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
1979England Geoff CapesScotland Bill AndersonEngland Jim WhiteheadWoking Leisure Centre, Woking
1980England Richard SlaneyScotland Jack HyndEngland Steve ZetolofskyLondon, South Bank
1981England Geoff CapesScotland Hamish DavidsonEngland Richard SlaneyLondon
1982England Richard SlaneyScotland Hamish DavidsonEngland Andy Drzewiecki & England Errol Carnegie & England Peter WelchBrighton, Sussex
1983England Geoff CapesScotland Jack HyndWales John BurnsNottingham
1984Northern Ireland Allan CrossleyEngland Pete Tancred & England Peter WelchTelford. Shropshire
1985Not held
1986
Britain's Most Powerful Man
England Pete TancredNote 3Peter DavisJoe WalkerEpping Forest Country Club, Epping Forest
1987Not Held
1988
John Smith's Trial of Strength
England Jamie ReevesEngland Mark HigginsJersey Peter TregloanTadcaster
1989England Jamie ReevesTBCTBCTBC
1990England Adrian SmithWales Gary TaylorTBCTBC
1991Wales Gary TaylorChristopher MilesTBCTBC
1992England Jamie ReevesTBCTBCTBC
1993Scotland Forbes CowanWales Gary Taylor?TBCTBC
1994England Bill PittuckTBCTBCTBC
1995Scotland Forbes CowanWales Gary TaylorScotland Jamie BarrGateshead
1996England Russel BradleyTBCTBCTBC
1997England Rob DixonNorthern Ireland Glenn RossWales Gary TaylorTBC
1998England Jamie ReevesEngland Russ BradleyNorthern Ireland Glenn RossTBC
1999Northern Ireland Glenn RossEngland Steve BrooksScotland Jamie BarrAlton Towers
2000Northern Ireland Glenn RossEngland Steve BrooksScotland Brian BellAlton Towers
2001Northern Ireland Glenn RossEngland Rob DixonEngland Adrian RollinsonMinehead
2002England Marc IliffeScotland Gregor EdmundsEngland Bill PittuckHaven Holiday Park and Criccieth Castle
2003England Rich GoslingScotland Gregor EdmundsNorthern Ireland Glenn RossScarborough
2004England Rich GoslingEngland Ade RollinsonEngland Oli ThompsonMinehead
2005England Mick GoslingRepublic of Ireland Carl WaitoaEngland Ade RollinsonDudley Castle
2006England Oli ThompsonEngland Mark FelixNote 2England Terry HollandsIsle of Man
2007England Terry HollandsEngland Mark FelixNote 2England Darren SadlerMinehead
2008England Jimmy MarkuNote 1England Terry HollandsEngland Mark FelixNote 2Minehead
2009Not held
2010Not held
2011See Clash of the Giants below
2012England Laurence ShahlaeiEngland Terry HollandsEngland Chris GearingColchester, Essex
2013England Laurence ShahlaeiUnited States Jerry PritchettEngland Terry HollandsGateshead International Stadium, Gateshead
2014England Eddie HallEngland Graham HicksEngland Laurence ShahlaeiDoncaster Dome, Doncaster
2015England Eddie HallEngland Mark FelixPoland Krzysztof RadzikowskiNote 4Doncaster Dome, Doncaster
2016England Eddie HallEngland Mark FelixEngland Laurence Shahlaei Doncaster Dome, Doncaster
2017England Eddie HallEngland Laurence ShahlaeiEngland Graham HicksDoncaster Dome, Doncaster
2018England Eddie HallEngland Graham HicksEngland Terry HollandsFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2019England Graham HicksEngland Adam BishopScotland Tom StoltmanFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2020England Adam BishopScotland Tom StoltmanScotland Luke StoltmanFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2021Scotland Tom StoltmanEngland Adam BishopEngland Graham HicksFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2022Scotland Tom StoltmanRepublic of Ireland Pa O'DwyerEngland Adam BishopFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
2023England Adam BishopWales Gavin BiltonEngland Graham HicksFlyDSA Arena, Sheffield

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
 England31
 Northern Ireland4
 Scotland4
 Wales1

Repeat champions

Champion Times
England Eddie Hall5
England Jamie Reeves4
England Geoff Capes3
Northern Ireland Glenn Ross3
England Richard Slaney2
Scotland Forbes Cowan2
England Rich Gosling2
England Laurence Shahlaei2
Scotland Tom Stoltman2
England Adam Bishop2

See also

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. "My5".
  5. List of events
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