Tag: 2023 world’s strongest man
Brian Shaw Breaks Silence After His Final Appearance at 2023 World’s Strongest Man
Legendary Strongman Brian Shaw is widely considered to be one of the greatest strength athletes of all time. The four-time World’s Strongest Man recorded some insane lifts over the year, breaking multiple records and becoming an inspiration for many people. He was last seen in action at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, which took place on April 19-23, in South Carolina. It did not go as well as he hoped, but in a recent video posted on YouTube, Shaw shared his thoughts on his final appearance at the competition.
Brian Shaw grew up playing basketball in his younger years and found a passion for lifting heavy weights while training to succeed in one of the most famous ball sports in the World. He kicked off his professional career as a Strongman at the Denver Strongest Man show in 2005. His WSM debut, however, came in 2008, while he also managed to land the third place on the podium the next year. In 2011, Shaw won the coveted WSM title and created history by becoming the first athlete to win both the WSM and the Arnold Strongman Classic in the same year. He repeated the feat by winning both titles in 2015 as well.
Brian Shaw (Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man)
Shaw launched the inaugural Shaw Classic competition and scored gold in December 2020. He then started working on improving his training facilities and gave the fans a look into his massive new gym in July of last year. The equipment was modified to hold more weight and allow him and other contenders to fit in them. Then, he showed off his crazy strength by leg-pressing a 2,000-lb car in preparation for the 2022 Shaw Classic.
Brian Shaw also experimented with his eating process and switched out his usual diet to try a vegan one last September. Shaw wolfed down 9,000 calories from vegan food for a single day. He admitted he could never replace red meat from his diet and reported feeling uneasy due to the sudden change. A few weeks later, Shaw opened up about his reasons for not attempting a 500-kg (1,102.3-lb) deadlift at the height of his powers.
Speaking of Brian Shaw’s diet, the Trifecta CEO Greg Connolly spilled the beans on what it takes to feed the giant athlete. Connolly revealed it cost his firm over $60,000 per year to fuel Shaw.
Shaw teamed up with fellow icon Eddie Hall for a brutal shoulder workout last November. They collaborated again for a comical lower-body training session days later. However, as the start of a new season took place, Brian Shaw announced his plans to move on from elite competitions. He revealed the 2023 WSM would mark his last appearance at the competition. As for his final showing, Shaw will step away after participating in the upcoming 2023 Shaw Classic.
During the build-up to the contest, Shaw laid out how he nearly lost his leg after picking up an injury a few months ago. Fortunately, he was able to recover and get on track for the event. He detailed his battle with leg cellulitis that affected his ability to do basic tasks.
He completed his final appearance at the 2023 WSM, where he turned in a sensational performance at the stone-off and finished seventh overall.
Brian Shaw breaks silence on last appearance at 2023 World’s Strongest Man
In a recent YouTube video, Brian Shaw shared his thoughts on his final appearance at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. He started by praising the other contenders before breaking down his performance.
“First and foremost I want to congratulate the guys that were at the top. Mitchell Hooper on winning, Tom Stoltman on second, and Oleksii Novikov on third,” said Shaw. “They performed very well and deserve to be up there on that podium. I know there were some questions about my leg, we put out some videos. I want to say my leg was not a factor as far as the competition goes on and really played no role. I did have to overcome that but it was in the rear view mirror by the time we competed so it did not play a role.
“I was ready to go I was dialed in, felt good, got my group definitely a tough group and I feel like all of these groups this year were tough in the qualifiers. I felt like I performed very well. I won two events, tied for first in the deadlift which I was happy about. The loading medley, third place really not that bad. I could’ve improved a couple different things maybe kinda got a couple seconds faster which may have changed one point there. In the end that might have been a big point but I really feel like the event I was disappointed with. The qualifiers was Conan’s Wheel, ended up in fifth place, I was going out last so I knew exactly what I had to do. I was so focused on getting my grip right and getting my feet in the right position and getting my pickup right. I just forgot to take that big breath that you need to take on a Conan’s wheel before you take off and start. I realized that about a quarter of the way into the first turn I just didn’t have much air. I opened myself up to not winning the group with that performance.”
