The 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition took place from April 19-23, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In hopes of determining this year’s greatest Strongman, the organizers summoned 30 athletes who had proven themselves the most in the past season. These athletes were divided into five groups of six for qualifiers, which lasted for two days. After completing six events, the best two athletes from each group went on to the finals. In the finals, the ten athletes completed another ten events and Mitchell Hooper proved to be the best out of the bunch. So, Hooper earned the prestigious title of 2023 World’s Strongest Man.
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There was never any doubt that Mitchell Hooper could become the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, having put up very consistent performances in both the qualifying and the finals. He faced some fierce pressure from Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov, as only one point separated the top three after day one of the finals. So, day two of the finals was crucial.
However, Mitchell Hooper entered the second day of the finals even better than the first one, winning two out of three events and solidifying his place at the top. He then went to perform the Atlas Stones and easily sealed the deal.
Mitchell Hooper 2023 WSM Finals Performances
Qualifying
- Loading Race: 5 in 42.05 s (First-Place)
- Deadlift Machine: 8 reps (First-Place)
- Log Ladder: 5 in 39.51 s (First-Place)
- Conan’s Wheel: 636 ° (First-Place)
- Kettlebell Toss: 6 in 17.18 s (Second-Place)
Finals
- Reign Shield Carry: 64.8 m (First-Place)
- Knaack Deadlift: 8 reps (First-Place)
- Fingal’s Fingers: 5 in 49.89 s (Sixth-Place)
- Max Dumbbell: 140 kg (Tied-First)
- Bus Pull: 30.24 s (First-Place)
- Atlas Stones: 5 in 36.96 s (Second-Place)
Mitchell Hooper had an unbelievable performance throughout the entire competition. He first won four out of the five events in the qualifiers, placing second in the fifth event as well. He then moved on to the finals and met up with the best performers from other groups as well. In the finals, Hooper managed to win another four events, more than anyone expected. So, it is evident that no one was more deserving of this title than Mitchell Hooper.
It is crazy to think how this was just the second appearance at the World’s Strongest Man competition for Mitchell Hooper. Moreover, his professional Strongman debut came in late may of 2022, when Hooper placed eight at the 2022 WSM. So, he has not even spent a year in the sport, but has already claimed the biggest title in the sport.
In the 11 months that Mitchell Hooper has been competing, he already took part in 10 International competitions and won five of them.
Mitchell Hoopers International Victories
Related: Brian Shaw Reveals How He Almost Lost His Leg In Preparation For 2023 World’s Strongest Man
Mitchell Hooper looks like the next man in line to reach the heights of Zydrunas Savickas and Brian Shaw, especially due to his consistency in every event. While we will learn soon whether he has the desire to do so, he has already made history by becoming the first Canadian to win the World’s Strongest Man competition.
Full WSM 2023 Coverage
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