Heavy rainfall fails to dampen Britain's Strongest Man contest

IT was billed as the return to Minehead of Britain’s Strongest Man 2007, but torrential rainfall in West Somerset quickly saw the competition labelled ‘Britain’s Wettest Man’.
However, the rain did not put off spectators and hundreds of people turned out to watch the qualifying events which ran from Sunday, June 24, until Tuesday, June 26.
The finals of the tournament were taking place on Thursday and Friday, June 28 and 29.
The athletes were split into four groups for the qualifying rounds, and the first event was the carry and drag, where the athletes carried a 100 kg anchor 10 metres to a 200 kg chain, hooked the two together, and then dragged them another 10 metres to the finish line.
Other qualifying events included the overhead log press, safe lift, squat lift, dead lift, shield carry, fingal fingers, and Atlas stones.
Those athletes who reached the finals were taking on the farmers walk, car walk, dead lift tyre flip, overhead log lift and Atlas stones.
Unless people were there to see it for themselves, the results will remain a secret until later in the summer.
The competition, which is being sponsored by media company IMG and supported by West Somerset Council, is being filmed for Channel 5 and will not be broadcast until late in August.
Local newspapers, including The Crier, have been sworn to secrecy in the meantime in order not to spoil the surprise for viewers.
The competition has been hosted by Butlins, which was also the venue on the two previous occasions it has been held in Minehead.
Events have also taken place on the sea front near Butlins and on the beach, and also beside Minehead Harbour.
The worst effects of the rain during the week were countered when the district council stepped in with the loan of a number of small marquees to provide some shelter.
The athletes were supervised by equipment manager Jouko Ahola, who is a former two times world’s strongest man, while the referee for the events was Svend Karlsen, who was world’s strongest man in 2001.
The television exposure generated by the competition is estimated to give Minehead and West Somerset hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of advertising awareness free of charge, providing a boost for the district’s tourism industry.

• Our photographs show (top) athlete Ross Stone demonstrating his strength in front of the crowds. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref BSMLP0110; and (below) athlete Jimmy Marku being interviewed for the Channel 5 series by Martin Bayfield. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref BSMLP0087. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.