The past two years in Strongman were defined by just a few names, the most notable being Tom Stoltman. The Scottish athlete was crowned as the World’s Strongest Man in both 2021 and 2022, joining the elite club of those who have managed to defend their title. In addition, Tom Stoltman was aiming to win his third consecutive title at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest, which took place on April 19-23, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This would make him the first athlete with three wins in a row since Magnús Ver Magnússon achieved the same in 1991. However, Tom came just short of the title this year, having to satisfy himself with a second-place finish.
Tom Stoltman was fired up going into the finals of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, as the scheduled events looked great for him. So, finishing day one of the finals, which featured the Shield Carry, Deadlift, and Fingal’s Fingers, Tom sat in second place, just one point behind Mitchell Hooper. This seemed like a perfect situation for Tom Stoltman, since the second day of the finals was supposed to feature the events which are in his favor.
The second day of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals started with the Max Dumbbell event. This was the worst out of the three events for Tom, but he still had some hope. Mitchell Hooper, his rival, has previously displayed quite poor performances in this event. Therefore, it was expected that Tom would place higher than him this time around. However, in a shocking and amazing display, Hooper tied for first place in the event, while Tom got stuck in a four-man tie for third place. Due to this, Hooper extended the lead to 4 points.
Tom Stoltman still had hope, as the second event was the Bus Pull, which usually suits the bigger guys like Tom better than those of Hooper’s build. In turn, Tom performed extremely well, beating six of the athletes with two more yet to come. However, in an unbelievable turn of events, Evan Singleton clocked the exact same time of 32.27 seconds and Tom once again had to share points. In addition, Hooper once again surprised everyone and won his fourth event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals.
The final event was the Atlas Stones, Tom Stolmans’s dearest event. However, even though everyone knew that Tom was going to win, it was almost impossible to catch up on Hopper’s lead of 5.5 points. Hooper also put in a great performance, winning the competition overall as well.
Tom Stoltman’s 2023 World’s Strongest Man Performance
Qualifying
- Loading Race: 5 in 43.84 s (Second-Place)
- Deadlift Machine: 6 reps (Tied-Second)
- Log Ladder: 5 in 41.56 s (First-Place)
- Conan’s Wheel: 598 ° (Sixth-Place)
- Kettlebell Toss: 6 in 21.99 s (Third-Place)
- Stone-Off: 3 stones (Won / Qualified)
Finals
- Reign Shield Carry: 63.15 m (Second-Place)
- Knaack Deadlift: 6 reps (Fifth-Place)
- Fingal’s Fingers: 5 in 39.36 s (First-Place)
- Max Dumbbell: 132 kg (Tied-Third)
- Bus Pull: 32.27 s (Tied-Second)
- Atlas Stones: 5 in 33.26 s (First-Place)
Related: Exclusive: Tom Stoltman Believes He Could Win Six WSM Titles to Become The Winningest Strongman Ever
Despite the fact that Tom Stoltman did not win his third title this year, he is still satisfied with what he has accomplished. This was his fourth podium placement in the final four years, but it is even more special since many people doubted him after the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic.
“I gave everything I had this year! Hitting the big dumbbell was a personal goal for myself and been consistent throughout. I’m very proud.”
Tom Stoltman has previously talked about his goals for the future, which include a 505-kilogram (1,113.3-pound) deadlift, as well as more WSM titles. It’s uncertain what path his career will take in the future, but we hope that losing his WSM title doesn’t have a negative impact on him.
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm