# 2020 World's Strongest Man

The 2020 World's Strongest Man was the 43rd edition of the World's Strongest Man competition. It took place in Bradenton, Florida between November 11 and 15. Oleksii Novikov of Ukraine won the competition for the first time in his career, with Tom Stoltman of Great Britain taking second and Jean-François Caron of Canada taking third. At 24 years old, Novikov is the youngest man to win the event since Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1984.

## Scheduling and participants

The event was originally scheduled to take place May 20 to 24 in Bradenton, Florida, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The actual event itself also experienced scheduling issues because of Hurricane Eta.
Defending champion Martins Licis and two-time runner up Mateusz Kieliszkowski did not take part this year due to injury. 2018 champion Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson also did not take part after announcing his retirement earlier in the year.

## Participants

* Oleksii Novikov
* Tom Stoltman
* Jean-François Caron
* Jerry Pritchett
* Brian Shaw
* Adam Bishop
* Kevin Faires
* Aivars Šmaukstelis
* Luke Richardson
* Graham Hicks
* Robert Oberst
* Pa O'Dwyer
* Gabriel Peña
* Mikhail Shivlyakov
* Evan Singleton
* Mark Felix
* Maxime Boudreault
* Trey Mitchell
* Gavin Bilton
* Bobby Thompson
* Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð
* Ervin Toots
* Terry Hollands
* Luke Stoltman
* Nick Best

## Heat Results
### Format

There are five competitors per group. After four events, the competitor with the highest score qualifies for the final. The competitors in second and third place take part in the Stone Off, a run of loading 8 Atlas Stones, with the winner progressing.

### Heat 1

* Events: Farmer's Walk, Deadlift for repetitions, Loading Race, Log Lift for repetitions.
| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 17 |
| 2 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 15 |
| 3 | Robert Oberst | United States | 11 |
| 4 | Pa O'Dwyer | Ireland | 9 |
| 5 | Gabriel Peña | Mexico | 6 |
Stone Off
| Name | Nationality | Time |
| Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 5 in 0m 47.56 |
| Robert Oberst | United States | 4 in 1m 03.70 |

### Heat 2

* Events: Farmer's Walk, Deadlift for repetitions, Loading Race, Dumbbell Press Medley.
| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Kevin Faires | United States | 14 |
| 2 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 13 |
| 3 | Evan Singleton | United States | 13 |
| 4 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 11 |
| 5 | Mark Felix | United Kingdom | 9 |
* ↑ Evan Singleton withdrew due to a biceps tear, Adam Bishop replaced him in the Stone Off.
Stone Off
| Name | Nationality | Time |
| Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 6 in 0m 53.04 |
| Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 5 in 0m 34.19 |

### Heat 3

* Events: Farmer's Walk, Squat Lift for repetitions, Loading Race, Dumbbell Press Medley.
| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 17 |
| 2 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 15 |
| 3 | Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 13 |
| 4 | Trey Mitchell | United States | 10 |
| 5 | Gavin Bilton | United Kingdom | 4 |
Stone Off
| Name | Nationality | Time |
| Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 8 in 0m 39.00 |
| Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 7 in 0m 38.30 |

### Heat 4

* Events: Farmer's Walk, Squat Lift for repetitions, Loading Race, Log Lift for repetitions.
| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 16.5 |
| 2 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 14.5 |
| 3 | Graham Hicks | United Kingdom | 12 |
| 4 | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð | Iceland | 11 |
| 5 | Ervin Toots | Estonia | 3 |
Stone Off
| Name | Nationality | Time |
| Graham Hicks | United Kingdom | 6 in 0m 50.34 |
| Bobby Thompson | United States | 5 in 1m 15.09 |

### Heat 5

* Events: Farmer's Walk, Deadlift for repetitions, Loading Race, Dumbbell Press Medley.
| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Brian Shaw | United States | 15.5 |
| 2 | Terry Hollands | United Kingdom | 14.5 |
| 3 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 13.5 |
| 4 | Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 11.5 |
| 5 | Nick Best | United States | 4 |
Stone Off
| Name | Nationality | Time |
| Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 7 in 0m 39.57 |
| Terry Hollands | United Kingdom | 6 in 0m 33.43 |

## Finals Events Results
### Event 1: Giant's Medley

* Weight: 125 kilograms (276 lb) anvil, 454 kilograms (1,001 lb) yoke
* Course Length: 10 metres (33 ft) anvil, 15 metres (49 ft) yoke
* Time Limit: 75 seconds
| # | Name | Nationality | Time | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 0m 22.55 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 0m 23.79 | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 0m 24.71 | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | Kevin Faires | United States | 0m 26.22 | 7 | 7 |
| 5 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 0m 26.61 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 0m 26.92 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | Brian Shaw | United States | 0m 27.03 | 4 | 4 |
| 8 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 0m 34.97 | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 0m 36.70 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | Graham Hicks | United Kingdom | DNF 16.19 metres (53.1 ft) | 1 | 1 |
* ↑ Graham Hicks withdrew following this event due to a biceps tear.

