  Kuala Lumpur
2001
2001 World's Strongest Man
The 2001 World's Strongest Man was the 24th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Svend Karlsen from Norway. It was his first title after finishing second the previous year. 1998 winner Magnus Samuelsson from Sweden finished second after finishing third the previous year, and 2000 winner...

 
  Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen is a former Norwegian strongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder.-Powerlifting/Bodybuilding:...

 
  Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 
  Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen is a strongman from Espoo, Finland. Janne earns his living as a carpenter in Finland....

 
  Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...

2000
2000 World's Strongest Man
The 2000 World's Strongest Man was the 23rd edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Janne Virtanen from Finland. It was his first title after finishing second the previous year. Svend Karlsen from Norway finished second after finishing third the previous year, and 1998 winner Magnus...

 
  Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen is a strongman from Espoo, Finland. Janne earns his living as a carpenter in Finland....

 
  Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen is a former Norwegian strongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder.-Powerlifting/Bodybuilding:...

 
  Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 
  Sun City
1999
1999 World's Strongest Man
The 1999 World's Strongest Man was the 22nd edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jouko Ahola from Finland. It was his second title after finishing second the previous year. Janne Virtanen also from Finland finished second, and Svend Karlsen from Norway finished third. The contest was...

 
  Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola is a Finnish strongman and actor. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man, and finished second in 1998. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998...

 
  Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen is a strongman from Espoo, Finland. Janne earns his living as a carpenter in Finland....

 
  Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen is a former Norwegian strongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder.-Powerlifting/Bodybuilding:...

 
  Valetta
1998
1998 World's Strongest Man
The 1998 World's Strongest Man was the 21st edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Magnus Samuelsson from Sweden. It was his first title after finishing third the previous year. 1997 champion Jouko Ahola from Finland finished second, and Wout Zijlstra from the Netherlands finished third....

 
  Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 
  Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola is a Finnish strongman and actor. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man, and finished second in 1998. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998...

 
  Wout Zijlstra
Wout Zijlstra
Wout Zijlstra is a former strongman and Highland Games athlete from the Netherlands. He competed in the World's Strongest Man competition on two occasions.- Biography :...

 
  Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...

1997
1997 World's Strongest Man
The 1997 World's Strongest Man was the 20th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jouko Ahola from Finland. It was his first title. Flemming Rasmussen from Denmark finished second after finishing fourth the previous year, and Magnus Samuelsson from Sweden finished third...

 
  Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola is a Finnish strongman and actor. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man, and finished second in 1998. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998...

 
  Flemming Rasmussen
Flemming Rasmussen (strongman)
Flemming Rasmussen is a former strongman competitor and powerlifter from Denmark. He competed in the World's Strongest Man contest several times, finishing in 5th place in 1995, 4th in 1996, and 2nd in 1997...

 
  Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 
  Primm Valley Resort
Primm Valley Resort
Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resort is a hotel and casino located in Primm, an unincorporated area in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It includes the Primm Valley Golf Club across the border in California.The hotel offers 624 rooms and suites...

, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 
1996
1996 World's Strongest Man
The 1996 World's Strongest Man was the 19th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Magnus Ver Magnusson from Iceland. This was Magnus' fourth WSM title, tying the record of fellow Icelander Jon Pall Sigmarsson. Riku Kiri from Finland finished second, and Gerrit Badenhorst from South Africa...

 
  Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 
  Riku Kiri
Riku Kiri
Riku Kiri is a Finnish sportsman, best known for competing in the World's Strongest Man competition, narrowly missing out on capturing the title on more than one occasion...

 
  Gerrit Badenhorst
Gerrit Badenhorst
Gerrit Badenhorst is a world champion powerlifter and professional strongman competitor from South Africa. Gerrit was 8 times South Africa's Strongest Man...

 
  Port Louis
Port Louis
-Economy:The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. It is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and can...

1995
1995 World's Strongest Man
The 1995 World's Strongest Man was the 18th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Magnus Ver Magnusson from Iceland. It was his third title. Gerrit Badenhorst from South Africa finished second after finishing fourth the previous year, and Marko Varalahti from Finland finished third...

 
  Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 
  Gerrit Badenhorst
Gerrit Badenhorst
Gerrit Badenhorst is a world champion powerlifter and professional strongman competitor from South Africa. Gerrit was 8 times South Africa's Strongest Man...

