Britain's Strongest Man

Britain's Strongest Man is an annual strongman event held in the United Kingdom. Competitors qualify for the final through regional heats and the winner is awarded the title of "Britain's Strongest Man".[1] The competition is produced by TWI and serves as a qualifying event for the World's Strongest Man ("WSM") competition, also a TWI production.

History

In a history that has close parallels with that of the World's Strongest Man competition, the BSM competition has had a number of sponsors and, at different times, has had to vie with rival competitions that also claim to produce the strongest man in Britain as their champion. The inaugural competition was in 1979[2] and was organised by TWI. It was covered by the BBC. The final contest involved the field athletes Geoff Capes and Jim Whitehead, weightlifter Andy Drzewiecki, powerlifter Ray Nobile, Highland Games specialists Bill Anderson and Grant Anderson, wrestler Big Pat Roach, and Tosher Killingback; it was won by Geoff Capes.[3] The contestants were there by invitation. The format continued until 1984. There was then a break of three years, from 1985 through 1988, before the competition returned in 1989. In 1986, there was a "Britain's Most Powerful Man" and, in 1988, a competition was organised by Geoff Capes and David Webster to find a successor to Geoff Capes, called the John Smith's Trial of Strength. The results of these competitions are often deemed to be equivalent to Britain's Strongest Man given the lack of a competition in those years. The IFSA, after its creation in the mid-nineties, managed the event but parted company with TW1 after the completion of the 2004 event. TW1 have managed to have the event televised since the BBC opted out in 2004, with Sky One covering it in 2005 Tim Burrows was the youngest ever winner from Great Britain and Five in 2007 and 2008. The competition is currently sponsored by Met-Rx. As of 2017, Channel 5 currently broadcasts an episode devoted to the Britain's Strongest Man contest as part of its annual World's Strongest Man coverage in late December.[4]

Events

Events for the competition include tyre flips, chain drags, Atlas stones and keg tossing.[5]

Rival and parallel competitions

  • In 2005 the 'IFSA Strongman British Championship' (or "British Championships (IFSA)") was held in direct competition with the BSM. However, this was short lived, lasting just one year, with the more established BSM gaining better sponsorship (from Met-Rx) and television coverage (Sky One) largely due to its longevity, its qualifying status for World's Strongest Man and also its perception amongst the strongman community as the chief competition. The winner of this breakaway competition, Mark Felix, has since put his energies into competing in the BSM.
  • A more enduring rival competition is the UK Strongest Man 'Ultimate Strength Challenge', which began in 1992 and still continues today. However, competing in the BSM and the UKSC is not mutually exclusive and competitors are free to compete in both. This event is run by the UKSC - the UK Strength Council, and focuses more on pure strength rather than strength and speed.
  • Other rival or parallel competitions that should not be confused with the BSM are:

