Russia EXPO hosts strongman festival (PHOTO)

Athletes showcased their abilities in five disciplines, including an extreme sports favorite – a car deadlift

Strongmen from a dozen Russian regions flocked to the All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKh) in Moscow on Friday to take part in this year’s Eurasian Games strength sports festival. The one-day event took place at the international exhibition and forum Russia EXPO, at the Sports Russia site.

Athletes competed in five disciplines: lifting Apollo’s Axle – a special powerlifting contraption made from a set of railway car wheels connected by a thick bar; a relay race with bags and tires weighing more than 100kg; carrying a 380kg balance-beam, as well as stone-lifting and a car deadlift. Numerous photos taken at the venue showed the strongmen, many of whom are acclaimed power-lifting champions, successfully tackling the challenges.

Dmitry Skosyrsky from Omsk, who won the title of Russia’s strongest man by becoming a three-time champion of the Siberian Power Show in 2023, confirmed his status and took first place at the games. Second place was taken by famous Russian strongman from Belgorod, David Shamey, and third place went to Alexander Klokov from Lipetsk.

This is the first time the festival has been held in the Russian capital. Previously the games took place in the city of Sevastopol. The festival was organized by the pan-Russian group ‘The Strongest Nation in the World’. According to its president, Mikhail Paller, the choice to move the festival to Moscow was intentional.

”We brought this wonderful power show to Russia EXPO because this is the country’s central exhibition platform. Athletes participating in the competition came from all over the country. These are the strongest people in Russia and the world, many of them have international titles,” he stated.