yeah I think this year's europe's is really exciting to be honest we've got
a really good lineup of athletes lots of different countries represented a few new athletes as well
and a completely different set of events than we're used to seeing in this competition
I am very excited to see it I think I'm really looking forward to the deadlift
¡uh! ladder obviously we see a lot of deadlifts in Strongman competitions
I like this variation I think it brings a few different elements to it it's not just about
who can lift the most it's about being quick between lifts so speed is going to become
important tactics are going to come into play some guys will think they can just get through them all
nice and steadily other guys will be looking to do a few as quickly as possible and with each
one being timed speed is going to be a big big important factor we're opening up with the log
lift world championships and we've got Iron Bibby Luke Stoltman ¡uh! Bobby Thompson as well from
the USA three absolute monster log presses ¡uh! I think Luke is going to be the clear favorite when
it comes to the Strongman competition on the on the log ¡um! but you know then we've got the power
stairs we've got the ¡um! anchor and chain drag and the stones it's a really good mixture of events
I've changed my mind about 10 times on who I think is going to win this one ¡uh! and I, I always go to
back to events, I look at the events, I look at athletes previous performances in these type
of events and I think the top three for me is going to come down to Luke Stoltman defending
champion, Oleksii Novikov and Konstantine Janashia and I think looking at the events this, this week
I think Konstantine can do this there's no weak event for him he's an amazing deadlifter I think
take Luke out of the log lift he's probably the best log lifter left in the competition
he's really good at power stairs he's a great stone lifter and he moves well so I think the
anchor and chain drag are going to be good for him I can see him placing really high on every event
I think for Luke the issue could be the deadlift we know how amazing his log lifting
is how good he is at all the events just his deadlift is sometimes a little bit of a factor
and with guys like Rauno Heinla in the competition he's a great deadlifter
a couple of other guys Shane Flowers really good up-and-coming british guy
they may cause Luke a few issues but I think that's going to be the top three I think beyond
that it could be absolutely anyone it's going to be a really exciting competition and I cannot
wait to watch it ¡yeah! I think the top three for the log is easy I think Bobby Thompson, Luke
and Iron Bibby are way ahead of the rest of the field when it comes to log lifting ¡um! I think
Bobby Thompson realistically has a great shot of the american record which would be 218 kilos
I if you asked me a few weeks ago I wasn't sure if we're going to see a World Record
I've changed my mind I think we may see a World Record tomorrow on the log I think having Iron
Bibby and Luke Stoltman go head to head in a competition obviously last year there was issues
getting Iron Bibby over we had covered the year before so this is the first time we've seen two of the
absolute best log lifters on the planet in the same competition and I saw Iron Bibby earlier he
is absolutely humongous his traps his shoulder he just looks like a complete beast he's been quiet
in terms of posting on social media but I spoke to him and he, he looks very confident he wants to
I think last year when he got the record there was a lot of questions about whether it was completely
locked out ¡um! he wants to put that straight he wants to make sure 230 goes up holds it locked out
nice and easy said he's not even going to wear any elbow sleeves to do it he wants to show everyone
that he's got the power to hold this record and I think for Luke he's been so close a few times
I think if he's got a chance it's going to be tomorrow he's he's looked really good the last
three competitions where he's had a log in a full competition he's won every single time
I think in front of the european crowd he could do something special so I think it's going to be a
really epic Log lifht battle for me those two are the two that have a crack and the World Record
Iron Bibby is a for one of a better word he's a freak of nature you know I've met hundreds
and hundreds of ridiculously Strong Men and I've never met a man like Iron Biby before his
his shoulder power is just scary I don't think he's particularly got the best technique in the
world when it comes to overhead lifting but when it comes to absolute raw power I've never met
anyone even come close to his strength levels now we could make a log wider for him but it would be
such a disadvantage to every other lifter that is that a fair thing to do I mean it would be