Shaw talks about his historic stone-off & calls for a change in the format
He shared his mindset going into the stone-off battles for landing a spot in the finals. He argued against the current format as it puts those athletes at a disadvantage.
“I wish I could’ve found that extra half a point to win the group because I had to go into a stone off with Ronald. I knew he was one of the guys who you don’t want to get in a stone off situation. He can lift a lot so going into that stone off I had to really tap into a spot mentally and then get into a spot physically that I wanted to save for the final I did not want to tap into that in the qualifiers.”
“It was easy for me but the after effects of being in that stone off were probably more of a death sentence in this World’s Strongest Man competition. Then, I realized at the moment and I have to remember this is the first time that I’ve really been involved in a stone off. I obviously always disagreed with it. I always felt like it put the athletes that had to compete in the stone off at a massive disadvantage, especially if they had to do a big number of reps because your recovery before the final is challenging enough. Even with every effort I tried to put into recovering and being ready to go for the final. I just wasn’t able to recover. In hindsight, that’s really and truly what it kind of came down to for me. My training, the numbers I put up here were very good. I was very confident about walking into WSM and putting on a great show. I felt I was fully capable of winning WSM, especially with the events we had in the final.”
Brian Shaw believes his age may have factored in; analyzes day two
Brian Shaw / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
Brian Shaw believes the age gap with other athletes may have played into his recovery. He also gave his take on the second day of the contest.
“My game plan was to set the tone in the fingers be able to know how many reps I needed to pull in the deadlift and then be able to kind of dictate my distance. Instead of going in that order because of the rain they put the shield carry out first and then we did deadlift and then Fingal fingers so I had to deal with but so did the others.”
“I’m not sure if it was a fatigue factor or just coming out of the gate a little bit quick but I feel I burned up pretty quick and was only able to make it to about 40 meters which I knew was not going to be good enough for a good result in that event. So, I definitely got frustrated with that and tried my best to kind of put that behind me.”
“So finished with four fingers and I knew at that moment that was a big blow to my chances of being toward the top of WSM finishing toward the top. So I just had to kind of take a moment, go out, and sit by myself a little bit, and know the frustration was high. The disappointment was high.”
“Looking back my sleep not as good as it should have been. That was definitely a thing. I was not sleeping well and don’t know if that was the bed, my brain not turning off me not calming down.”
“When I had to do that stone off obviously it hurt me from a recovery standpoint work output standpoint and the simple fact is I am for a lot of these guys that are in the final I’m more than 10 years older than them, some of them closer to 15 years older than them. As much as I hate to say and admit it, it’s probably going to be harder for me to recover in that condensed period.”
“Day two of the finals, I kinda had to regroup. My training results were good in the warm-up. I could definitely tell the dumbbells felt heavier and that’s never something you want to feel. For it to feel heavier than it should, it definitely was an indicator I was tired again you strap it on. You go out, do what you can do, result was not what I wanted.
“Going into the bus pull, I love any type of heavy pull so I was hoping it would be hard heavy and it was definitely was anything but that. There was seven competitors that were separated by less than a second so that’s a massive indicator that it was too light and especially for WSM, it’s not good, it has to be a lot heavier. That was a massive letdown.”
“Going into stones, with this being my last WSM, I wanted to go out and put on a great show, give it everything I had and I did do that. I could tell from the first stone it was just way harder than it should have been far as carrying the stones in getting them loaded. The glutes and hamstrings just were not there.”
Shaw urged for changing refereeing standards
Brian Shaw / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
Brian Shaw called for a stricter standard for the head judge while criticizing the conduct in specific events.
“I truly hope they do in the future make it more of a pure competition. Another thing I wanted to talk about is the refereeing. It has not been at a standard that it should be at. A lot of people have pointed at the max dumbbell. It’s never the athlete’s fault. I think there needs to be a level in strongman and I’m certainly not the one that’s making the choices about who the head referee is. But if I was I’d be taking a hard look at the head referee.”
