That means four-time World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw will not appear at the Arnold Classic for the first time since 2009. In an Instagram post, Shaw, who came in second, said he was proud of how he performed and that “Big things are coming in 2020.”
For a while, it looked like Maxime Boudreault was going to take the gold at Venice Beach after he won the first three events. But after struggling in the deadlift and sandbag toss, Licis and Shaw were able to catch up to him, and the Canadian captured the bronze.
In Santa Monica, Taylor once again inspired the crowd by lifting an Atlas stone over a bar. Arnold and the crowd loudly applauded him for his feat of strength.
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Dead(lift) in Their Tracks
Estonian Rauno Heinla is a mainstay in the deadlift at Arnold Strongman competitions — at the 2019 Arnold Sports Festival Brazil, he deadlifted 880 pounds for 14 reps. He’s also the reigning World’s Ultimate Deadlift champion, lifting 450 kg (992 pounds) in October.
In Santa Monica, he managed to lift 775 pounds 9 times in 60 seconds to win the deadlift portion of the contest.
Actor, Dungeon & Dragons fanatic, and Sofia Vergara’s husband, Joe Manganiello, was on hand to catch all the action. The former Muscle & Fitness cover model also brought his dog, Bubbles, to the boardwalk to take in the competition along with Arnold and Vergara.
A portion of the competition’s revenue will go to support the Ventura County Fire Widows & Orphans Fund, the Santa Monica Firefighters Relief fund, and the CalFire Benevolent Foundation, all of which support California firefighters and their families. The Arnold Sports Festival also announced that money would go to the relief effort in Australia, which is experiencing unprecedented wildfires throughout the country that have killed hundreds of millions of animals and displaced thousands.
There was also a World’s Strongest Firefighter competition, with first responders from around the country showing off their strength for the crowd.
