World’s Strongest Man postpones Bradenton area event, starts online ‘Home Edition’
Sarasota-Manatee residents will have to wait a while longer for the return of World’s Strongest Man here, but they will still be able to witness feats of strength soon.
The annual international strongman competition that took place in the Bradenton area last year and was set to return May 20 has postponed this year’s event to Nov. 14-15, with qualifying rounds Nov. 11-12, because of COVID-19 concerns. In the meantime, a weekly “World’s Strongest Man: Home Edition” will take place on Snapchat.
Kicking off with a series trailer this week, a new episode will appear every Monday on Snapchat’s Discover page for the next 10 weeks. Eight strongmen will each compete in two rounds of feats of strength such as deadlifts, overhead press and farmer’s walks, with contestants encouraged to incorporate items at home like a couch or a car.
At the end of the two rounds, the top two competitors with the most fan votes will go head-to-head to claim a $10,000 prize. Contestants will include Eddie Williams, Robert Oberst, Rob Kearney, Luke Stoltman, Adam Bishop, Nick Best, Rongo Keene and Evan Singleton, with 2017 World’s Strongest Man champion Eddie Hall hosting each episode.
“I can’t wait for the fans to see the creativity these guys bring to the table,” Hall said in a statement. “I’ve been wondering how the athletes have been getting ready for the World’s Strongest Man competition in November and many will be without a gym right now. It will be fun to see how they stay in shape somehow!”
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Last year’s event featured competitors including Icelandic 2018 champion Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, who also played Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane on HBO series “Game of Thrones” and recently made headlines for setting a world record by deadlifting 1,104 pounds. Martins Licis won last year’s event, hosted on downtown Bradenton’s Old Main Street and Coquina and Manatee Public beaches.
To watch the first episode, visit snapchat.com/discover/Worlds_Strongest_Man_Home_Edition/5963172234. Subscribe to get notified when new episodes are available.