World's Strongest Man 1997 

U.S. Strongman Final 

Chris
 
Event 1: Log Lift 
1-Harold Collins (335lbs) 10 pts. 
2-Tommy Ingalsbe (321) 9 pts. 
3-Ken Brown (305) 7.5 pts. 
3-Mark Phillipi (305) 7.5 pts. 
5-Gary Mitchell (285) 4.5 pts. 
5-James Voronin (285) 4.5 pts. 
5-Phil Martin (285) 4.5 pts. 
5-Kevin Toth (285) 4.5 pts. 
 Event 2: Showgirl Lift 
1-Mark Phillipi (955lbs) 10 pts. 
2-Harold Collins (910) 9 pts. 
3-Ken Brown (860) 7.5 pts. 
3-James Voronin (860) 7.5 pts. 
5-Phil Martin (770) 5.5 pts. 
5-Gary Mitchell (770) 5.5 pts. 
7-Tommy Ingalsbe (655) 4 pts. 
8-Kevin Toth (610) 3 pts.
Note #1: Harold "Iron Bear" Collins strained his back and abdominal muscles here and Gary Mitchell was also injured in this event tearing a bicep. 

Note # 2: Espn is very inconsistent with their numbers, showing Voronin, Martin, and Toth failing at 285lbs but placing them tied for fifth place along with Gary Mitchell. True they could have made the lift on 2nd attempt but they did not show it or even mention it. So there it is - manipulated rankings. How the hell can anybody respect anything as far as placements if all the times/scores are always in question.

 
After 2 events: 
1-Harold Collins 19 points 
2-Mark Phillipi 17.5 pts. 
3-Ken Brown 15 pts. 
4-Tommy Ingalsbe 13 pts. 

Event 3: Hanging Plunge 

1-Tommy Ingalsbe (1:42:34) 10 pts.
2-Mark Phillipi (1:35.43) 9 pts.
3-Kevin Toth (1:34.39) 8 pts.
4-Harold Collins (1:22.99) 7 pts.
5-Ken Brown (1:17.61) 6 pts.
6-James Voronin (1:17.04) 5 pts.
7-Phil Martin (1:08.00) 4 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell (1:07.95) 3 pts.

Event 4: Wall Toss

1-Mark Phillipi (22'8) 10 pts.
2-Harold Collins (22'8) 9 pts.
3-Gary Mitchell (20'10) 8 pts.
4-Kevin Toth (19'11) 6.5 pts.
4-James Voronin (19'11) 6.5 pts.
6-Phil Martin (19'0) 4.5 pts.
6-Ken Brown (19'0) 4.5 pts.
8-Tommy Ingalsbe (18'1) 3 pts.
5-James Voronin 12 pts.
6-Phil Martin 10 pts.
6-Gary Mitchell 10 pts.
8-Kevin Toth 7.5 pts.

After 3 events:

1-Mark Phillipi 26.5 pts.
2-Harold Collins 26 pts.
3-Tommy Ingalsbe 23 pts.
4-Ken Brown 21 pts.
5-James Voronin 17 pts.
6-Kevin Toth 15.5 pts.
7-Phil Martin 14 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell 13 pts.

After 4 events:

1-Mark Phillipi 36.5 pts.
2-Harold Collins 35 pts.
3-Tommy Ingalsbe 26 pts. 
4-Ken Brown 25.5 pts. 
5-James Voronin 23 pts. 
6-Kevin Toth 22.5 pts. 
7-Gary Mitchell 21 pts. 
8-Phil Martin 18.5 pts.
Note: Collins failed at 23' so Phillipi took first place having less attempts/failures.


 
Event 5: Flintstone Lift 
1-Mark Phillipi (800lbs) 10 pts.
2-Ken Brown (750) 8.5 pts.
2-Harold Collins (750) 8.5 pts.
4-James Voronin (700) 6.5 pts.
4-Gary Mitchell (700) 6.5 pts.
6-Tommy Ingalsbe (600) 4.5 pts.
6-Phil Martin (600) 4.5 pts.
8-Kevin Toth (500?) 3 pts.

