We're on the eve of WSM 2014 and with it we bring you round four, the Top 5 Dominant Displays. We tried to keep this list fresh so we weren't rehashing situations we'd presented before. Enjoy.
Honourable Mention - Sigmarsson at Pure Strength '87
Not an official WSM competition. In fact, 1987 is the only year since its inception that didn't feature an event with that title. This year featured an old school scottish-themed showdown with the title 'Pure Strength' between all three WSM champions of the 1980s. This could have been a strongman fan's wet dream had Capes not been on the verge of retirement and Kazmaier not yet back to his best (as he would be at WSM 1988). Those two may have been below par but Jon Pall Sigmarsson was at his finest. He won in convincing fashion with 8 victories out of 10.
Not Really Honourable Mention - Pudzianowski in 2005
What could be second most dominant win at WSM won't be on our list. 2005 was the first year for the WSM after the split with IFSA and 5 out of the top 6 competitors from the last year were no where to be found. No offense to Jesse Marunde and Dominic Filou but at this competition they were barely any trouble as Pudzianowski cruised to victory. He didn't really even seem to be trying. The split did force the sport to develop a much deeper and stronger field of athletes. The benefits of which were obvious when the split ended. 2005 though was right at the beginning and the rebuilding process was painfully obvious to see.
5) Reeves in 1989
The history of strength sport is rife with 'what ifs'. "What if so-and-so was there", "If only this guy didn't get injured", or "But if he was at his best he would have won". We're all guilty of it. Some of it is luck but preparation is the key to shaping luck to your will. Even with injuries, you can consider some of it bad luck but also some of it is that the competitors mind or body was just not prepared for the challenge.
In 1989, Jon Pall Sigmarsson and Bill Kazmaier were not prepared and Jamie Reeves capitalized. Kazmaier's body was especially not prepared for the events as he sprained his ankle, pulled his groin, and partial tore his bicep all in the first two events. Jon Pall's leg was hurting him at the start too but didn't seem to be specifically troubling him too much. Yet, the Viking seemed a step off his game the whole time.
Jamie's name only once left the top three. After being only up by 0.5 points after 4 events he pulled away to the where he only needed to place a single implement on the truck in the loading race to secure his win. He's also the subject of his own what if: "What if he hadn't been injured for the next two WSM's, what might the leaderboard have looked like then"?
4) Wilhelm in 1977
The first 'World's Strongest Men' show was really more novelty than true test of the world's greatest strength athlete. It featured powerlifters, weightlifters, highlanders, football players and bodybuilders, but many of them were past their primes. However, that shouldn't minimize the display of first champion, Bruce Wilhelm. While many of the other athletes would do well in one event or another, Bruce did it all well and was the undisputed winner that year. His display legitimized the event as more than just spectacle.
3) Kazmaier in 1980
The loudest criticism of the earliest WSM events was that they predominately featured Americans. While that is true of some of Bill Kazmaier's wins, 1980 had a very international flavour. There was a Swede, a Dane, a Canadian, and an Englishman among an array of Americans. Of the American's two were world powerlifting champions. This competition was legit. Going in, the favourites were the top two from the previous year, Don Reinhoudt and Lars Hedlund. No one expected the clinical display that occurred. None of the athletes could do a thing but stand in awe as they witnessed the rise of the first true Strongman athlete, Bill Kazmaier.
2) ver Magnusson in 1991
A few people, even ver Magnusson himself, try to play this one up as a surprise. It's true that Magnus entered the competition as the reserve but that was only because at the time the WSM had a tradition of only inviting one strongman from each country. When Jon Pall Sigmarsson had to withdraw, ver Magnusson was there to step into his place. During the first round interviews with athletes they all named ver Magnusson as the man to watch. He was no stranger to winning other competitions. He and Hjalti Arnason, Sigmarsson's coach, beat the team of Bill Kazmaier and O.D. Wilson at Pure Strength in 1989. No small feat. Magnus was certainly strong enough to compete as WSM, he just held away by the legendary Sigmarsson's presence. This did allow him to develop away from the top stage and already be in world beating form when he got there.
Magus was strong enough to stand up with anyone statically, faster than any strongman before him, and smart enough in figuring out the best ways to attack the awkward implements. He excelled at event after event and stayed near at the top of the leaderboard. It was a crashing entrance for the man that would be a dominant force at the competition for years to come.
1) Poland in 2003
He was called the Dominator for a reason. He was good when he won in 2002 but he was unstoppable in 2003. Of a total possible 70 points to be won, he nabbed 66. He was 10 points clear of the other competitors after four events. He'd won before the final event. We talk here a lot about his losses and close wins, but for those two years he was virtually unbeatable. There's nothing much more to say, in 2003 he was unbelievable.
Now you'll notice I titled this Poland, not Pudzianowski, in 2003. That's because that year also featured the rise of a dominant champion of Strongwoman in Aneta Florczyk. She, also of Poland, was crowned World's Strongest Woman in 2003. While it wasn't in quite as convincing a fashion as her male counterpart it did cement their nation as the undisputed strongest of the planet that year.
An unfortunate casualty of the IFSA split was also losing the development of Strongwoman alongside Strongman as one cohesive event. 2003 of WSW can be found on YouTube with all same production quality as WSM. It is every bit as compelling and exciting to watch as WSM. Maybe one day they will get back to showcases both genders side-by-side again.
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