Luke Stoltman reacts to leaked audio on the eve of the World’s Strongest Man
3 min read
Luke Stoltman (Image @luke.stoltman)
One of the biggest events on the strength sports calendar has arrived, and the World’s Strongest Man competition has already heated up.
Strength athlete Mark Boyd sparked outrage on social media after leaking audio from a private conversation with an acquaintance in which he allegedly accused the industry of corruption.
Luke Stoltman, a Scottish strongman competitor, has since responded to the revealing video. He addressed the online backlash ahead of his appearance in the international competition.
Mark Boyd leaks alleged audio of the world’s strongest man’s corruption
Mark Boyd, a strongman contestant from Scotland, took to Instagram on the eve of World’s Strongest Man to allegedly expose the industry and give the impression of corruption.
Boyd posted a one-minute and 20-second audio clip to the social media platform. In that, Scottish strength athlete, Luke Stoltman can be heard discussing competition details.
A specific snippet mentions favorable events. It claims that people aid in the promotion of certain individuals and brands in the strongman space.
The accompanying caption stated that “this is not easy” as a promoter of a sport he adores. That it is “a genuine hope for change and the change that athletes silently want.”
He claims his “hand has been forced” after allegedly approaching “all of those involved” without being “taken seriously”. He refers to the leaked audio as a “catalyst for change.”
The message then included a quote from a statement made by Boyd in September 2021, which explained:
“Raiding athletes to specific shows to then be given bribes, favorable group pickings, and favorable events at one of the top competitions completely delegitimizes titles, is completely unfair to other athletes, and it’s clear that this is not the first time this has happened.”
On competition evening, Luke Stoltman replies
Luke Stoltman is a five-time winner of Scotland’s Strongest Man, Europe’s Strongest Man 2021. The older brother of Tom Stoltman, the current World’s Strongest Man.
Following the leaked audio, which sparked outrage in the comment section, Luke responded via a YouTube video titled “THE TRUTH,” which was posted on the Stoltman Brothers channel on May 24th.
The Scottish strongman competitor begins by explaining that he will keep his response brief. The next day he will compete in the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2022.
Stoltman refers to Mark Boyd as a “so-called friend” before revealing that the private conversation occurred around April 2021. He was persuaded to compete in the World’s Ultimate Strongman event.
In response to the comments made in the audio clip, Luke unequivocally confirms that he, like many other athletes, was on retainer. He claims there was nothing corrupt about this because “that is the system of Giants Live”. They do it “primarily to protect their brand” and “retain the great athletes that they have.”
Where can I watch the world’s strongest man?
The World’s Strongest Man is an annual international strongman competition that involves strength athletics, a sport that puts competitors’ strength to the test in a variety of ways.
In 2022, the five-day event began on Tuesday, May 24th in Sacramento, California. It will conclude on Sunday, May 29th with the crowning of the champion.
There are no live streams of the competition available online. Fans can track results on the WSM website and keep up with updates on the official Instagram and Twitter accounts.
“Backstage Live! Presented by The Beard Struggle,” a daily live show hosted by former WSM competitor Terry Hollands. It will be available on Facebook and YouTube for recaps, interviews, and more behind-the-scenes information.
Source: HITC
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
