WSM ALL TIME RANKINGS 2000

World's Strongest Man competition has long been the best known way to find out who's the strongest of strong men. The competitors go trough a variety of events, which all have an equal weight on total competition points. These events are chosen with care to test maximum strength, ability to move and carry objects of different shape and weight, explosive speed, and finally to test endurance in events a normal man can't do for even one second. It is important to note that these events should not have standard equipment nor be the same every time, because they are planned to test general, and not specific strength. 

Would we use the same method to find out for example who's currently the best track and field athlete in the world, we'd get decathlon with changing events, distances and objects. Being the best in one event, as respectable achievement as it is, does not really make anyone the best on the whole arena. In the strength field however, the competitors are in a way much closer to each other, like shot putters and discus throwers in T&F, which makes this competition much more meaningful and a bit easier to arrange. 

As there have been so many men to claim this title, "World's Strongest Man", with just one or two record lifts under their belt, I must ask:

What would be the one lift, or two, three lifts, which could grant you the title (well, other than deadlifting 1 ton...)? And did we just forget grip strength and "crucifix"-type of holding events? You answer this question - if you can, and then WSM will have only this event or these events.
By far, there hasn't been a guy in history who has mastered more than just some maximum lifts, or even kept records in those for at least - say three years. But there have been 12 competitors since 1977, World's Strongest Men, who have had the best overall strength at their time. They have at least some right to call themselves the strongest. Or... at least they have won the WSM competition.

All time rankings? When it's quite impossible to even say who's the strongest now?! Criteria?

I admit that because we don't have a solid criteria for even deciding the strongest today, "all time rankings" are more or less just for fun. Actually strongman competitions can't be that serious either - nor give a final answer. But even though WSM is just a show for somebody, it's also the only place to prove you're the best! 

Naturally because WSM isn't the best paid competition there is and only few guys make money with it, many great strength athletes choose other sports.

Note Jan 2000: The recent development in the sport makes me want to add, that in every sport strength is just a tool. Those who can utilize it best and have also other qualities, carry home the prices. WSM after all is just one competition. If one thinks he doesn't need strong legs to win WSM, then he will train for something else. Competitions (strongman/powerlifting/weightlifting/shot put) are never about the pure strength really, but winning competitions! 

Why do we need this ranking then, for fun only?

Even many of the competitors today don't really know the history and great men of this sport. Hope this ranking helps a bit to make it more clear who won, when, and how much.

POINTS SYSTEM:
  • We give no points for having the best lift or records in something, the only thing that matters is how a competitor did in WSM FINALS
  • Winning a competition gives 10 pts (the number of competitors that year doesn't matter)
  • 2nd place gives 5 pts
  • 3rd place gives 3 pts
  • Every event win in a competition gives basicly 1 point. However, since there have been different number of events in different years (from 8 to 11 events) all competition wins are normalized to 8 events/competition: This means winning an event in 11 event competition gives only 8/11 point.
  • Competition points are the toughest to compare. There have been different number of competitors in the finals, different point systems in use (for example some year the winner got 12 pts, not 10 or 8, and loser might, or might not get points at all). We could use just the points and not normalize them, but that would not be fair at all: Some year with 40 pts a competitor could end up being 2nd, and some other year with 40, he might end up being last. Chris and I have figured out only one system by far, which is still far from perfect: Percentage of winning points * 2 pts. For example 63/73*2pts.
  • However, this would not credit those who's win has been very clear: 2 Bonus points for winning with over 10% (winning points are then greater than 2nd points*1.1)
NOTES:
  • Until 1983 WSM was just "USA Strongest Invitational", but let's not still take anything away from American pioneers (it wasn't until 1985 this sport was introduced in Finland)
  • '80 and '82 results are incomplete (for places below 5 or so), but that doesn't have a big effect on top places. I took the liberty of estimating those missing points. 
  • No points are deducted from not winning while competing in WSM or losing to some specific competitor. The more you compete, the higher you rank.
YEAR Winning PTS Winning percentage over 2nd
'77 
'78 
'79 
'80 
'81 
'82 
'83 
'84 
'85 
'86 
'88 
'89 
'90 
'91 
'92 
'93 
'94 
'95 
'96 
'97 
'98
'99
'00		 63.25 
64.33 
60.3 
102.5 
96 
91 
49.5 
57.5 
50.5 
59 
56 
54.5 
48.5 
56 
63 
54 
50.5 
71 
52 
61 
73
60
59		 46.2% 
10.9% 
32.2% 
29.7% 
9.1% 
16.7% 
3.1% 
11.7% 
3.1% 
7.3% 
9.8% 
10.1% 
1.0% 
15.5% 
1.6% 
10.2% 
2.0% 
13.6% 
20.9% 
7.0% 
9.0%
13.2%
9.3%
 

