World’s Strongest Man kicks off in Sacramento. What you need to know about the event
On the same day California lifted most of its coronavirus pandemic restrictions, dozens of Sacramentans flocked to Old Sacramento on Tuesday to watch 25 athletes compete for the title of World’s Strongest Man.
For many within the city, the event, set up in partnership with Visit Sacramento, resembled the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. It was one of the first major public events for Sacramento on reopening day. An opportunity not only for residents and tourists to enjoy the show, but also for small businesses to see more customers.
Visit Sacramento Sports Commission Director David Eadie said the impact of events like World’s Strongest Man really spreads out among the city’s hotels, restaurants and businesses. Eadie added that it’ll continue the momentum as well to reinforce Sacramento as a sports destination that’s on the rise.
As the 44th edition of the competition began, athletes participated in qualifying-round weightlifting events such as the 700-pound squat and 770-pound deadlift, along with the loading medley, which requires a person to load and carry heavy items averaging between 250 and 400 pounds.
The event featured the top three winners from last year’s competition: Oleksii Novikov, Tom Stoltman and Jean-Francois Caron. One of the biggest fan favorites was four-time World’s Strongest Man Champion Brian Shaw.
Josh Siegel, a student at University of California, Davis, has watched Shaw since he won his first title in 2011. He donned a sweatshirt with Shaw’s face in the center and held a poster that called Shaw the “strongest to ever live.”
After seeing him in person, he said it’s the coolest thing of his life. He even got Shaw’s children and wife to sign his poster.
Niko Membrere drove from Roseville to see his first World’s Strongest Man competition after getting a ticket from a friend. Membrere said the fact that the event is in person shows how far California has come in handling the pandemic.
Fans like Siegel and Membrere stood outside in the 90-degree heat to watch their favorite athletes compete. Tickets for the event were issued for free starting June 7, but capacity was reached in just a few hours, Eadie said.
Spectators were required to take a COVID-19 survey before entering, but were not asked to show proof of vaccination.
Martins Licis, the event’s 2019 champion, was also in attendance helping out with a Facebook Live show for fans to see. As Licis is training for his next competition, he said the pool of athletes is getting better and better.
“A lot of these guys that were in the top 20 of the world over the last several years are getting stronger and stronger, and I would say I’m excited to compete against them,” he said. “These guys are all becoming very formidable.”
The competition will continue until Sunday. It’ll also feature events that tie in Sacramento’s railroad history as athletes will be harnessed to a train using a rope and pull it down the track, according to Rebecca Levin, vice president of media at IMG.
Athletes will also move a train on a turntable in an event called the Titan’s Turntable.
As fans were watching the athletes on one end, multiple film crews were set up on the other end. CBS and CBS Sports Network were filming the event, Eadie said. Along with CBS, Levin said a British television network was also filming the event which they will air around Christmas.
For fans who can’t attend, you can watch the televised version on CBS and CBS Sports on July 3. You can also tune in to behind-the-scenes coverage on Facebook by paying $2.99 where Licis said fans can see updates on all the results, athlete interviews and recaps of each event.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 6:30 PM.