List of champions

Year Champion Runner-up 3rd place Location
2020 Adam Bishop Tom Stoltman Luke StoltmanFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2019 Graham Hicks Adam Bishop Tom StoltmanFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2018 Eddie Hall Graham Hicks Terry HollandsFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2017 Eddie Hall Laurence Shahlaei Graham HicksDoncaster Dome, Doncaster
2016 Eddie Hall Mark Felix Laurence Shahlaei Doncaster Dome, Doncaster
2015 Eddie Hall Mark Felix Krzysztof RadzikowskiNote 4Doncaster Dome, Doncaster
2014 Eddie Hall Graham Hicks Laurence ShahlaeiDoncaster Dome, Doncaster
2013 Laurence Shahlaei Terry Hollands Mark FelixNote 2Gateshead International Stadium, Gateshead
2012 Laurence Shahlaei Terry Hollands Chris GearingColchester, Essex
2011See Clash of the Giants below
2010Not held
2009Not held
2008 Jimmy MarkuNote 1 Terry Hollands Mark FelixNote 2Minehead
2007 Terry Hollands Mark FelixNote 2 Darren SadlerMinehead
2006 Oli Thompson Mark FelixNote 2 Terry HollandsIsle of Man
2005 Mick Gosling Carl Waitoa Ade RollinsonDudley Castle
2004 Rich Gosling Ade Rollinson Oli ThompsonMinehead
2003 Rich Gosling Gregor Edmunds Glenn RossScarborough
2002 Marc Iliffe Gregor Edmunds Bill PittuckHaven Holiday Park and Criccieth Castle
2001 Glenn Ross Rob Dixon Adrian RollinsonMinehead
2000 Glenn Ross Steve Brooks Brian BellAlton Towers
1999 Glenn Ross Steve Brooks Jamie BarrAlton Towers
1998 Jamie Reeves Russ Bradley Glenn RossTBC
1997 Rob Dixon Glenn Ross Gary TaylorTBC
1996 Gary TaylorTBCTBCTBC
1995 Forbes Cowan Gary Taylor Jamie BarrGateshead
1994 Bill PittuckTBCTBCTBC
1993 Forbes Cowan Gary Taylor?TBCTBC
1992 Jamie ReevesTBCTBCTBC
1991 Gary TaylorChristopher MilesTBCTBC
1990 Adrian Smith Gary TaylorTBCTBC
1989 Jamie ReevesTBCTBCTBC
1988
John Smith's Trial of Strength
Jamie Reeves Mark Higgins Peter TregloanTadcaster
1987Not Held
1986
Britain's Most Powerful Man
Pete TancredNote 2Peter DavisJoe WalkerEpping Forest Country Club, Epping Forest
1985Not held
1984 Allan Crossley Pete Tancred & Peter WelchTelford. Shropshire
1983 Geoff Capes Jack Hynd John BurnsNottingham
1982 Richard Slaney Hamish Davidson Andy Drzewiecki & Errol Carnegie & Peter WelchBrighton, Sussex
1981 Geoff Capes Hamish Davidson Richard SlaneyLondon
1980 Richard Slaney Jack Hynd Steve ZetolofskyLondon, South Bank
1979 Geoff Capes Bill Anderson Jim WhiteheadWoking Leisure Centre, Woking

Notes

  1. Jimmy Marku was formerly of  Albania.
  2. Mark Felix was formerly of  Grenada.
  3. "Britain's Most Powerful Man " was the name of the competition in 1986
  4. Several competitors from other European countries took part.

Clash of the Giants

In 2011, an event was organised in Boroughbridge advertised to allow spectators to see "top British strongmen compete to take a step closer towards a place at World's Strongest Man". The event was organised by multiple World's Strongest Man entrant Darren Sadler and the top two places, won by Rob Frampton and Jack McIntosh, received invitations to North Carolina to compete at the 32nd World's Strongest Man. Clash of the Giants was designed to fill the void left by the absence of the Britain's Strongest Man competition last held in 2008, much as the 1988 John Smith's Trial of Strength had been created following the discontinuation of the BSM in 1984. Unlike the BSM, which is the final stage of a knockout competition comprising a number of regional and national rounds, the Clash of the Giants was a singular event. Because there was no regional tiered competition preceding, it there was no prerequisite that the Clash of the Giants have a field of athletes representing each area of Britain and notably all the athletes competing were English. In addition, the three most successful British strength athletes actively competing at the time, namely Hollands, Felix and Shahlaei, had qualified for the WSM via international grand prix events and did not compete.

Championships by country

Country Titles
 England25
 Northern Ireland4
 Scotland2
 Wales2

Repeat champions

Champion Times
Eddie Hall5
Jamie Reeves4
Geoff Capes3
Glenn Ross3
Richard Slaney2
Gary Taylor2
Forbes Cowan2
Rich Gosling2
Laurence Shahlaei2

See also

  • List of Strongman Competitions

References

Notes

  1. Retrieved from archive.org showing qualifiers
  2. David Webster, Sons of Samson Volume 2 Profiles, page 78 (Ironmind Enterprises), ISBN 0-926888-06-4
  3. BFI film and tv database
  4. List of events
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