Another weekend, another World’s Ultimate Strongman event with a record on the line. This time, Rob Kearney went after his own American log lift record. The man with the colorful mohawk, who calls himself “The World’s Strongest Gay” is quickly rising to the top of the food chain in the Strongman world. What he lacks in size, he makes up in hard work and of course, strength.
Heading into the attempt Rob was also the reigning American log lift record holder, as he took the American log lift record from another Rob-Robert Oberst. Kearney beat Oberst’s record back at the 2019 log lift championship when the world was a much simpler place and live events filled with thousands of supporting fans were a normal thing.
Kearney often uses a split-jerk technique when doing the log lift, which isn’t something often seen in Strongman. I’m guessing guys don’t like using it because it doesn’t look as “cool” as it does pressing with both feet standing in a straight line. However, I could be totally wrong…maybe Rob just likes the feel of the technique and other guys don’t. Anyways, Rob’s log lift has been his strong point for years now and he made that perfectly clear last year when he broke the American record and again today when he broke his own record.
Due to travel bans, lockdowns, and other annoying restrictions still in place, this record attempt was contested in Rob’s home gym. Much like all the other WUS record attempts were and will be contested. You don’t have to like it, but it is what it is. A series of unfortunate and very bizarre events lead us all here and now we have to watch mainstream sports without fans and Strongmen attempting records from comforts of their homes.
Being the current record holder, Kearney was riding a wave of confidence and had zero issues with the press. The record attempt was, once again, judged via skype by the strict standards of world log lift record holder and Strongman legend, Zydrunas Savickas.
Kearney made the 216kg lift look very easy, and even the strictest standards of Zydrunas Savickas’ skype eyes couldn’t disrupt Rob Kearney from beating his own record.