 
  Marko Varalahti
Marko Varalahti
Marko Varalahti is a strongman competitor from Finland who is best known for competing in the 1995 World's Strongest Man competition, finishing in 3rd place. Varalahti also won Finland's Strongest Man in 1995. -Honours:...

 
  Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...

 
1994
1994 World's Strongest Man
The 1994 World's Strongest Man was the 17th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Magnus Ver Magnusson from Iceland. It was his second title after finishing second the previous 2 years in a row. Manfred Hoeberl from Austria finished second after finishing fourth the previous year, and...

 
  Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 
  Manfred Hoeberl
Manfred Hoeberl
Manfred Hoeberl is a former strongman and Powerlifter who was known as having the largest arms in the world during the early-mid 1990's...

 
  Riku Kiri
Riku Kiri
Riku Kiri is a Finnish sportsman, best known for competing in the World's Strongest Man competition, narrowly missing out on capturing the title on more than one occasion...

 
  Sun City
Sun City
-South Africa:* Sun City, North West, a luxury casino resort, situated in the North West Province-United States:* The Sun City is a nickname or moniker for El Paso, TX because of the fact that sun shines for more than 302 days on average in the city....

 
1993
1993 World's Strongest Man
The 1993 World's Strongest Man was the 16th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Gary Taylor from United Kingdom. It was his first title after finishing fifth the previous year. 1991 winner Magnus Ver Magnusson from Iceland was runner up for the second year in a row, and Riku Kiri from...

 
  Gary Taylor
Gary Taylor (strongman)
Gary Taylor is a former strongman competitor, Olympic Weightlifter, powerlifter and bodybuilder from Wales.-Strength sports:...

 
  Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 
  Riku Kiri
Riku Kiri
Riku Kiri is a Finnish sportsman, best known for competing in the World's Strongest Man competition, narrowly missing out on capturing the title on more than one occasion...

 
  Orange
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 
1992
1992 World's Strongest Man
The 1992 World's Strongest Man was the 15th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Ted van der Parre from the Netherlands after finishing fourth the previous year. It was his first title. 1991 winner Magnus Ver Magnusson from Iceland finished second equal with 1989 winner Jamie Reeves from...

 
  Ted van der Parre
Ted van der Parre
Ted van der Parre is a former strongman from the Netherlands who won the World's Strongest Man contest in 1992 and was 4th in 1991. He also participated in 1994 when he finished 8th, having to drop out after the second event due to a calf injury...

 
  Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 
  Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...

 
  Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...

 
1991
1991 World's Strongest Man
The 1991 World's Strongest Man was the 14th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Magnus Ver Magnusson from Iceland. It was his first title. Henning Thorsen from Denmark finished second after finishing fourth the previous year, and Gary Taylor from the United Kingdom finished third. The...

 
  Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 
  Henning Thorsen
Henning Thorsen
Henning Thorsen is a strongman competitor from Denmark. He won Denmark's Strongest Man six times from 1984, 1987 to 1989, 1991 and 1992. And participated in the World's Strongest Man finals of 1990, 1991 and 1992...

 
  Gary Taylor
Gary Taylor (strongman)
Gary Taylor is a former strongman competitor, Olympic Weightlifter, powerlifter and bodybuilder from Wales.-Strength sports:...

 
  Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...

 
1990
1990 World's Strongest Man
The 1990 World's Strongest Man was the 13th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jon Pall Sigmarsson from Iceland. It was his fourth title after finishing third the previous year. O.D. Wilson from the USA finished second, and Ilkka Nummisto from Finland finished third after finishing...

 
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
  O.D. Wilson
O.D. Wilson
O.D. Wilson was a powerlifter and professional strongman competitor.-Strongman/Powerlifting:...

 
  Ilkka Nummisto
Ilkka Nummisto
Ilkka Nummisto is a Finnish sprint canoer who competed from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he earned his best finish of fifth in the K-4 1000 m event at Mexico City in 1968....

 
  Joensuu
Joensuu
Joensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...

 
1989
1989 World's Strongest Man
The 1989 World's Strongest Man was the 12th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jamie Reeves from the United Kingdom. It was his first and only title after finishing third the previous year. Ab Wolders from the Netherlands finished second after finishing fourth the previous year, and...

 
  Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...

 
  Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders is a former strongman and world champion Powerlifter from the Netherlands. He was runner-up at the World's Strongest Man competition on two occasions, placing second to Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1984 and to Jamie Reeves in 1989...

 
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
  San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...

