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 26 September to 3 October 2009. It was sponsored by PartyPoker.com. It was anticipated by the strength athletics world as promising to be "the best one yet." The anticipation was based on the organisers ensuring invites were made to "every top athlete in the world" regardless of their affiliation to any particular strength athletics body. In previous years, the schism between the International Federation of Strength Athletes and the organisers of WSM had meant that certain athletes were forbidden to compete, undermining the credentials of the competition.

Qualifying

The official qualifying competition for the 2009 WSM was the newly created Giants Live tour. This had taken the place of the World's Strongest Man Super Series, although the latter continued to run with a separate pool of athletes. However, the weakening of the IFSA, due to the economic pressures affecting the whole of the strength athletics world at this time, had led to the breaking down of barriers between the various concurrent circuits. Strength athletes were able to compete in more than one circuit and did so, with a cross over of athletes between the Giants Live circuit, the Strongman Champions League and the Strongman Super Series. In an interview with Ironmind, a source close to the WSM decision makers said, "World’s Strongest Man has never stopped the world’s best strongmen from going to WSM and now that the world of strongman is getting much closer, it appears that we will be able to have every top athlete in the world there ." This led to Ironmind stating that the World’s Strongest Man 2009 promises to be the best one yet. Such is the status of WSM that Ironmind also stated that "If you are a leading strongman competitor, or want to be recognized as one, the most important thing at this point is to get an invitation to the 2009 World’s Strongest Man contest."
This ethos led to a mixture of qualifying criteria applied. Mariusz Pudzianowski qualified, by virtue of being the defending WSM champion. A further eight competitors were selected based on their showing on Giants Live. In addition “the top five from Strongman Champions League were taken into account”, in a deal struck with the relatively new organisation which had already made deals with such high profile tournaments as Fortissimus. The IMG committee also developed a list of wild card invitations. This gave them the flexibility to invite the very top athletes in the world who were not part of the official qualifying tour, or subsequent agreements with other bodies. Through this avenue the great Zydrunas Savickas, six time winner of the Arnold's Strongest Man, IFSA World Champion, and Fortissimus winner, deemed by many as the strongest man in the world in terms of his ability to lift massive weights, was invited. Also, those who performed well in the revamped Strongman Super Series also received invites as well as podium finishers in certain one off events.

