Strongman Super Series

(Redirected from WSM Super Series)

The Strongman Super Series, known from 2001 to 2004 as the IFSA World Strongman Super Series, from 2005 to 2008 as the World's Strongest Man Super Series, and reverting in 2009 to the World Strongman Super Series, is a sequence of grand prix events in the sport of strength athletics. It was introduced in 2001 in response to concerns that, unlike other individual sports such as golf or tennis, there was no recognized international "tour" in strength athletics. The Strongman Super Series ensures that there are a number of high-profile, professionally run contests during the year, with competitors' placings being used to decide the overall Super Series Champion.

World Strongman Super Series
The official logo of World Strongman Super Series 2010
Founded2001; 23 years ago (2001)
Ceased2010
Last
champion(s)
United States Brian Shaw
Tournament formatMulti-event competition

Typically, ten to twelve athletes take part in each GP, comprising the top six in the international rankings and at least four qualifiers or wildcard entries. The winner of each grand prix receives ten series points, the second placed, nine, and so on. The highest scoring competitor at the end of the series is named World Champion.

World Class Events ("WCE") ran the Super Series in co-operation with the International Federation of Strength Athletes ("IFSA") from 2001 to 2004 until IFSA cut ties with WCE and World's Strongest Man and began promoting their own grand prix events and world championships. In 2005, WCE signed a deal with Trans World International ("TWI"), the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming, to have the exclusive rights worldwide to be the only qualifying tour to the MET-Rx World's Strongest Man event for 2005–2008.[1] The top four athletes from each Grand Prix competition receive an automatic invitation to WSM.

On April 27, 2009 Giants Live, an arena-based series of live strongman competitions, was named the Official World's Strongest Man Qualifying Tour for 2009–2011, thus taking over from the Strongman Super Series in this regard. The first 2009 qualifying event took place on May 17 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, and the second event being the Viking Power competition in Norway, and finishing off the 2009 season in Poland.[2]

Super Series World Champions

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Year Athlete Nationality
2001 Magnus Samuelsson   Sweden
2002 Hugo Girard   Canada
2003/4 Mariusz Pudzianowski   Poland
2004 Žydrūnas Savickas   Lithuania
2005* Mariusz Pudzianowski   Poland
2006* Mariusz Pudzianowski   Poland
2007* Mariusz Pudzianowski   Poland
2008* Derek Poundstone   United States
2009 Brian Shaw   United States
2010 Brian Shaw   United States

*WSM Super Series

2001

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The International Federation of Strength Athletes co-produced the Strongman Super Series events from 2001 to 2004 along with World Class Events (WCE)/Ulf Bengtsson.

 
The official logo of IFSA World Strongman Super Series from 2001 to 2004
Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Netherlands
Holland Grand Prix[3]
  Wout Zijlstra   Magnus Samuelsson   Svend Karlsen 20 May 2001
  Prague, Czech Republic
Czech Grand Prix[4]
  Hugo Girard   Svend Karlsen   Magnus Samuelsson 18 August 2001
  Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden Grand Prix[5]
  Magnus Samuelsson   Hugo Girard   Svend Karlsen 28 October 2001
Overall placings
  Magnus Samuelsson
(15 points)
  Hugo Girard
(13 points)
  Svend Karlsen
(13 points)

2002

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Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Aberdeen, Scotland
  Svend Karlsen   Hugo Girard   Janne Virtanen 16 June 2002
  Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden Grand Prix[6][7]
  Hugo Girard   Svend Karlsen   Žydrūnas Savickas 23 November 2002
  Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
  Hugo Girard   Žydrūnas Savickas   Mariusz Pudzianowski 17 January 2003[note 1]
Overall placings[8]
  Hugo Girard
(17 points)
  Svend Karlsen
(13 points)
  Žydrūnas Savickas
9 points)
  1. ^ Although held in 2003 the 2002 Hawaii Grand Prix was the final event of the 2002 Strongman Super Series and was not a part of, and had no effect on, the 2003 series.[9]

2003

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Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Raimonds Bergmanis   Žydrūnas Savickas 18 January 2003
  Silvolde, Netherlands
Holland Grand Prix[11]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Žydrūnas Savickas   Jarno Hams 14 June 2003
  North Bay, Canada
Canada Grand Prix[12]
  Hugo Girard   Mariusz Pudzianowski   Svend Karlsen 1 August 2003
  Imatra, Finland
Finland Grand Prix[13]
  Hugo Girard   Mariusz Pudzianowski   Raimonds Bergmanis 16 August 2003
  Columbus, Ohio, United States
  Žydrūnas Savickas   Svend Karlsen   Raimonds Bergmanis 5-6 March 2004[note 1]
Overall placings
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Žydrūnas Savickas   Raimonds Bergmanis
  1. ^ Although held in 2004 the 2004 Arnold's Strongest Man was the final event of the 2003 Strongman Super Series and was not a part of, and had no effect on, the 2004 series.

