Giants Live is a professional

strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...

tour which was originated in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It hosts several prominent competitions each year, including national competitions such as

Britain's Strongest Man Britain's Strongest Man is an annual strongman event held in the United Kingdom. Competitors qualify for the final through regional heats and the winner is awarded the title of "Britain's Strongest Man". The competition is produced by TWI and ...

, international competitions such as

Europe's Strongest Man Europe's Strongest Man is an annual strength athletics competition which began in 1980. The event is held in various locations throughout Europe, and features exclusively European strongman competitors. Mariusz Pudzianowski holds the record for mo ...

and single-lift competitions such as

The World Deadlift Championships The World Deadlift Championships is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, competing exclusively in the strongman deadlift. It was created by Giants Live and the championship focuses mainly on the maximum deadli ...

and

The World Log Lift Championships The World Log Lift Championships (sometimes referred to as ''World Log Lift Challenge'') is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, competing exclusively in the log clean and press. Created initially as part of ...

. Since its beginning in 2009, each Giants Live show has served as a qualifier for the next year's

World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...

, with the podium finishers from each show earning a spot in the competition. With 9 wins,

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (; transliterated as Hafthor in English; born 26 November 1988) is an Icelandic professional strongman who is widely regarded as one of the greatest strength athletes of all time. He is the first and only person t ...

has the most Giants Lives wins of any competitor.

Žydrūnas Savickas Žydrūnas Savickas (; born July 15, 1975) is a Lithuanian former professional strongman and powerlifter. Throughout his career, he competed in and won 84 international competitions, including four World's Strongest Man titles, two IFSA Strong ...

holds the second place with 6 wins. Third place is shared by Mitchell Hooper, Evan Singleton and

Eddie Hall Edward Stephen Hall (born 15 January 1988) is an English media personality, retired strongman, and current mixed martial artist. He is best known for his then world-record setting deadlift. He is also known for winning 2017 World's Strongest ...

with 5 wins each.

History

On 27 April 2009, Giants Live was named the official World's Strongest Man Qualifying Tour for 2009–2011, replacing the

Strongman 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 ...

. Giants Live was licensed the exclusive rights by

IMG Sports Media IMG, originally known as the International Management Group, is a global sports, fashion, events and media company headquartered in New York City. The company manages athletes and fashion celebrities; owns, operates and commercially represents ...

, the creator and owner of the

competition. The IFSA Strongman Super Series and later the World's Strongest Man Super Series had served as the official qualifying tour from 2001 to 2008. Significantly, Giants Live offered an opportunity for strongmen who had previously been affiliated with the IFSA to return to World's Strongest Man. IFSA athletes were banned from competing in World's Strongest Man from 2004 until its dissolution in 2007; this meant that notable athletes such as Zydrunas Savickas and Mikhail Koklyaev were unable to compete during this time. With the dissolution of the IFSA and the beginning of

Strongman Champions League The Strongman Champions League is a Strongman competition circuit, with several Grand Prix events throughout the year and the Strongman Champions League overall champion title going to the overall winner at the end of the season. Competitors in ...

, many previously IFSA-affiliated athletes returned to competition at World's Strongest Man.. The first 2009 qualifying event took place on 17 May at the

Mohegan Sun Casino Mohegan Sun is a large casino and entertainment complex located on 240 acres (97 ha) of the Mohegan Indian Reservation in Uncasville, Connecticut, along the banks of the Thames River. It is owned and operated by the federally recognized Mohegan ...

Arena in

Uncasville Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the e ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

Producers and key staff

Giants Live is a collaboration between

IMG Media IMG, originally known as the International Management Group, is a global sports, fashion, events and media company headquartered in New York City. The company manages athletes and fashion celebrities; owns, operates and commercially represents ...

and Power Productions UK owned. Notable staff include: * Colin Bryce – an ex-Strongman competitor and Olympic bobsleigher, Bryce is currently a long-term producer of World Strongest Man through his company Power Productions and formerly the head referee and commentator on strongman events such as

and World Strongman Cup. *

Darren Sadler Darren Sadler (born 22 March 1980) is a British former strongman (strength athlete), strongman competitor, winner of the World Strongman Challenge in the under 105 kg category, and notable for being a repeat competitor ...

– an ex-Strongman competitor and former world champion in the U105 category, Sadler is currently a co-producer of World Strongest Man alongside Colin Bryce and formerly the head referee on for Giants Live competitions. *

Magnús Ver Magnússon Magnús Ver Magnússon (born 23 April 1963) is an Icelandic former powerlifter and strongman competitor. He is a four-time World's Strongest Man, having won in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest strongmen o ...

– an ex-Strongman competitor and four-time holder of

, Magnússon is currently the head referee for Giants Live and

competitions. *

Bill Kazmaier William Kazmaier (born December 30, 1953) is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During his illustrious career, he set over 40 powe ...

– an ex-Strongman competitor and three-time holder of

, Kazmaier is currently one of three main commentators for Giants Live competitions, alongside Neil Pickup and Radzi Chinyanganya. * Dave Warner – Ex strongman competitor and multiple time UK strongest man competitor. One of the head judges. Judged Eddie's 500kg deadlift * Neil Pickup – formerly a professional arm wrestler, Pickup is currently one of three main commentators for Giants Live competitions, alongside

and Radzi Chinyanganya. Pickup is also the MC for these events. * Radzi Chinyanganya – Radzi is currently one of three main commentators for Giants Live competitions, alongside Neil Pickup and

. *

Will Clough Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

– Live Stream Director *

Lindsi Baldwin Lindsi (also ''Lintsi'') is a village in Setomaa Parish, Võru County in Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the we ...

– Event Co-Ordinator * Nev & Neo – Team behind the live feed

Event results

Most wins

References

External links

Giants Live official websitewww.colinbryce.com
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129165828/http://www.colinbryce.com/ , date=29 November 2011
Europe's Strongest Man official website
Strongmen competitions Giants Live