Graham Hicks
 Hicks at the 2013 World's Strongest Man | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname | Hicksy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 November 1985 Morecambe, Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 150 kg (331 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Strongman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Graham Hicks (born 15 November 1985 in Morecambe, Lancashire)[2] is an English strongman and powerlifter. He won the 2019 Britain's Strongest Man competition and placed second in 2014 and 2018. He is also a two time Europe's Strongest Man bronze medalist.
Personal life
[edit]Graham Hicks was born in 1985 in Morecambe, Lancashire.[2] He was a keen sportsman in his childhood and teens although his main interest was football. He started training in the gym as a bodybuilder and at the age of 25, a friend asked him to try strongman training with him. He caught the strength bug, altered his training to accommodate this, and has since been exceedingly successful.
He has a full-time job working as a design support engineer for BAE Systems, starting as an apprentice.
Strongman career
[edit]Hicks' career as a strongman began in 2010 as an under 105 kg competitor. He came 7th at the 2010 Northern England u105kg Qualifier and third at the 2010 England's Strongest Man u105 contests.
In 2011, he dominated the u105kg scene and made his first foray into the Open weight scene beating people over 20 kg heavier than himself.
In 2012, he committed himself to the Open weight category and made an impressive start to his open career, coming in 4th at the qualifier for Europe's Strongest Man. Whilst this didn't earn him a spot at Europe's, he did get an invitation to Britain's Strongest Man where placed 4th. This placing gave him an invitation to the ultimate strength competition, World's Strongest Man, held in LA. He managed a respectable 4th place in his group and even won his first event, the loading race.
His key strength has been his pressing power. He was the first person in the UK to lift a 200 kg log and has since gone on to press a 211 kg log in World Log Lifting Championships in 2015 along with Eddie Hall. Hicks and Hall both held the British Log Lift record at 211 kg. Hicks also attempted 220 kg but failed.[3]
In September 2020, Hicks competed at the 2020 Europe's Strongest Man competition and achieved a new British record in the Log Lift, lifting 220 kg (490 lb). He placed 4th in the overall competition.[4] In November 2020, Hicks competed at the 2020 World's Strongest Man competition and qualified for his first final. However, he had to withdraw from the competition due to a bicep tear.[5]
In September 2021, Hicks placed 3rd at the 2021 Europe's Strongest Man competition.[6] This also earned him an invite to the 2022 World's Strongest Man competition. However, he declined his invitation, as he was not permitted to travel to the United States from the United Kingdom due to his COVID-19 vaccination status.[7]
Hicks returned to the WSM competition in 2023, but did not make the final.[8]
In 2023 after winning the World Deadlift Championships with 470 kg in Cardiff. Graham has since started training solely to beat the 501 kg Deadlift World Record set by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
Personal Records
[edit]Either done in official competition or in the gym
- Deadlift (Equipped & with figure 8 straps) – 470 kg (1,036 lb) - 2023 World Deadlift Championships
- Deadlift (Raw) – 405 kg (893 lb) - 2018 Andy Bolton Deadlift Challenge
- Squat (Raw with Wraps) – 440 kg (970 lb) - 2019 Big Dogs 4
- Bench Press (Raw) – 270 kg (595 lb) - 2019 Big Dogs 4
- Log press – 220 kg (485 lb) - 2020 Europe's Strongest Man[4]
- Log press (with SCL giant log) – 207 kg (456 lb) - 2017 SCL Fibo (World Record)
- Max Atlas stone – 193 kg (425 lb) as a part of a 4 stone run (2021 Shaw Classic)
References
[edit]- ^ "Graham Hicks". World's Strongest Man. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Graham Hicks Strongman - Home". Grahamhicks.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ "World Log Lifting Championships 2015". Strongman.org. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ a b "The Future Is NOW! Europe's Strongest Man 2020 RESULTS". Giants Live. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Gutman, Andrew (15 November 2020). "Novikov Secures 2020 World's Strongest Man Victory (Updated)". BarBend. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Lockridge, Roger (5 September 2021). "Luke Stoltman Takes the Title — 2021 Europe's Strongest Man Recap". BarBend. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ Blechman, Phil (30 March 2022). "Notable Strongmen Who Declined Their 2022 World's Strongest Man Invitations". BarBend. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ "Strongman Archives - 2023 WSM Group 3". strongmanarchives.com. Retrieved 17 July 2023.