The world's best professional strongmen have long graced the Arnold Sports Festival. In 2010, they will
be joined by the world's strongest amateurs.
The Arnold Strongman Amateur will feature 50 of the world's top amateur strongman athletes, including
20 from the United States. All competitors will have to earn their spots through various qualifying
competitions or by invitation.
"Strongman is by no means a `mainstream' sport along the lines of football, basketball or baseball,
but it is becoming more and more popular," said Dionne Wessels, CEO of North American Strongman
Inc., the governing body for amateur strongman competitions in the United States. "Adding an amateur
competition to the Arnold Sports Festival will allow the perfect opportunity to further promote the sport
of strongman in the United States."
There are an estimated 6,000 amateur strongman athletes in the United States that compete in an estimate
125 events throughout the year. Only the very elite of those athletes will earn a spot in the Arnold
Strongman Amateur and a chance to compete against the world's best in 2011.
The winner of the Arnold Strongman competition in 2010 will automatically qualify to compete in the
Arnold Strongman Contest in 2011, an event that features the world's top professionals.
The first qualifier for the 2010 Arnold Amateur Strongman was held in late July in Bangor, Maine, where
the 105K America’s Strongest Man competition was held at the Maine State Fair. The event features top
professional strongman competitors that weigh 231 pounds or less. Those professionals, though, qualify
as amateurs in the sport's open division (unlimited weight class).
The top three finishers at the Maine competition earned spots in the Arnold Amateur Strongman,
including winner Dave Mihalov of Bridgeport, Conn., a disciple of 2009 Arnold Strongman Contest
champion Derek Poundstone. Also earning sports in Columbus were Beau Getz of Arvada, Colo., and
Justin Blake of Auburn Hills, Mich.
A second qualifier for American athletes will be held at the Amateur National Championships in
Lafayette, Louisiana. International athletes will qualify through spots granted to the sport's governing
bodies in various countries. Those organizations will determine how to award those entries into the
Arnold Amateur Strongman.
"It will be an honor for the world's best amateurs to compete at the Arnold Sports Festival and the Arnold
Amateur Strongman will instantly become one the sport's most prestigious titles for amateur athletes,"
Wessels said. "The time is now for the sport's best amateurs to compete on the sport's biggest stage."
Last modified: 2009-09-11 @ 12:00 am