Competitors

The 2009 WSM line-up was said to have been one of the best ever. Every major federation and Strongman competition is represented. Among those competing were the current World's Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski ; Fortissimus champion Zydrunas Savickas, titled the Strongest Man on the Planet, ; and the Arnold Strongman Classic champion, Derek Poundstone,. Additionally, a former World's Strongest Man, Phil Pfister, the Highlander World Champion Sebastian Wenta, the Rolling Thunder world champion, Mark Felix, and 15 current national champions and a former World Champion in the 105 kg class. So strong was the line-up that Tarmo Mitt, four times WSM finalist, was among the reserves. The competitors held, between them, at least 15 strongman world records.
Source:
NameNationalityWSM recordOther Strongman Achievements
PudzianowskiMariusz Pudzianowski Poland5 time World's Strongest Man champion
2nd place 2006 World's Strongest Man, 4th place 2000		2 time World Strongman Cup overall champion 2006, 2007
4 time Strongman Super Series overall World Champion
DymekJarek Dymek PolandEurope's Strongest Man 2005
KlyushevAlexander Klyushev RussiaRussia's Strongest Man 2008
Second place in World's Strongest Nation 2008
SkogRichard Skog Norway2009 Norway's strongest man
2nd place 2009 Giants Live Norway
FelixMark Felix United Kingdom4th place 2006 World's Strongest Man2 time Rolling Thunder World Champion and World Record Holder
IFSA Britain's Strongest Man 2005
PéturssonStefán Sölvi Pétursson IcelandIceland's Strongest Man 2009
3rd place Giants Live Poland 2009
OrtmayerTravis Ortmayer United States5th place 2008 World's Strongest Man3rd at Arnold Strongman Classic 2009
2nd place 2005 IFSA Pan-American Championships
1st place 2008 Strongman Super Series Madison Square Garden Grand Prix
1st place 2009 Giants Live Norway
PoundstoneDerek Poundstone United States2nd place 2008 World's Strongest Man2 time America's Strongest Manchampion 2007 & 2008
2009 Arnold Strongman Classic champion
2008 Fortissimus champion
Strongman Super Series overall World Champion 2008,
1st place 2008 Strongman Super Series Mohegan Sun Grand Prix
1st place 2009 Giants Live Mohegan Sun Grand Prix
4th place 2007 IFSA Strongman World Championships
2nd place 2007 World's Strongest Team
ShawBrian Shaw United States3rd place Fortissimus 2009
Winner of 2009 FIT Expo
PfisterPhil Pfister United States2006 World's Strongest Man champion
4th place 1998, 2001		3rd place Arnold Strongman Classic 2006 & 2002
3 time runner-up America's Strongest Man
NeeKevin Nee United States6th place 2007 World's Strongest ManYoungest ever competitor in WSM in 2005
2nd place 2007 Mohegan Sun Grand Prix
SavickasZydrunas Savickas Lithuania2nd place World's Strongest Man 2002-2004Six time winner of Arnold Strongman Classic 2003-2008
2 time winner IFSA Strongman World Championships 2005 & 2006
2008 Strongman Champions League overall winner
2009 Fortissimus champion
2004 Strongman Super Series overall World Champion
1st place 2008 & 2009 World Log Lift Championships
World Record Holder in 8 separate Strongman events
10 time winner Lithuania's Strongest Man
1st place 2007 World's Strongest Team
LaureysJimmy Laureys Belgium2008 Belgium's Strongest Man
HollandsTerry Hollands United Kingdom3rd WSM 2007Britain's Strongest Man 2007
UK's Strongest Man 2005
England's Strongest Man 2009
MarkuJimmy Marku United KingdomBritain's Strongest Man 2008
UK's Strongest Man 2009
England's Strongest Man 2006-2008
ShahlaeiLaurence Shahlaei United KingdomEngland's Strongest Man 2009
SadlerDarren Sadler United Kingdom2007 Champion IFSA World Strongman Challenge u105k
2nd 2005 World Championships u105k
WentaSebastian Wenta Poland2nd at 2007 WSMHighlander World Champion
3rd at 2008 Fortissimus
ArsjoJohannes Arsjo Sweden4th Place Viking Power Challenge 2009
WildauerMartin Wildauer Austria3rd Strongman Champions League Finland Grand Prix 2009
OstlundDave Ostlund United States3rd WSM 20081st Venice Beach Super Series 2007
3rd Madison Square Garden Super Series 2008
WhiteMarshall White United StatesBucharest WSMSS Grand Prix 2009 winner
KazelniksAgris Kazelniks Latvia2nd Strongman Champions League Holland Grand Prix 2009
MurumetsAndrus Murumets EstoniaEstonia's Strongest Man
Multiple wins in Strongman Champions League Grand Prixs
3rd 2007 Arnold Strongman Classic
IlinKonstantin Ilin Ukraine2009 Ukraine's Strongest Man
TrimplFlorian Trimpl Germany2009 Germany's Strongest Man
SmitEttiene Smit South Africa6 times South Africa's Strongest Man
KatonaErvin Katona Serbia2nd place in 2008 Strongman Champions League
SavoieChristian Savoie Canada2009 Canada's Strongest Man
JeanLouis Philippe Jean Canada2008 Canada's Strongest Man
MittReserve:
Tarmo Mitt		 Estonia5th in 2006
4 consecutive finals 		6x Estonia's Strongest Man
2nd overall in 2006 World Strongman Cup
2nd Sweden Super Series 2008
SulaimanReserve:
Simon Sulaiman		/ Netherlands / SyriaHolland's Strongest Man 2009

Format

The 25 competitors were split into five separate heats, each consisting of six events. After each event each competitor was given points, from 5 for first to 1 for last. Half points occurred if more than one competitor has the same result, and no points were scored if a competitor did not take part in an event. The points were tallied after the six events and the two competitors with the most points from each heat progressed to the final. The final consisted of seven events and the champion was the competitor with the most points after all of the events.
The Head referee was Colin Bryce, assisted by Svend Karlsen. Jouko Ahola, World's Strongest Man winner from 1997 and 1999, was the equipment manager.

Events

There were a total of 15 different events used in the competition:
In the Group stages the a mixture of the following events were used:
In the final:

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Final

Dates: 1, 2, 3 September 2009.
Results published at

Results

Television broadcast

United States

In the USA the event was broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2 in January 2010, on Thursday 7 January and Saturday 9 January, with some repeat screenings on Sunday 10, 17 and 24 January. Further screenings in late February and March are planned.

United Kingdom

In the UK Bravo obtained the rights to screen both The Giants Live Tour as well as the finals. Giants Live was shown on three consecutive days from Saturday 26 December 2009 to Monday 28 December. The finals were broadcast over six consecutive Mondays in early 2010 from 4 January to 8 February, with each episode dedicated to a qualifying group, and the sixth episode being the final. The UK broadcast was produced by IMG Media for Bravo and featured presenters Martin Bayfield and Zöe Salmon, with some guest presenters including Bill Kazmaier and Svend Karlsen. The commentators were Paul Dickenson and Colin J L Bryce and the outside broadcast was performed by 021 Television Ltd.