2004

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Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Moscow, Russia
Moscow Grand Prix[15]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Žydrūnas Savickas   Vasyl Virastyuk 11 July 2004
  Gothenburg, Sweden
Sweden Grand Prix[16]
  Magnus Samuelsson   Žydrūnas Savickas   Svend Karlsen 5 December 2004
Overall placings
  Žydrūnas Savickas   Vasyl Virastyuk   Mariusz Pudzianowski/
  Magnus Samuelsson

2005

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Beginning in 2005, WSM/WCE cut all ties with IFSA, who had begun promoting their own separate grand prix events and world championships. The Strongman Super Series then became known as the World's Strongest Man Super Series and was the official qualifying tour for World's Strongest Man from 2005 to 2008.

 
The official logo of World's Strongest Man Super Series from 2005 to 2008
Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Los Angeles, California, United States
Met-Rx Grand Prix[17]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Jesse Marunde   Janne Virtanen 18 June 2005
  Malbork, Poland
Nautilus Grand Prix[18]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Slawomir Toczek   Jesse Marunde 16 July 2005
  Varberg, Sweden
Vulkan Grand Prix[19]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Janne Virtanen   Jesse Marunde 30 July 2005
  Uncansville, Connecticut, United States
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix[20]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Jessen Paulin   Don Pope 10 August 2005
Overall placings
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Jesse Marunde   Janne Virtanen

2006

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Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Uncansville, Connecticut, United States
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix[21]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Jesse Marunde   Josh Thigpen 1 June 2006
  Moscow, Russia
Moscow Grand Prix[22]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Elbrus Nigmatullin   Jessen Paulin 2 July 2006
  Milicz, Poland
Poland Grand Prix[23]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Jarek Dymek   Sebastian Wenta 12 August 2006
Overall placings
  Mariusz Pudzianowski

2007

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Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Uncansville, Connecticut, United States
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix[24]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Kevin Nee   Mark Felix 22 April 2007
  Los Angeles, California, United States
Venice Beach Grand Prix[25]
  Dave Ostlund   Mariusz Pudzianowski   Jesse Marunde 16 June 2007
  Gol, Norway
Viking Power Challenge[26]
  Mariusz Pudzianowski   Jarek Dymek   Magnus Samuelsson 7 July 2007
Overall placings
  Mariusz Pudzianowski

2008

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Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Uncansville, Connecticut, United States
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix[27]
  Derek Poundstone   Mariusz Pudzianowski   Terry Hollands 19 January 2008
  New York City, New York, United States
Madison Square Garden Grand Prix[28]
  Travis Ortmayer   Derek Poundstone   Dave Ostlund 21 June 2008
  Gol, Norway
Viking Power Challenge[29]
  Arild Haugen   Sebastian Wenta   Richard Skog 5 July 2008
  Lysekil, Sweden
Sweden Grand Prix[30]
  Magnus Samuelsson   Tarmo Mitt   Richard Skog 16 August 2008
Overall placings
  Derek Poundstone

2009

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Giants Live replaced the World's Strongest Man Super Series beginning in 2009 as the official qualifying tour for the World's Strongest Man. However, Strongman Super Series continued to hold events under the new title of World Strongman Super Series in 2009 & 2010.[31]

Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Bucharest, Romania
Romania Grand Prix[32]
  Marshall White   Nick Best   Johannes Arsjo 4 July 2009
  Los Angeles, California, United States
Venice Beach Grand Prix[33]
  Brian Shaw   Stoyan Todorchev   Jason Bergmann 14 November 2009
  Gothenburg, Sweden
Sweden Grand Prix[34]
  Brian Shaw   Stoyan Todorchev   Jason Bergmann 5 December 2009
Overall placings[34]
  Brian Shaw (27 points)   Stoyan Todorchev (24 points)   Nick Best (21 points)

