WSM 1998 Expectations & Speculations 
 
20.Sep, Sami 
I was so sure that powerlifts would play a bigger role in Morocco than in GP-competitions earlier this year. But here's something ... partly a rumour and partly an educated guess: 
Events for the final are ???  
Farmer's walk (time?) 
Truck pull (rope?) 
Log lift (for max weight this time?)  
Power stairs (time) 
Husafel stone (distance) 
Car rolling (time) 
Cask circle (angle) 
Medley (time)
-> no max back or leg strength event 
If this is true, we don't get to see Badenhorst, Ahola and Karlsen deadlift against each other. I had been waiting to see it for... quite a time actually. 

But anyway, for me this already makes a lot clearer who have any chances to win this year!
 

21.Sep, Svend Karlsen 

(Now that you're not going, who you really think is going to win?)
Magnus Samuelsson
  

22.Sep, Jarkko Hyvärinen 

(Translation)
It's a shame that Svend can't go to WSM. Soon half of the competitors there will be (fat) Americans out of shape.

Svend's virus has affected also something else than equilibrium: supposedly some swedish guy is going to win.
  

22.Sep, Chris 

... Anyways, if the events in the finals are those above or similar then it will be Jouko again because he not only has strength and endurance but great speed and like I have said before he's the total package. I think that if there are just more raw strength events like deadlift & overhead lift/press, squat etc. well then it would come down to guys like Kiri (my personal choice for this year), Ahola, Badenhorst and I would of said Karlsen but since he's not going :(

I must say though that some of the newer guys like Bergmanis, Philippi and Boyer should not be forgotten. My wildcard pick: Samuelsson. Why wildcard? I'll tell you. Magnus Samuelsson does very well in speed events, pretty good in most other events but really sucks at the strength events - ha!

Overall I'd say you can expect everything and nothing from all the competitors but it's the one who has the mental edge that will win.

(Sami: These events do not favour Jouko actually. There's no farmer's walk for distance, stones, hercules hold, crucifix, deadlift, in which he can't be beaten right now. He would have also liked car walk, wheel barrow and loading. Power stairs and conan's wheel are the only real good events for him there. So I must say even Magnus has got his chances - the only event bad for him is log press for max weight. Svend could have won that, now ... Bergmanis?

Gerrit would be my "wildcard pick"!)
  

30.Sep, Bill Henderson 

From the events listed here, it seems to be a contest that will heavily favor a guy like Magnus Samuelsson who can dominate in overall fitness events. He showed that in last years final, and only really did poorly in the max weight events (he got destroyed in the Deadlift and Squat)... so I think he will be the one to give Ahola a run for the title. I think Ahola will manage to win though... my top three: Ahola, Samuelsson, Kiri.
  

2.Oct, Sami (7/10) 

My guess for heat winners:
1-Kiri, 2-Rasmussen, 3-Virtanen, 4-Zijlstra, 5-Ollesch, 6-Samuelsson, 7-Philippi, 8-Badenhorst, 9-Fekete, 10-Ahola
  

3.Oct, Bill (7/10) 

My predictions are similar to yours... i would pick:

Kiri, Rasmussen (possibly Bradley), Virtanen, Zijlstra, Samuelsson, Philippi, Badenhorst, Veneberg, Ahola, and i don't know who from Ollesch's heat...
  

3.Oct, Chris (9/10) 

Now about those speculations Sami,
I mostly agree with your choices for the heat winners with a few exceptions so here are my choices: 1-Kiri, 2-Rasmussen, 3-Olafsson, 4-Boyer, 5-de Bruyn, 6-Samuelsson, 7-Philippi, 8-Badenhorst, 9-Veneberg, 10-Ahola.

And from that I think, if no injuries (yeah right), the top finishers will be Ahola, Badenhorst, Kiri, and Samuelsson. Also instead of a two horse race like last year the top 4 spots will be up for grabs in a much more closer race this year.