Take a general glance over Nick Best’s social media, and also you’ll see a person dedicated to strength. The athlete usually shares videos of himself deadlifting, benching, and squatting. Even after tearing his lat in April 2021, Best has still found a solution to push it with what appears to be every movement under the sun. The athlete now seems able to make his return to strongman competition after nearly two years away.
On July 7, 2022, over Instagram, Best revealed that he received an invite to the 2022 Official Strongman Games (OSG) within the Men’s Master’s 50+ division. It should be his fourth time competing at the competition, which can happen on November 11-13, 2022, in Daytona Beach, FL.
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The 2022 OSG will only mark Best’s return to strongman. The 53-year-old can be a powerlifter, and he recently won the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) FQ Classic 2 within the Men’s Masters 50-54 division.
Got my invite to [2022] Official Strongman Games Masters World’s Strongest Man! … It’s going to be one hell of a battle! Here we go!
Strongman and powerlifting are similar sports on some merits, but strongman contests could be more functional overall fairly than only having a deal with the large three of the squat, bench press, and deadlift. The experienced Best can have to shift a few of his training focus to account for this distinction.
What’s on Deck
On the time of this writing, the Official Strongman Games haven’t released a full roster of the Men’s Master’s competitors for November’s contest. Prior to now, there have often been 10 athletes per division. That said, Best himself revealed a few of the athletes partaking within the Men’s 50+ division in his Instagram caption.
First and maybe foremost, there’s reigning Men’s Masters 50+ Champion Michael Saunders, who’s back to defend his crown. Joining him is Mark Felix, who set a World Record on the Wrecking Ball Hold on the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) when he held the ball up for two:20.49. George Pearson may also appear again, as he looks to enhance upon a tenth place result finally yr’s contest. Last but not least, there’s Chad Coy, who has competed as a strongman in some capability since 1998, based on Strongman Archives.
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The events for the 2022 OSG have also not been announced right now. In the event that they’re anything much like the 2021 edition, the athletes can expect some combination of the Log Lift for Reps, Automotive Walk, Deadlift Medley, Carry and Drag, Bag Toss Medley, and in strongman tradition — the Atlas Stones.
In line with Strength Results, Saunders won last yr’s contest on the strength of victories in 4 of the six events.
To take first place within the Log Lift for Reps, Saunders accomplished eight reps of the 255-pound log. He then carried his 700-pound vehicle 50 feet in 11.13 seconds to win the Automotive Walk. Because the competition closed, he successfully tossed six bags from 30 to 45 kilos in weight in 19.14 seconds within the Bag Toss Medley. Finally, Saunders put an exclamation point on his title by lifting all six Atlas Stones (the ultimate weighing 350 kilos) in 36.83 seconds.
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If anyone can challenge Saunders’ bid for a repeat, it is likely to be Best. Best won the 2016 OSG and got here in fourth place in the course of the 2017 and 2019 editions. He even qualified for the 2020 WSM, competing with some athletes roughly twenty years younger than him.
Given Best’s absence from strongman for a little bit while, it’s unclear what he’ll bring to the table in Daytona Beach. Judging by his training commitments and history, the sector might do well to organize for a robust flourish from the athlete.
Featured image: @nickbeststrongman on Instagram