Hafthor Bjornsson to headline World’s Ultimate Strongman in Dubai

Sport360 staff 18:27 18/07/2018
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  • The world’s strongest men are coming to Dubai – for an event the likes of which has never been seen before.

    World’s Ultimate Strongman will be held in the spectacular Bab Al Shams Arena in October – but is far more than just a strongman event.

    Organisers are creating a sports and entertainment extravaganza more akin to a music festival – with a day of events, activities, entertainment shows and competition – topped off by some of the most incredible feats of strength the world has ever seen.

    The headline strongman event promises to rival and surpass any strongman event to date, with a who’s who line-up.

    Leading light will be Hafthor Bjornsson, known to many as ‘The Mountain’ from Game of Thrones. The six foot nine, 195kg monster, lifted the World’s Strongest Man crown earlier this year and will be one of the main contenders for the top prize on the day – the biggest the sport of strongman has ever seen.

    Alongside Bjornsson will be two former World’s Strongest Man winners in American Brian Shaw and Zydrunas Savickas, from Lithuania. The pair have eight WSM titles between them.

    Add to this some of the sport’s brightest young talents in Iron Biby, Mateusz Kieliszkowski and Tom Stoltman, and the level of competition is clear.

    Other competitors battling it out for the WUS title are JF Caron, Terry Hollands, Martins Licis, Laurence Shahlaei, Robert Oberst, Matjaz Belsak, Luke Stoltman and Konstantine Janashia.

    Brian Shaw

    The jaw-dropping events they will take part in include a truck pull, log press, deadlift and the famous atlas stones – all in the middle of the Bab Al Shams Arena, a spectacular setting which will only add to the gladiatorial drama of the competition.

    The event is supported by Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Tourism and Bab Al Shams, with more big name partnerships to be announced soon.

    Already involved are local organisations Desert Barbell and Fitness in DXB who will both be running competitions on the day – one to find Dubai’s bench press king – the other to discover the city’s fittest human.

    There will be a host of other activities for crowds to enjoy, all in a festival-style atmosphere with live music and food and beverage packages. This will include Shaolin Monk performances, Hawaiian fire dancers, obstacle courses, a UFC experience, Capoeira fighters and a spectacular fireworks display.

    Don Idrees and Mark Boyd, founders and producers of World’s Ultimate Strongman – Beasts in the Middle East, say crowds are going to enjoy a truly unique experience. “This is so much more than your average sporting event,” they said.

    “We want people to leave on the day thoroughly enthralled and entertained by what they have both witnessed and taken part in.

    “We have brought in a host of features to give us a family-friendly festival feel with great events, entertainment, attractions and activities that would be a great day out in their own right – the only difference here is we have the spectacle of the world’s strongest man competing as the headline act.

    “We are delighted to have athletes of this magnitude competing and are looking forward to welcoming spectators from all over the world.”

    Tickets for the event start at Dh249, with children under 12 going free. For more information and to buy tickets or international travel packages, visit www.worldsultimatestrongman.com

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