Brian Schoonveld won Jim Davis's much awaited American Showdown strongman competition today at Harrah's, in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Schoonveld ended the day with 71 points. Second place was Phil Pfister, 67-1/2 points, third was Whit Baskin, 67 points, fourth was John Perry, 64 points, and fifth was Odd Haugen, 61-1/2 points. Coming into this contest, in addition to the prestige and prize money associated with the event, was the added lure of WSM invitations being offered to the top three finishers.

Although TWI has the final authority regarding WSM invitations, IFSA's Douglas Edmunds, Ph.D. has stood by his statement first issued early this year, that this event would serve as the official US qualifier for the WSM show, and that the top three competitors would be invited, and since Pfister already has been invited, it would appear that Perry should be invited, along with Schoonveld and Baskin. The competition was refereed by Hugo Girard and four-time WSM winner Magnus Ver Magnusson, who said, "It was a tough contest."