 
1988
1988 World's Strongest Man
The 1988 World's Strongest Man was the 11th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jon Pall Sigmarsson from Iceland. It was his third title. 1980, 1981 and 1982 winner Bill Kazmaier from the USA finished second, and Jamie Reeves from the United Kingdom finished third. The contest was held...

 
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
  Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 
  Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...

 
  Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...

 
1986
1986 World's Strongest Man
The 1986 World's Strongest Man was the 10th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jon Pall Sigmarsson from the Iceland. It was his second title after finishing second the previous year. 1983 and 1985 champion Geoff Capes from the United Kingdom finished second and, Ab Wolders from the...

 
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 
  Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders is a former strongman and world champion Powerlifter from the Netherlands. He was runner-up at the World's Strongest Man competition on two occasions, placing second to Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1984 and to Jamie Reeves in 1989...

 
  Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...

 
1985
1985 World's Strongest Man
The 1985 World's Strongest Man was the 9th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Geoff Capes from the United Kingdom. It was his second title after finishing third the previous year. 1984 champion Jon Pall Sigmarsson from Iceland finished second and Cees de Vreugd from the Netherlands...

 
  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
  Cees de Vreugd
Cees de Vreugd
Cees de Vreugd, also known as "Kees de Vreugd" was a butcher, strongman and powerlifter from Katwijk, the Netherlands. He finished 3rd at the World's Strongest Man games in 1985....

 
  Cascais
Cascais
Cascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...

 
1984
1984 World's Strongest Man
The 1984 World's Strongest Man was the 8th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Jon Pall Sigmarsson from the Iceland. It was his first title after finishing second the previous year. Ab Wolders from the Netherlands finished second and, 1983 champion Geoff Capes from the United Kingdom...

 
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
  Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders is a former strongman and world champion Powerlifter from the Netherlands. He was runner-up at the World's Strongest Man competition on two occasions, placing second to Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1984 and to Jamie Reeves in 1989...

 
  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 
  Mora 
1983
1983 World's Strongest Man
The 1983 World's Strongest Man was the 7th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Geoff Capes from the United Kingdom. It was his first title. Jon Pall Sigmarsson from the Iceland finished second, and Simon Wulfse from the Netherlands third. The contest was held at Christchurch, New...

 
  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
  Simon Wulfse
Simon Wulfse
Simon Wulfse is a strongman from the Netherlands. He finished 3rd at the World's Strongest Man games in 1983. Simon won the Europe's Strongest Man title in 1983, his career best finish. Simon finished 1st in Holland's Strongest Man in 1982, and 3rd in 1984. Simon also finished 3rd at the 1986 and...

 
  Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

 
1982
1982 World's Strongest Man
The 1982 World's Strongest Man was the 6th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Bill Kazmaier from the USA. It was his third title in a row. Tom Magee from Canada finished second, and John Gamble from the USA finished third. The contest was held at the Magic Mountain, California.-Final...

 
  Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 
  Tom Magee
Tom Magee
Tom Magee is a former Canadian powerlifter and strongman competitor from Winnipeg, Canada.-Strongman/Powerlifting:Tom was the 1982 IPF World Powerlifting Champion in the +125kg division....

 
  John Gamble
John Gamble (American football)
John Gamble is a former world champion Powerlifter and strongman competitor from Richmond, Virginia.-Collegiate career:Gamble played linebacker at Hampton University and was a first-team Black College All-America selection...

 
  Magic Mountain, California
1981
1981 World's Strongest Man
The 1981 World's Strongest Man was the 5th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Bill Kazmaier from the USA. It was his second title. Geoff Capes from the United Kingdom finished second after finishing third the previous year, and Dave Waddington from the USA finished third. The contest...

 
  Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 
  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 
  Dave Waddington    Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...

, California
1980
1980 World's Strongest Man
The 1980 World's Strongest Man was the 4th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Bill Kazmaier from the USA. It was his first title after finishing third the previous year. Lars Hedlund from Sweden finished second after finishing second the previous year, and Geoff Capes from the United...

 
  Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 
  Lars Hedlund
Lars Hedlund
Lars Hedlund is a former strongman from Sweden. Set a world record for bench press in 1979 . He competed in three World's Strongest Man contests...

 
  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 
  Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

 
1979
1979 World's Strongest Man
The 1979 World's Strongest Man was the 3rd edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Don Reinhoudt from the USA. It was his first title after finishing second the previous year. Lars Hedlund from Sweden finished second after finishing third the previous year, and Bill Kazmaier also from the...

