The World’s Strongest Man championship — the 43rd edition — will take place locally Nov. 11-15.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth confirmed Oct. 31 that events will take place at Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach.
About 25 men are expected to compete in qualifiers and then a two-day final, according to a news release from WSM.
The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitor’s Center had announced the competition would take place in Manatee County in January, with the events planned for May at a sports complex in Lakewood Ranch.
However, the contest was postponed to November due to the coronavirus pandemic and organizing shifted.
In 2019, the World Strongest Man events took place in Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach, bringing crowds to the beaches, as well as in downtown Bradenton.
An August notice for the event from WSM said the event would be live-streamed on Facebook — for a fee — as well as at later dates on CBS Sports TV.
However, the notice said, “In light of continued global health concerns and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, we are sorry to confirm that we will be hosting this year’s SBD World’s Strongest Man competition without fans on-site. We love the energy and spirit you bring to the world’s biggest and best strongman competition, but we feel this is the safest decision for our fans, competitors, staff and the local community.”
Organizers had not provided details on how — or if — audiences would be kept from the contest events at the public beach, as of Islander press time.
Also, the beach crowds in 2019 were not ticketed fans.
Great Britain and the United States were to be the most represented countries at the contest, with Canada second.
For more information, search for “World’s Strongest Man: Live from Bradenton” on Facebook.
— Lisa Neff