Ukrainian Oleksii Novikov won the title of World Strongest Man in Bradenton, Florida, USA.

Oleksii Novikov, part-time strongman and college student, made his first appearance at the 2019 Tachi Palace World’s Strongest Man. This 23 year old stands 6’1”, weighing 298 lbs. Novikov is the first Ukrainian athlete in WSM since Sergii Romanchuck in 2011. He is seeing a spot in the Final during his strongman debut.

At 24, Novikov from Kiev became the youngest athlete in the world to receive this title. He mastered 537.5 kg (1,188 lb) and set a new record.

Earlier, two months ago, in a fight with Pavel Kordiyaka, Oleksii Novikov lost the title of "The Strongest Ukrainian", which he held for 4 years in a row.

Almost all competitions of the world "strongman" were canceled due to the pandemic, but World Strongest Man 2020 was held, although it was postponed for 6 months.

Oleksii Novikov actively promotes a healthy lifestyle and sports among young people. The athlete also made a great contribution to the formation of a positive image of our country in the international arena. Despite the lack of support and funding from the state, Oleksii continues to work hard and gain victories, glorifying his country.

Coverage of the 2020 championship was broadcasted worldwide to more than 70 different countries and territories, totaling close to 500 million households, including CBS and CBS Sports in the U.S. and Channel 5 in the UK.