 
  Don Reinhoudt
Don Reinhoudt
Don Reinhoudt is a powerlifter and strongman from Brocton, New York. After obtaining a degree in finance, Don worked as an accountant and a youth worker during his professional career.-Athletics:...

 
  Lars Hedlund
Lars Hedlund
Lars Hedlund is a former strongman from Sweden. Set a world record for bench press in 1979 . He competed in three World's Strongest Man contests...

 
  Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 
  Universal Studios, California
1978
1978 World's Strongest Man
The 1978 World's Strongest Man was the 2nd edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Bruce Wilhelm from the USA. It was his second title. Don Reinhoudt also from the USA finished second, and Lars Hedlund from Sweden third. The contest was held at the Universal Studios, California.-Final...

 
  Bruce Wilhelm
Bruce Wilhelm
Bruce Wilhelm is a weightlifter and strongman from the United States. He is a two-time winner of the World's Strongest Man competition in 1977 and 1978 and the author of numerous strength-related articles and books. He was a member of the executive board of the United States Olympic Committee...

 
  Don Reinhoudt
Don Reinhoudt
Don Reinhoudt is a powerlifter and strongman from Brocton, New York. After obtaining a degree in finance, Don worked as an accountant and a youth worker during his professional career.-Athletics:...

 
  Lars Hedlund
Lars Hedlund
Lars Hedlund is a former strongman from Sweden. Set a world record for bench press in 1979 . He competed in three World's Strongest Man contests...

 
  Universal Studios, California
1977
1977 World's Strongest Man
The 1977 World's Strongest Man was the 1st edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Bruce Wilhelm from the USA. It was his first title. Bob Young from the USA finished second, and Ken Patera also from the USA third. The contest was held at the Universal Studios, California.-Final results:...

 
  Bruce Wilhelm
Bruce Wilhelm
Bruce Wilhelm is a weightlifter and strongman from the United States. He is a two-time winner of the World's Strongest Man competition in 1977 and 1978 and the author of numerous strength-related articles and books. He was a member of the executive board of the United States Olympic Committee...

 
  Bob Young
Bob Young (American football)
Robert Allen Young was an American football offensive guard who played 16 seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the St. Louis Cardinals, where he and other Cardinal offensive linemen are credited with introducing modern weightlifting/powerlifting into the training regime of the NFL....

 
  Ken Patera
Ken Patera
Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter...

 
  Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 


Notes
  1. In 1987 the WSM was not held for the only time since its inception. In that year the first and only non-team Pure Strength
    Pure Strength
    Pure Strength was a strongman competition held from 1987 to 1990 which was created by Tjalling van den Bosch.-Event History:The first year of the event was known as "Pure Strength Challenge" and was a single man competition featuring only Bill Kazmaier, Geoff Capes and Jon Pall Sigmarsson. The...

     competition was held. Although it was not part of the WSM franchise, some commentators regard it as a replacement for WSM in that year with Bill Kazmaier
    Bill Kazmaier
    Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

    , Geoff Capes
    Geoff Capes
    Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

     and Jón Páll Sigmarsson
    Jón Páll Sigmarsson
    Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

     being the entrants who between them won the WSM a total of nine times. Capes was injured during the event, but Jón Páll Sigmarsson was dominant, winning overall. However, this win does not count in his tally.


Championships by country

Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
8 4 1 13
7 7 6 20
5 3 0 8
4 2 6 12
3 3 5 11
2 3 0 5
1 3 4 8
1 2 4 7
1 1 1 3
1 0 1 2
0 2 0 2
0 1 1 2
0 1 1 2
0 1 0 1
0 0 1 1
0 0 1 1


Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

, Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

 and Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...

 have all placed in Top 10 but never won a medal.

Repeat champions

Champion Times
  Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 
5
  Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 
4
  Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 
4
  Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 
3
  Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola is a Finnish strongman and actor. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man, and finished second in 1998. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998...

 
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  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 
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  Žydrūnas Savickas
Žydrunas Savickas
Žydrūnas Savickas is a professional strongman and is widely considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in the history of the sport...

 
2
  Bruce Wilhelm
Bruce Wilhelm
Bruce Wilhelm is a weightlifter and strongman from the United States. He is a two-time winner of the World's Strongest Man competition in 1977 and 1978 and the author of numerous strength-related articles and books. He was a member of the executive board of the United States Olympic Committee...

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