Event 6: Ironbar Bend

1-James Voronin 10 pts.
2-Phil Martin 8.5 pts.
2-Mark Phillipi 8.5 pts.
4-Harold Collins 6.5 pts.
4-Ken Brown 6.5 pts.
6-Tommy Ingalsbe 5 pts.
7-Gary Mitchell 4 pts.
8-Kevin Toth 3 pts.

Event 7: Farmers Walk

1-Tommy Ingalsbe (:19.53) 10 pts.
2-Mark Phillipi (:26.30) 9 pts.
3-Ken Brown (:28.91) 8 pts.
4-Phil Martin (:34.23) 7 pts.
5-Harold Collins (2:04.60) 6 pts.
6-Gary Mitchell (159'4") 5 pts.
7-James Voronin (120'1") 4 pts.
8-Kevin Toth (85'2") 3 pts.

Event 8: Bus Pull

1-Phil Martin (:35.63) 10 pts.
2-Mark Phillipi (:35.98) 9 pts.
3-Harold Collins (:36.00) 8 pts.
4-Kevin Toth (:37.12) 7 pts.
5-Tommy Ingalsbe (:38.46) 6 pts.
6-Gary Mitchell (:39.11) 5 pts.
7-James Voronin (:39.59) 4 pts.
8-Ken Brown (:43.59) 3 pts.

Event 9: Tire Toss

1-Kevin Toth (43' 3H ") 10 pts.
2-Phil Martin (42'11") 9 pts.
3-Mark Phillipi (38'1") 8 pts.
4-Ken Brown (35'1") 7 pts.
5-Tommy Ingalsbe (33' 41 ") 6 pts.
6-Gary Mitchell (30'7") 5 pts.
7-James Voronin (29' 93 ") 4 pts.
8-Harold Collins (29'4") 3 pts.
 After 5 events: 
1-Mark Phillipi 46.5 pts. 
2-Harold Collins 43.5 pts. 
3-Ken Brown 34 pts.
4-Tommy Ingalsbe 30.5 pts. 
5-James Voronin 29.5 pts. 
6-Gary Mitchell 27.5 pts.
7-Kevin Toth 25.5 pts.
8-Phil Martin 23 pts.

After 6 events:

1-Mark Phillipi 55 pts. 
2-Harold Collins 50 pts. 
3-Ken Brown 40.5 pts. 
4-James Voronin 39.5 pts. 
5-Tommy Ingalsbe 35.5 pts. 
6-Gary Mitchell 31.5 pts.
6-Phil Martin 31.5 pts. 
8-Kevin Toth 28.5 pts.

After 7 events:

1-Mark Phillipi 64 pts.
2-Harold Collins 56 pts.
3-Ken Brown 48.5 pts.
4-Tommy Ingalsbe 45.5 pts.
5-James Voronin 43.5 pts.
6-Phil Martin 38.5 pts.
7-Gary Mitchell 36.5 pts.
8-Kevin Toth 31.5 pts.

After 8 events:

1-Mark Phillipi 73 pts.
2-Harold Collins 64 pts.
3-Ken Brown 51.5 pts.
3-Tommy Ingalsbe 51.5 pts.
5-Phil Martin 48.5 pts.
6-James Voronin 47.5 pts.
7-Gary Mitchell 41.5 pts. 
8-Kevin Toth 38.5 pts.

After 9 events: 

1-Mark Phillipi 81 pts.
2-Harold Collins 67 pts.
3-Ken Brown 58.5 pts.
4-Tommy Ingalsbe 57.5 pts. 
4-Phil Martin 57.5 pts.
6-James Voronin 51.4 pts.
7-Kevin Toth 48.5 pts. 
8-Gary Mitchell 46.5 pts.
Note: Gary Mitchell pulls out after the 9th event because of the injury in the log lift where he tore his right bicep. 
 