### Event 2: Max Deadlift

* 18-Inch Deadlift For Max Weight
* Opening Weight: 400 kilograms (880 lb)
| # | Name | Nationality | Weight | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 537.5 kilograms (1,185 lb) | 10 | 19 |
| 2 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 509 kilograms (1,122 lb) | 8 | 18 |
| 2 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 509 kilograms (1,122 lb) | 8 | 16 |
| 2 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 509 kilograms (1,122 lb) | 8 | 13 |
| 5 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 478 kilograms (1,054 lb) | 5.5 | 11.5 |
| 5 | Brian Shaw | United States | 478 kilograms (1,054 lb) | 5.5 | 9.5 |
| 7 | Kevin Faires | United States | 440 kilograms (970 lb) | 4 | 11 |
| 8 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 400 kilograms (880 lb) | 2.5 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 400 kilograms (880 lb) | 2.5 | 4.5 |
* ↑ Oleksii Novikov's 537.5 kg (1,185 lb) lift broke a WSM record for this event that had stood since Tom Magee lifted 535 kg (1,179 lb) in the 1983 contest.

### Event 3: Keg Toss

* Weight: 8 kegs ranging from 18–25 kilograms (40–55 lb)
* Height: 4.5 metres (15 ft)
* Time Limit: 60 seconds
| # | Name | Nationality | Time | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 8 in 0m 20.05 | 10 | 21.5 |
| 2 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 8 in 0m 20.37 | 9 | 22 |
| 3 | Brian Shaw | United States | 8 in 0m 21.75 | 8 | 17.5 |
| 4 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 8 in 0m 24.88 | 7 | 12.5 |
| 5 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 8 in 0m 26.96 | 6 | 25 |
| 6 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 8 in 0m 27.82 | 5 | 9.5 |
| 7 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 8 in 0m 39.90 | 4 | 22 |
| 8 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 7 in 0m 39.94 | 3 | 19 |
| 9 | Kevin Faires | United States | 6 in 0m 19.04 | 2 | 13 |

### Event 4: Hercules Hold

* Weight: 160 kilograms (350 lb) on each hand for as long as possible
| # | Name | Nationality | Time | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 0m 52.67 | 10 | 32 |
| 2 | Kevin Faires | United States | 0m 49.22 | 9 | 22 |
| 3 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 0m 42.99 | 8 | 27 |
| 4 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 0m 41.63 | 7 | 32 |
| 5 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 0m 35.12 | 6 | 15.5 |
| 6 | Brian Shaw | United States | 0m 34.79 | 5 | 22.5 |
| 7 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 0m 28.40 | 4 | 26 |
| 8 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 0m 28.17 | 3 | 15.5 |
| 9 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 0m 21.23 | 2 | 23.5 |

### Event 5: Log Ladder

* Weight: 5 logs ranging from 131–182.5 kilograms (289–402 lb)
* Time Limit: 75 seconds
| # | Name | Nationality | Time | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 5 in 0m 49.45 | 10 | 33.5 |
| 2 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 5 in 0m 51.18 | 9 | 36 |
| 3 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 4 in 0m 32.68 | 8 | 40 |
| 4 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 4 in 0m 41.24 | 7 | 22.5 |
| 5 | Kevin Faires | United States | 4 in 0m 46.67 | 6 | 28 |
| 6 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 4 in 1m 02.12 | 5 | 20.5 |
| 7 | Brian Shaw | United States | 3 in 0m 27.91 | 4 | 26.5 |
| 8 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 3 in 0m 37.02 | 3 | 29 |
| 9 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 3 in 0m 47.05 | 2 | 34 |

### Event 6: Atlas Stones

* Weight: 5 stones ranging from 150–210 kilograms (330–460 lb)
* Time Limit: 60 seconds
* Total Weight: 900 kilograms (2,000 lb)
| # | Name | Nationality | Time | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 5 in 0m 19.89 | 10 | 43.5 |
| 2 | Brian Shaw | United States | 5 in 0m 28.55 | 9 | 35.5 |
| 3 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 5 in 0m 34.03 | 8 | 42 |
| 4 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 4 in 0m 19.47 | 7 | 47 |
| 5 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 4 in 0m 20.63 | 6 | 28.5 |
| 6 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 4 in 0m 24.30 | 5 | 34 |
| 7 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 4 in 0m 24.53 | 4 | 40 |
| 8 | Kevin Faires | United States | 4 in 0m 24.73 | 3 | 31 |
| 9 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 3 in 0m 18.02 | 2 | 22.5 |

## Records

As part of the deadlift event, Novikov successfully performed a 537.5 kilograms (1,185 lb) 18-inch deadlift, "which bested the previous world record at a sanctioned event in 1983, according to a news release."
Mark Felix, by invitation, attempted to set a World's Strongest Man record in the Hercules Hold, but did not succeed.
Brian Shaw qualified for a record equalling 12th WSM final, tying the record of Zydrunas Savickas. With all of these finals being consecutive, he also broke his own record for consecutive finals. This was also Shaw's 11th top 5 finish, another record.
Mark Felix appeared in his 15th WSM contest, breaking the record of 14 held by himself and Savickas. Terry Hollands also appeared in his 14th contest.

## Final standings

| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 47 |
| 2 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 43.5 |
| 3 | Jean-François Caron | Canada | 42 |
| 4 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 40 |
| 5 | Brian Shaw | United States | 35.5 |
| 6 | Adam Bishop | United Kingdom | 34 |
| 7 | Kevin Faires | United States | 31 |
| 8 | Aivars Šmaukstelis | Latvia | 28.5 |
| 9 | Luke Richardson | United Kingdom | 22.5 |
| 10 | Graham Hicks | United Kingdom | 1 (injured) |
* ↑ Though he had placed in the top-ten in previous years, the third-place finish for Caron was his first time on the WSM podium.
* ↑ Graham Hicks withdrew due to a biceps tear.