America’s Strongest Man® Contest Set for Mr. Olympia Next Year
by Randall J. Strossen, IronMind Enterprises, Inc. © 2009
American Strongman Corporation (ASC) competition debuted at the Mr. Olympia Weekend this year with Olympia’s Strongest Man - a nice start, but wait: “On the strength of the 2009 event, Mr. Olympia officials and ASC have agreed to showcase the biggest event on American Strongman calendar,” said ASC President Dione Wessels.
“The Mr. Olympia is an iconic event. We feel that nothing less than America’s Strongest Man® (ASM) belongs on such a prestigious platform,” Wessels said.
According to an official statement given to IronMind®, “The dates and locations of the three qualifying events will be released in the coming weeks. Fans of American Strongman will be able to follow the America’s Strongest Man® U.S. Nationals Qualifying Tour in Flex and Muscle & Fitness magazines and on-line. There will also be a series of articles covering each event as well as special features on American Strongman athletes, strongman training and more. Please visit the ASC website or Mr. Olympia website for more information.
“ASM is based on a series of qualifying events and the 2010 format will be dubbed America’s Strongest Man® U.S. Nationals Championship Qualifying Tour. There will be three qualifying events that will be open to all American Strongman heavyweight athletes. These three events will be followed by the U.S. Nationals in Hot Springs, Arkansas on August 7 & 8, 2010. Athletes who qualify or have held the title of America’s Strongest Man® will be able to compete in the U.S. Nationals in Hot Springs. The top ten to twelve athletes from the U.S. Nationals will move on to America’s Strongest Man® at the Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas on September 24 & 25, 2010.”