world’s strongest man
super series(1/5)

Beginning this evening is Five’s exclusive coverage of the World’s Strongest Man Super Series – the international tour of strength athletics that acts as a qualifier for the World’s Strongest Man competition.

The WSM Super Series consists of a sequence of Grands Prix taking place all over the world, with the competitors’ placings in each contest being used to decide the overall champion.

Typically, between ten and 12 athletes take part in each Grand Prix, with the top six in the international rankings competing alongside at least four qualifiers or wildcard entries. With points awarded in each contest according to positioning, the highest scoring competitor at the end of the series is crowned world champion. The top four athletes from each contest automatically qualify for the World’s Strongest Man.

Athletes to look out for in this year’s competition include Grenada’s Mark Felix, three-times WSM champion and reigning Super Series champion (Super-)Mariusz Pudzianowski from Poland, and the USA’s Phil Pfister. British hopes rest with English giant Terry Hollands, who won the title of Britain’s Strongest Man in 2005 and 2007. Standing at 6’7” tall and weighing some 28 stone, Hollands credits his success to spending every waking moment training. He eats two litres of porridge for breakfast, can consume five chicken breasts a day and has a daily intake of around 7,000 calories. Hollands explains that the worst thing about his sport is breaking his bed on a regular basis. And his advice to would-be strongmen? “Train hard and eat big”!

Grand Prix contests this year include Mohegan Sun and Venice Beach from the USA, and Viking Power from Sweden. Among the disciplines featured are the power stairs and the atlas stones. The first of these events sees the athletes racing against each other to lift a 220kg weight up a flight of stairs. The atlas stones –an old strongman favourite –sees competitors lifting spherical stones of increasing weight onto plinths of various heights.

Former England rugby star Martin Bayfield provides the voiceover for Five’s coverage, while Nick Halling commentates and head referee Colin Bryce lends his expert advice.