interesting to see if the wider log would help him I'm sure it would because he's such a broad man
you know you can see when he presses the axle he has such a wide grip
whereas the log is kind of fixed a certain position it probably is harder for him to get
fully locked out with the the log with the handle set where they are he probably could do with them
three to six inches wider each side but like I said you're then changing it for everyone else
and some of the guys wouldn't even be able to get that over their head so it's it's a hard one
I think, I think where the handles are he can still press this log you know I guess on his point of
view he has to make sure he's working on mobility making sure he can work through the range of
motion that he needs to for competition and he's proven that he can do it already just needs to
make sure it's locked out wait for the referee's down signal I think we're going to see 230 go
whether it's Iron Bibby whether it's Luke someone's going to get it tomorrow
¡yeah! I mean I mentioned Luke on the deadlift I think that he's not a bad deadlifter by any
means but when it comes to absolute elite level he's maybe just a little bit off the you know off
the step with with some of the other guys and we do have some good deadlifters in this show
when we look at Rauno Heinla, Shane Flowers even guys like Pa O'dwyer ¡um! Gav Bilton they're all
they're all athletes have beaten Luke on the deadlift in the past and I, I think maybe, I mean
he's gonna have the advantage of if he wins the log in the Strongman comp he'll get to go last on
the deadlift so we may be able to see if a quick three or something like that will score him better
points so that could be an advantage but there's a lot of guys that could potentially beat him on
this event ¡um! Novikov is the hard one to predict Novikov's such a consistent performer obviously he
has a lot going on in his mind right now is he going to be distracted from his training
¡um! I was very impressed with him at the Arnold's a few weeks back
he's such a battle I wouldn't be surprised if he came in and won this comp but I also wouldn't
be surprised if we're not seeing the best Novikov so hard to predict with someone like that I think
Janashia's had a good amount of rest and and like I said I don't see a particular weakness for him
I think everyone else in the competition they're just not quite as strong all round as those three
¡yeah! I'm looking forward to seeing Gav back obviously he's had a few health issues he looks
so much better saw him downstairs earlier and just physically looked fitter looked better in his face
so I'm looking forward to seeing how he does I think it's a hard one to predict first competition
back ¡um! in the past Gav's fitness has been an issue and looking at the the way this competition
is going to be lined up knowing how quick the pace is of a Giants Live show I think that could
be an issue for Gav, Pa has been exceptionally impressive did amazing at Britain's Strongest
Man he has picked up a shoulder injury in the last couple of weeks so that may affect him but
I think we'll see a good solid performance from Pa and I think the brit to watch is Shane Flowers
he's looking you know he really impressed me at Britain's Strongest Man and I think these are
even better events for him so I think he's going to surprise a lot of people ¡yeah! I've seen
Pavlo compete osg last year and he's a really good all-round athlete again I think, I think
he could do very well I think there's a you know Pavlo I think Marius Lalas who we've seen before
¡um! Pa O`Dwyer you know they could all be fighting for that fifth place
¡um! Rauno Heinla I think he's you know we've seen great performances from him he was fourth
at europe's last year I think he's going to be in that top five ¡um! who else we've got ¡um!
a Thor, Melstart ¡uh! he's great athlete from Iceland he's coming back from an injury
I'm not sure if he's in his best shape right now ¡uh! but he is a great Strong Man made the final
of World's Strongest man last year so there's just no weak guys at all it's it's a really I mean
I've picked my top three but it's such a hard you know open competition just makes takes one mistake
one great performance you know you're talking to a guy that beat the mountain in 2016 when no one
thought I had I had a chance so it's always fun predicting these things but until it all rolls out
and happens we just don't know and every single one of the athletes ¡um! got Kelvin Deroyter from
from Holland ¡uh! he's been very, very impressive in the champions league
very good at events maybe lacks the the brute power on things like the log and deadlift to
really challenge for this title but so many great athletes I think it's great that we have new faces
competing in the Giants Live and new stars to be made it's going to be an amazing show