 
 
R
Competitor
Country
1st
2nd
3rd
 +
event wins
+ 
competition points
+ 
Bonus
TOTAL
1 Jon Pall Sigmarsson ICE 4
('84,'86,'88,'90)		 2
('83,'85)		 1('89) 53 3/8+3/8+1/8+4/8
+4/8+1/8+2/8		 18,00 48('83)+57,5('84)+49('85)+59('86)
+56('88)+47('89)+48,5('90)		 13,60 2 86,605
2 Magnus Ver Magnusson ICE 4
('91,'94,'95,'96)		 2
('92,'93)		   50 3/8+3/8+2/8
+2/8+2/8		 12,00 56('91)+62('92)+49('93)+50,5('94)
+71('95)+52('96)		 11,78 6 79,783
3 Bill Kazmaier USA 3
('80,'81,'82)		 1('88) 1('79) 38 2/10+6/10+5/11
+4/10+3/8		 16,24 44,9('79)+102,5('80)+96('81)
+91('82)+51('88)+40('89)		 10,78 4 69,015
4 Geoff Capes ENG 2
('83,'85)		 2
('81,'86)		 2
('80,'84)		 36 1/10+3/11+1/10
+2/8+1/8+4/8+3/8		 13,78 59,5('80)+88('81)+67('82)+49,5('83)
+49('84)+50,5('85)+55('86)		 12,04   61,817
5 Jouko Ahola FIN 2('97,'99) 1('98)   25 2/8+3/8+1/7 6,14 61('97)+67('98)+60('99) 5,84 2 38,978
6 Bruce Wilhelm USA 2 ('77,'78)     20 5/10+3/10 6,40 63,25('77)+64,33('78) 4,00 4 34,400
7 Magnus Samuelsson SWE 1('98)   2
('97,'00)		 16 3/8+4/8+1/7+0 8,14 19,5('95)+52,5('97)+73('98)
+47('99)+53('00)		 7,63   31,777
8 Jamie Reeves ENG 1('89) 1('92) 1('88) 18 1/8+4/8 5,00 47('88)+54,5('89)+62('92) 5,65 2 30,647
9 Gary Taylor WAL 1('93)   1('91) 13 1/8+4/8+1/8 6,00 39('91)+43,5('92)+54('93)+42('95) 5,96 2 26,957
10 Don Reinhoudt USA 1('79) 1('78)   15 4/10+3/10 5,60 58+('78)+60,3('79)+[10?]('80) 4,00 2 26,598
11 Gerrit Badenhorst RSA   1('95) 1('96) 8 1/8+2/8+2/8+3/8 8,00 57,5('92)+17,5('93)+38,5('94)
+62,5('95)+41('96)+34('00)		 8,49   24,488
12 Ab Wolders NED   2
('84,'89)		 1('86) 13 2/8+3/8 5,00 51,5('84)+37,5('86)
+41('88)+49,5('89)		 6,34   24,343
13 Riku Kiri FIN   1('96) 2
('93,'94)		 11 1/8+3/8+2/8 6,00 48,5('93)+48('94)+43('96)+26('98) 5,35   22,355
14 Janne Virtanen FIN 1('00) 1('99)   15 1/7+2/7 3,43 53('99)+59('00) 3,77   22,195
15 Lars Hedlund SWE   2
('79,'80)		 1('78) 13 2/10+2/10+1/10 4,00 38,9('78)+45,6('79)+79('80) 4,26   21,263
16 Svend Karlsen NOR   1('00) 1('99) 8 0+2/7+3/7 5,71 33('97)+52,5('99)+54('00) 4,66   18,377
17 Ted Van Der Parre NED 1('92)     10 3/8+ 3,00 35,5('91)+63('92)+7('94) 3,55   16,545
18 Henning Thorsen DEN   1('91)   5 3/8+ 3,00 34('90)+48,5('91)+41('92) 4,44   12,436
19 Flemming Rasmussen DEN   1('97)   5 3/8+ 3,00 42,5('95)+35,5('96)+57('97) 4,43   12,431
20 Manfred Höberl AUT   1('94)   5 2/8+1/8 3,00 22,5('91)+41,5('93)+49,5('94) 4,30   12,301
21 Tom Magee CAN   1('82)   5 2/10+1/8 2,60 78('82)+38,5('83)+33('85) 4,58   12,177
22 OD Wilson USA   1('90)   5 3/8+ 3,00 48('90)+30,5('91) 3,07   11,069
23 Ilkka Nummisto FIN     1('90) 3 1/8+ 1,00 19('86)+40('88)+27,5('89)
+39('90)+29('92)		 5,61   9,611
