Dubai –The stage was set 27 March 2024 for the World Strongman Championship, bringing the strongest athletes from around the world to the Emirates Sports Hotel.
A press conference at the Dubai Sports Council invited UTS President Stephan Fox and CEO, Julia Govinden who were present for their first Strongman event alongside IOC Executive, AIWOF President and President of the Fédération Internationale Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) Ivo Ferriani. UTS congratulated the federation for their positive efforts towards developing the sport internationally and shared the plans for the coming days towards sharing, discussing and strategizing how to focus on the next generation through the federation opportunities and events.
Set in the heart of Dubai, the International Union “World Strongman” was supported by the Emirates Sports Group and showcased the weight categories:
- Men: up to 95 kg and up to 110 kg
- Women: up to 75 kg
Competition Format:
The championship featured two main relays – Lift and Carry, where all athletes competed in the following disciplines:
Lift Relay:
- Stone over bar – 3 repetitions
- Dumbbell lift – 3 repetitions
- Axel Deadlift – 3 repetitions
- Log lift – 3 repetitions
Carry Relay:
- Sandbag carry – 15 m
- Yoke race – 15 m
- Farmer’s walk – 15 m
A Special Discipline was included:
A separate competition for the Fedor Konyukhov Cup – rowing for a distance of 500m on a rowing machine.
The championships saw a new single distance format with athletes competing in random pairs. With representatives from over 42 countries, the competitions saw South Africa, UAE, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Egypt take home medals.
President Vladimir BURDUN of the International Union of World Strongman developed the championship format to present the sport at its best towards entering the Olympic movement.
President Burdun said: “Big changes are coming to the strongman sport. We are working first and foremost towards ensuring the promotion of clean sports and safe competition. Upholding Olympic values and developing our sport to give more opportunity to people of all abilities is critical. Our new collaboration with UTS will ensure our next generations of young athletes have a great base of education and core values from which to thrive.”
President Fox joined the spirit of strength and said: “It is great to see sports such as World Strongman develop with every intention and dedication to follow the Olympic charter and support their national federations towards positive growth and development. It has been a unique experience to see the scope of international athletes both male and female coming together to show their strength. The future of the sport and federation is bright.”
The event was supported by a core team that went above and beyond to ensure every success. A special thank you to President Vladimir Burdun, Secretary General Ladislavs Redjkins, Daria Ratobylskaya and Maria Seliverstova.
Learn more about the International Union of World Strongman
