After the first three days of competition in Anaheim, CA, we finally have some preliminary results from our source. The results are far from complete, but communication is limited (I know they're not in Timbuktu, but work with me here). Here are some very unofficial preliminary results and highlights:
Heat 1: Defending champ Phil Pfister is in the lead going into the final day of preliminary action with Estonian giant, Tarmo Mitt trailing. Rumor has it that Pfister is having some serious back problems and is doing just enough to secure a spot in the finals.
Heat 2: American, Don Pope leads the field of five with Sebastian Wenta of Poland nipping at his heels. Friend of ChasingKaz, Karl Gillingham is currently last in the heat, but is looking forward to the keg press and stones tomorrow to be his showcase events.
Heat 3: Mark Felix of Grenada is currently pacing the bracket with Kevin Nee and Jarek Dymek closely behind. According to witnesses, all five men in this heat absolutely destroyed the deadlift, and to prove his dominance, Mark Felix pulled two or three extra reps after the final barrel had dropped in record time. Dymek also twisted an ankle in the first event of the contest on Saturday, but is soldiering on.
Heat 4: Mariusz is putting on the show of a lifetime and is coming into this contest looking huge. He's dominated every event thus far, even putting up a ridiculous score of 18 reps on the log. With the battle being for 2nd place, Brit newcomer, Jimmy Marku is leading the way with Boris Haraldsson, Dave Ostlund, and Janne Virtanen too close for comfort. With the last two events set to decide who transfers over to the final, one can only guess who will be competing next week.
Heat 5: Not much is known about this heat. Terry Hollands is leading. Fellow Midwesterner, Jason Bergmann is holding his own, but not much of a threat to pass to the finals.
Again, these are based on a very limited conversation I had with an observer, and it is all from memory. Don't sue me if they're wrong. One thing that was evident, though, is that the equipment seemed to pose almost no challenge to most of the competitors. The field has gotten much stronger, and an increase in weight for next year won't be a surprise.
Posted by Ben Hanson at 10:29 PM