24 Dave Waddington USA     1 ('81) 3 2/10+1/8 2,60 72,5 ('81)+[40?]('82)+34('84) 3,57   9,172
25 Bob Young USA   1 ('77)   5 1/10+ 0,80 43,25('77)+22,33('79) 2,11   7,908
26 John Gamble USA     1 ('82) 3 1/10+1/8 1,80 69,5('82)+32,5('83) 2,84   7,641
27 Marko Varalahti FIN     1('95) 3 2/8+ 2,00 48,5('95) 1,37   6,366
28 Jon Kolb USA         1/10+4/10 4,00 23,4('78)+41,43('79) 2,10   6,102
29 Simon Wulfse NED     1('83) 3 1/8+ 1,00 47('83) 1,90   5,899
30 Cees de Vreugd NED     1('85) 3 1/8+ 1,00 45,5('85) 1,80   5,802
31 Laszlo Fekete HUN         1/8+1/7 2,14 11('88)+32('89)+31('90)+23('99) 3,61   5,755
32 Ken Patera USA     1('77) 3 1/10+ 0,80 34('77) 1,08   4,875
33 Wout Ziljstra  NED     1('98) 3     62('98) 1,70   4,699
34 Torfi Olafsson ICE         1/8+ 1,00 45,5('97)+19('98)+29.5('99) 3,00   3,996
35 Harold Collins USA         1/8+1/8 2,00 24,5('93)+28('97) 1,83   3,825
36 Heinz Ollesch GER         1/8+ 1,00 46('95)+43,5('97) 2,72   3,722
37 Rick "Grizzly" Brown USA         1/8+1/8 2,00 29('85)+14('86) 1,62   3,623
38 Gregg Ernst CAN         1/8+ 1,00 29,5('91)+38('92) 2,26   3,260
39 Hugo Girard CAN         1/7+ 1,14 5('98)+49.5('99)+8('00) 2,06   3,201
40 Jerry Hannan USA         1/10+ 0,80 [40?]('80)+68('81) 2,20   2,997
41 Bishop Dolegiewicz CAN         1/10+ 0,80 56('80)+46('81) 2,05   2,851
42 Mark Philippi USA         1/8+ 1,00 40,5('97)+18('98) 1,82   2,821
43 Phil Pfister USA             51('98)+42('00) 2,82   2,821
44 Marius Pudzianowki POL         1/7+ 1,14 49('00) 1,66   2,804
45 Forbes Cowan SCO             36,5('94)+34('96) 2,75   2,753
46 Berend Veneberg NED             26('93)+9('98)+41('99) 2,58   2,576
47 Martin Muhr GER         1/7+ 1,14 40('00) 1,36   2,499
48 Lou Ferrigno USA         2/10+ 1,60 27,5('77) 0,87   2,470
49 Raimunds Bergmanis LAT             25('96)+44,5('97) 2,42   2,421
50 Adrian Smith ENG         1/8+ 1,00 33,5('90) 1,38   2,381
51 Jean-Pierre Brulois FRA             19,5('85)+31,5('86)+15('88) 2,38   2,376
52 Jorma Ojanaho FIN         1/8+ 1,00 32,5('96) 1,25   2,250
53 Ernie Hackett USA         1/10+ 0,80 65,5('82) 1,44   2,240
54 Curt Marsh USA         1/10+ 0,80 64('82) 1,41   2,207
55 Keith Bishop USA         1/11+ 0,73 61,5('81) 1,28   2,009
56 Durwin Piper USA         1/11+ 0,73 58('81) 1,21   1,936
57 Rudolph Kuester GER             34('84)+20('89) 1,92   1,917
58 Markku Suonenvirta FIN         1/8+ 1,00 25,5('91) 0,91   1,911
59 Regin Vagadal FAE             24('96)+26('00) 1,80   1,804
60 Dusko Markovic CAN             34('86)+17,5('89) 1,79   1,795
61 Daniel Poulin CAN         1/8+ 1,00 22('84) 0,77   1,765
62 Joe Zaliezniak USA         1/11+ 0,73 48('81) 1,00   1,727