Event 10: Barrel Load 
1-Mark Phillipi (:41.85) 10 pts.
2-Kevin Toth (:50.05) 9 pts.
3-Phil Martin (:50.81) 8 pts.
4-Ken Brown (:57.68) 7 pts.
5-Tommy Ingalsbe (1:00.31) 6 pts.
6-Harold Collins (1:08.55) 5 pts.
7-James Voronin (1:24.57) 4 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell (injured) 0 pts.

Event 11: Limo Pull

1-Tommy Ingalsbe (:44.72) 10 pts.
2-Phil Martin (:44.98) 9 pts.
3-Mark Phillipi (:52.98) 8 pts.
4-Harold Collins (98'11") 7 pts.
5-Ken Brown (94' 5 1 ") 6 pts.
6-James Voronin (82' 4 1 ") 5 pts
7-Kevin Toth (80' 9 1 ") 4 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell (injured) 0 pts.
 After 10 events: 
1-Mark Phillipi 91 pts.
2-Harold Collins 72 pts.
3-Ken Brown 65.5 pts. 
3-Phil Martin 65.5 pts.
5-Tommy Ingalsbe 63.5 pts.
6-Kevin Toth 57.5 pts.
7-James Voronin 55.5 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell 46.5 pts.

After 11 events:

1-Mark Phillipi 99 pts.
2-Harold Collins 79 pts.
3-Phil Martin 74.5 pts.
4-Tommy Ingalsbe 73.5 pts.
5-Ken Brown 71.5 pts.
6-Kevin Toth 61.5 pts.
7-James Voronin 60.5 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell 46.5 pts.
Okay Sami you just know I have to add my two cents worth and well I just don't like the fact that in the bus pull and limo pull they were pulling downhill as opposed to in the International Heats and World Finals when the competitors were pulling uphill. It wasn't a real big difference but it should have been the same for all the competitors. If the Americans keep getting treated like babies how can they ever rise to the level of the International competitors, and let's be honest here they just aren't there right now. And I know this sounds bad coming from an American but if the truth be told well I'd rather see the American guys lose the hard (honest) way than get carried part of the way. There were many others who were also quick to point this out when I spoke to them during the heats and finals so I'm not the only one who feels this way. And if anyone doesn't like it well then they are fooling themselves.
 

Event 12: Sumo Challenge 
1-Tommy Ingalsbe 10 pts.
2-Mark Phillipi 9 pts.
3-Ken Brown 8 pts.
4-Harold Collins 6.5 pts.
4-Kevin Toth 6.5 pts.
6-Phil Martin 5 pts.
7-James Voronin 4 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell (injured) 0 pts.
 FINAL STANDINGS:
 
1-MARK PHILLIPI 108 PTS.
2-HAROLD COLLINS 85.5 PTS.
3-Tommy Ingalsbe 83.5 pts.
4-Ken Brown 79.5 pts.
4-Phil Martin 79.5 pts.
6-Kevin Toth 68 pts.
7-James Voronin 64.5 pts.
8-Gary Mitchell 46.5 pts.
Note: A friend, who was there for the US finals, told me that all the guys were refusing to do the sumo challenge because they did not want to wear the "traditional" sumo outfit and it took them awhile before they could be convinced to wear it. They were told if they did not wear it then they were out of the competition- from what I heard every one of them almost walked. That would have been very interesting don't you think? I mean then they would have had to go out and find any old bums as quick replacements.
Subject: correction
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 00:51:29 -0000
From: James Voronin

Sami: Just a quick note on your page: its awesome! Also, a correction on the USSM '97 contest. The uniforms had nothing to do with the trouble of the sumo challenge. The controversy was that first, since a lot of us were getting along and learning since we were first timers basically, some of the guys didn't want tempers to flare. Second, there was the fact that it was not viewed as a strength event. Finally, some guys with pulls, injuries and previous surgeries didn't want any new damages to pop up and put them out of future contests-again favoring a true strength measurement. Just thought it should go on record. 
Love the web page.  Best wishes, Jim Voronin

Note #2: The first two competitors advance to World Final.