Once again, Dr. Samuel Dube calls the action for us as the battle for the 2007 North America's Strongest Man title came down to the final event on the final day.

"The third and final day of the 2007 North America's Strongest Man began with the Apollon's Axle Deadlift. The ponderous barbell started at 600 pounds and the event proceeded with a 'rising bar' protocol in 25-pound increments. Each competitor had seventy-five seconds to complete one repetition, and a missed lift meant the end of the event for the athlete. The field was quickly reduced to St. Clair, Philippi, Savoie, Shaw, and Paulin, with only Shaw capable of a 725-pound pull, and with power to spare. Unfortunately, Dan Ford suffered a partial tear of his left biceps rather early in the event and had to withdraw from the rest of the competition.

At the start of the eighth and last event of the contest, the Power Medley, only three and one-half points separated the triad at the top: Savoie with 69.5, Shaw with 71, and Paulin with 72. The event consisted of three parts: a 790-pound Super Yoke for 50 feet, four flips of a 950-pound tire, and a 600-pound marine chain drag for 50 feet, all with a ninety-second time limit.

Proceeding two at a time, with Shaw and Paulin paired up last, it came right down to the wire, much as the Canadian's did two weeks prior. The efforts from all the athletes was so monumental that several collapsed during the Chain Drag, utterly spent. After Savoie became the first to complete the course, Shaw and Paulin's heat had 8,000 people on their feet, with Shaw besting Paulin, but both beating Savoie's time!

The result was a points tie for first place, but Paulin would be declared the winner based on his greater number of event first place finishes.

All-in-all, a truly world-class event!"

Here are the final places and points:

1. Jessen Paulin 83
2. Brian Shaw 83
3. Christian Savoie 79.5
4. Mark Philippi 62
5. Jean-Francois Caron 56.5
6. Corey St. Clair 55
7. Dan Ford 50
8. Matt Parkes 50
9. Odd Haugen 36
10. Grant Higa 29
11. John Dungey 21

Many thanks to Sam Dube for his outstanding coverage of the 2007 North America's Strongest Man contest.