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Who’s king of the boulder holders?
Who’s king of the boulder holders?
Feast your eyes on the key players hoping to be crowned World’s Strongest Man
Feast your eyes on the key players hoping to be crowned World’s Strongest Man 2017…
It’s the festive season, which can only mean one thing. Nope, we’re not talking about stuffing your face with mince pies. We’re talking about World’s Strongest Man…
World’s Strongest Man 2017: Giants Live, from Monday 18 December, 6.30pm, Channel 5/HD (CH 105/150). Also available for 7 days in Catch Up > Channels > Channel 5
Grab your Atlas Stones, hurl some kettlebells and bench press your car, because the race to be named 2017’s World’s Strongest Man is about to begin.
The ultra-popular festive sporting staple is now in its 40th year, and to celebrate this milestone Channel 5 is broadcasting all four qualifying events and the grand final.
The muscle-bound run of television begins in Scandinavia, before moving to Britain, the United States and finally Botswana, where the cream of the strongman crop will gather to fight for the title of 2017 World’s Strongest Man.
It’s going to be big. It’s going to be brutal. It’s going to be bicep-bulgingly brilliant. But who are the half-dozen competitors you really need to watch? Down a protein shake, do 20 press-ups and then read on as we reveal all.
Your 6 contenders to watch
The Defending Champion
Name: Brian Shaw
Age: 35
From: United States
Nickname: Gigantor
Height: 6ft 8in
Weight: 30st 2lb
Fun fact: The four-time World Strongest Man champion takes in more than 12,000 calories per day.
The British Behemoth
Name: Eddie Hall
Age: 29
From: Great Britain
Nickname: The Beast
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 29st 3lb
Fun fact: Hall is the only human being to have deadlifted 500kg. Yes, that is half a tonne!
The Ice King
Name: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Age: 29
From: Iceland
Nickname: The Mountain
Height: 6ft 9in
Weight: 29st 7lb
Fun fact: Last year’s runner-up holds the world record for fastest 20m carrying two fridges. His time? An astounding 19.6 seconds.
The Tyre-Flipping Titan
Name: Jean-François Caron
Age: 35
From: Canada
Nickname: N/A
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 22st 8lb
Fun fact: The Canadian smashed the world record for the heaviest tyre flip when he flipped a 1,350lb (650kg) tyre four times
The Lithuanian Legend
Name: Žydrūnas Savickas
Age: 42
From: Lithuania
Nickname: Big Z
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 26st 8lbs
Fun fact: Savickas is the only person to win every modern strongman competition.
The Film Extra
Name: Laurence Shahlaei
Age: 34
From: Great Britain
Nickname: Big Loz
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 24st 8lb
Fun fact: Shahlaei has appeared in both The Golden Compass and Kingsman 2.
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