63 Cleve Dean USA         1/10+ 0,80 14,4('79)+[20?]('80) 0,87   1,668
64 George Hechter USA             36('85) 1,43   1,426
65 Mike Dayton USA         1/10+ 0,80 19,25+ ('77) 0,61   1,409
66 Joe Onosai SAM             12,5('94)+29,5('95) 1,33   1,326
67 Craig Wolfley USA             63('81) 1,31   1,313
68 Pieter de Bruyn RSA             46('98) 1,26   1,260
69 Anton Boucher NAM             31,5('94) 1,25   1,248
70 Stago Piczko NED             59('81) 1,23   1,229
71 Tjalling Van Den Bosch NED             28,5('90) 1,18   1,175
72 Brian Oldfield USA         1/10+ 0,80 12('78) 0,37   1,173
73 Phil Martin USA             40('95) 1,13   1,127
74 Wayne Price RSA             38,5('95) 1,08   1,085
75 Aap Uspenski EST             25,5('90) 1,05   1,052
76 Chris Okonkwo NIG             25,5('83) 1,03   1,030
77 Roger Ekström FIN             25,5('85) 1,01   1,010
78 Doyle Kenady USA             24('83) 0,97   0,970
79 Derek Boyer FIJ             28,5('97) 0,93   0,934
80 Allen Gallberg CAN             22('83) 0,89   0,889
81 Henrik Ravn DEN             23('93) 0,85   0,852
82 Joe Quigley AUS             23('88) 0,82   0,821
83 James Perry USA             25('92) 0,79   0,794
84 Jamie Barr SCO             22.5('99) 0,75   0,750
85 Yngve Gustavsson  SWE             21,5('84) 0,75   0,748
86 Klaus Wallas AUT             22('86) 0,75   0,746
87 Franco Columbo ITA             22,25('77) 0,70   0,704
88 Larry Kidney USA             [35?]('80) 0,68   0,683
89 Jon Cole USA             21,5('77) 0,68   0,680
90 Bill Dunn USA             [30?]('82) 0,66   0,659
91 Pius Ochieng KEN             18,5('84) 0,64   0,643
92 Ilkka Kinnunen FIN             19('92) 0,60   0,603
93 Billy Graham USA             [30?]('80) 0,59   0,585
94 Gus Rethwisch USA             16,73('78) 0,52   0,520
95 Gerard Du Prie NED             [25?]('80) 0,49   0,488
96 Boris Djerassi ISR             15,23('78) 0,47   0,473
97 Jim Hough USA             [20?]('82) 0,44   0,440
98 George Frenn USA             10('77) 0,32   0,316
99 Ross Browner USA             [10?]('82) 0,22   0,220
100 Rob Dixon UK             5('00) 0,17   0,169
101 Ivan Putski POL             5,4('78) 0,17   0,168
102 Joe Dube USA             4,4('79) 0,15   0,146
103 John Matuszak USA             4('78) 0,12   0,124
104 Dave Johns USA             2('79) 0,07   0,066
105 Bill Anderson SCO             1,33('79) 0,04   0,044
106 Rene Minkwitz DEN             1('99) 0,03   0,033
107 Jerry Blackwell USA             0('79) 0,00   0,000
108 Jack Wright USA             0('78) 0,00   0,000

Remember, every name here is a strength legend of his time - even if an unlucky one...

 

 

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