2010

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Name and Location Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Date
  Uncansville, Connecticut, United States
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix[35]
  Derek Poundstone   Brian Shaw   Stoyan Todorchev 25 April 2010
  Gol, Norway
Viking Power Challenge[36]
  Brian Shaw   Johannes Arsjo   Laurence Shahlaei 26 June 2010
  Lysekil, Sweden
Sweden Grand Prix[37]
  Brian Shaw   Nick Best   Laurence Shahlaei 17 December 2010
Overall placings[37]
  Brian Shaw
(33 points)
  Dave Ostlund
(19.5 points)
  Laurence Shahlaei
(16 points)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ WCE AND TWI SHOW STRENGTH IN PARTNERSHIP
  2. ^ GIANTS LIVE NAMED OFFICIAL QUALIFYING TOUR FOR WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN COMPETITION Archived 2009-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "2001 Holland Grand Prix". Strongman Archives. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  4. ^ "2001 Czech Grand Prix". Strongman Archives. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  5. ^ "2001 Sweden Grand Prix". Strongman Archives. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Hugo Girard won the Hammer Strength Grand Prix Stockholm". Super Series. Archived from the original on 26 February 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  7. ^ Strossen, Randall J. "Hugo Girard Handily Wins Stockholm Super Series GP". Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b Strossen, Randall J. (18 January 2003). "Hugo: Huge Win in Hawaii". IronMind. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  9. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (19 January 2003). "Hugo Girard: World Record in Farmer's Walk". IronMind. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  10. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (19 January 2003). "Pudzianowski Wins 2003 IFSA Hawaiian Grand Prix". IronMind. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  11. ^ "2003 Holland Grand Prix". Strongman Archives. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  12. ^ "2003 Canada Grand Prix results". Strongman Archives. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  13. ^ "2003 Finland Grand Prix results". Strongman Archives. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  14. ^ "2004 Arnold's Strongest Man Results". arnoldsstrongestman. Archived from the original on 13 April 2004. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  15. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (12 July 2004). "Moscow Super Series: More Results, Bergmanis Sets World Record, "Tremendous Enthusiasm"". IronMind. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  16. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (5 December 2004). "Magnus Samuelsson Wins the Swedish Grand Prix". IronMind. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  17. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (19 June 2005). "Pudzianowski, Marunde, Virtanen and Filiou Qualify for WSM '05". IronMind. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  18. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (16 July 2020). "Polish Power: Pudzianowski and Toczek Shine in Nautilus WSM Super Series". IronMind. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  19. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (30 July 2005). "Mariusz Pudzianowski Wins WSMSS Vulkan Grand Prix". IronMind. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  20. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (10 August 2005). "Mariusz Wins Mohegan Sun Grand Prix . . . Paulen, Pope and Thigpen Qualify for WSM". IronMind. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  21. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (1 June 2006). "Mariusz Pudzianowski: Big Win at the Mohegan Sun". IronMind. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  22. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (2 July 2006). "Mariusz Wins WSMSS Moscow Grand Prix". IronMind. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  23. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (12 August 2006). "WSMSS Poland Grand Prix". IronMind. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  24. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (24 April 2007). "From the Mohegan Sun to WSM '07". IronMind. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  25. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (16 June 2007). "Dave Ostlund Wins at Muscle Beach". IronMind. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  26. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (9 July 2007). "Mariusz: Marching Toward WSM '07". IronMind. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  27. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (19 January 2008). "Poundstone Wins the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix". IronMind. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  28. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (21 June 2008). "Travis Ortmayer Blossoms in the Garden: The Texan Stone Eater Wins the Super Series Madison Square Garden Grand Prix . . . Qualifies for World's Strongest Man". IronMind. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  29. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (5 July 2008). "Arild Haugen Wins Viking Power Challenge". IronMind. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  30. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (17 August 2008). "Magnus Samuelsson Wins Final Leg of the 2008 WSM Super Series". IronMind. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  31. ^ Official site breaking news
  32. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (4 July 2009). "Marshall White Wins WSMSS - Bucharest". IronMind. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  33. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (15 November 2009). "Brian Shaw: Strong Showing at World Strongman Super Series". IronMind. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  34. ^ a b Strossen, Randall J. (6 December 2009). "Brian Shaw Wins Big at World Strongman Super Series: Takes Swedish Grand Prix and Overall Title". IronMind. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  35. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (25 April 2010). "Derek Poundstone Three-Peats at the Mohegan Sun: World Strongman Series Grand Prix Winner". IronMind. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  36. ^ Strossen, Randall J. (26 June 2010). "Brian Shaw Wins Viking Power Challenge". IronMind. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  37. ^ a b Strossen, Randall J. (13 December 2010). "Brian Shaw Wins World Strongman Super Series Swedish Grand Prix and Overall Title". IronMind. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
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