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“A new era has begun in the sport of Strongman. We are committed to clean competition, with the Olympics as our ultimate goal.”
– Vladimir Burdun, President of the World Strongman International Union
“A new era has begun in the sport of Strongman. We are committed to clean competition, with the Olympics as our ultimate goal.”
– Vladimir Burdun, President of the World Strongman International Union
Founded in 2003, the World Strongman International Union is a global organization dedicated to advancing and promoting strength sports worldwide. By organizing premier international Strongman competitions, it brings the sport to the forefront of the global athletic community.
Recently, the Union entered a new chapter by relocating its headquarters to Dubai, a move that underscores its commitment to expanding and elevating Strongman on the world stage. Now operating under the Emirates Sports Group, it leads an ambitious campaign to gain official Olympic recognition for Strongman, aiming to secure its place in the Olympic Games program and inspire a new generation of athletes.
The World Strongman International Union is set to launch a rigorous anti-doping program in collaboration with WADA, marking a pivotal step forward following discussions on strongman’s Olympic inclusion and future growth.
Established
Disciplines
Countries represented to date
Strongman is a strength sport where athletes compete across multiple disciplines testing mental and physical strength, speed, and endurance. The sport includes standard disciplines, such as: Atlas Stones (from 70 kg), Farmers Walk (from 2×75 kg), Deadlift (Axel) (from 130 kg), Dumbbell Lift (from 35 kg), Yoke Carry (from 180 kg) and Sandbag Carry (from 80 kg).
Events focus on lifting and moving weights, either individually or in pairs, measured by time or distance. Competitions are divided into weight classes: 4 for men, 5 for women, and 4 for disabled athletes (Parastrongman), ensuring fair, exciting contests across all categories.
The inaugural event in this new format took place on March 28, 2024, at Dubai Sports City – Emirates Sports Hotel. Organized by the World Strongman International Union in collaboration with the Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sports (AIMS), the competition attracted a diverse audience of over 350 spectators, 100 representatives from international companies, and 60 participants from around the globe. Going forward, the championships will be held annually.
Ahead of the 2024 World Strongman Championship, Dubai Sports Council held a press conference to discuss event organization and showcase the sport’s Olympic potential. Representatives from the IOC, IBSF (Ivo Ferriani), AIMS (Stephan Fox), and United Through Sports (Julia Govinden) voiced unanimous support for strongman’s Olympic inclusion, highlighting key areas for further development.
The sport’s unique nature, with the introduction of weight divisions and women’s inclusion in the Olympic program, thus dispelling stereotypes and making this competition more spectacular.
@ All rights reserved 2024.