ALBERTON – Grant Connors made his return to the Prince County Exhibition’s strongest man in P.E.I. competition a triumphant one.
The Kentville, N.S., resident picked up where he left off seven years ago – the last time he competed in Alberton – by winning the 2018 competition Thursday night.
He put the exclamation point on his win in the fourth of the five events, managing a 700-pound lift in the axle deadlift. He was the only competitor to hit that mark. That followed a fourth-place finish in the overhead press medley. He was first after three events with 11 points, but three competitors were right on his heels with 10 points each.
“I knew the press would be tough,” he acknowledged. “I said if I can be in first place after the press, I knew I could win the last two events.”
After nailing the deadlift, Connors tossed a 310-pound atlas stone over a bar just enough times in the final event to assure himself the win. He had already done the math.
Connors, a perennial Atlantic Canada’s strongest man champion who finished the five-person competition with 21 points, had praise for second-place finisher Mitch Kinch.
The Tyne Valley resident finished three points back of the winner, but had him in his sights the whole way.
“Mitch has come a long way,” said Connors, predicting he will be the lifter to beat at next year’s Atlantics.
Two perennial competitors, Jordan Profit and six-time defending champion Alex Wallace, served as timers this year as both are nursing torn bicep muscles.
Kinch had three seconds and two third-place finishes on the night. Elmsdale’s Mitch Illsey, who started the event with a fifth-place finish in the farmers walk, rebounded to win the tire flip, before stringing together a second-place finish in the press medley and third-place finishes in the deadlift and atlas stone.
Events
Prince County Exhibition’s strongest
man in P.E.I. competition events:
Farmers Walk – carry two 250-pound weights 50 feet, and return with two 300-pound weights.
Tire flip – most flips of an 800-pound tire in 75 seconds.
Press medley – overhead press of three keys and an axle.
Axle deadlift – weights added after each successful lift.
Atlas stone – most tosses over a bar.
Prince County Exhibition’s strongest man in P.E.I. competition standings (points):
Grant Connors 21
Mitch Kinch 18
Mitch Illsley 16
Dillon Fraser 13.5
George Kinch 6.5