“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t disappointed with my performance overall. I didn’t perform up to my capabilities but with everything that came with the competition what I had to fight through. I can honestly say that I gave it everything I had its was not for a lack of effort or trying. I think that at the end of the day I can only look at myself. If I say stone off took a lot out of me, I should’ve figured out a way in the qualifier to get another half point so I stayed out of that. I didn’t have to do that so again falls back completely on me. But it’s disappointing to go to WSM with that after the prep I had. I wasn’t able to fully put that on display and show everybody.”
He wasn’t satisfied with his performance and will be gearing up for the Shaw Classic.
“It’s tough to end my career at WSM with that performance but again it’s something that was special in so many different ways.”
“I am moving on. My next and final competition will be the Shaw Classic in Colorado in August. I’m excited about it.”
Bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman reacted to some of Brian Shaw’s craziest lifts in Strongman competitions earlier this week. He was left stunned by Shaw’s unreal strength.
Brian Shaw stands as the fourth-winningest strongman with 26 international competition wins under his belt. He will look to add another accolade when he competes at the Shaw Classic later this year.
You can watch the full video below.
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
Published: 5 May, 2023 | 5:21 PM EDT
‘I Was in Serious Danger’: Mitchell Hooper Breaks Down 2023 World’s Strongest Man Win
Canadian Strongman Mitchell Hooper is coming off a phenomenal win at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition. Hooper’s experience at the show was nothing short of thrilling, with four days of non-stop action that left him on the edge of his seat. In a recent YouTube video, Hooper shared his breakdown of the victory and his performance at the show.
Mitchell Hooper made headlines for his crazy feats of strength after beating legendary Strongman Brian Shaw in the qualifying stage of the 2022 World’s Strongest Man. He followed up with a dominant win at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK, where he defeated 13 other competitors just a few months after the WSM. Then, he made his way to the 2022 Giants Live World Tour and took home the top prize ahead of Aivars Smaukstelis and Kevin Faires.
In November 2022, Hooper set the new World Record on the Dinnie Stones Hold, clocking in a time of 39.58 seconds by holding a total 732 pounds across both arms at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. He also left the fans stunned with his impressive strength earlier this year, having set a new two-rep PR on the raw squats of 771.6-lb (350-kg). Shortly after, Hooper extended his commanding competition streak with another win at the 2023 Australia’s Strongest International Competition.
Following the competition in Australia, Mitchell Hooper continued preparing for two biggest competitions of the year. So, Hooper crushed an intense set of 420-kg (925.9-lb) raw deadlift to achieve a new PR in training. In addition, just two months ago, Hooper smoked a heavy set of 770-kg (1,697.6-lb) raw leg press for eight reps in preparation for the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. In the end, his hard work paid off as he came out on top of the contest last month.
The 27-year-old was last seen in action for his second WSM appearance at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man a week ago. Hooper went up against the most elite contenders and managed to win the coveted title.
Mitchell Hooper breaks down his win at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man
In a recent YouTube video, Mitchell Hooper shared his experience of competing and scoring gold at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest.
“On Sunday, Kate and I went to the alligator park,” said Hooper. “You guys see me do a lot of stuff before contests that most guys won’t like drinking, going to the alligator park, I’d be more than down to go to a swimming pool because that’s how I get myself in the headspace to perform my best.”
“In my group I had Mateusz Kieliszkowski, who was probably the number one guy I didn’t want in my group aside from Pavlo. I also had Aivars, which you never want a good stone lifter in your group. I also had Matt Ragg, who I knew people were sleeping on. We also had Spenser Remick who won the OSG and Graham Hicks. I’m looking at that group and thinking who on earth would be the bottom two. It’s really quite impossible to tell. The work was cut out.”
“The heat events were really good for me. I went to bed thinking I had a good shot but full form Mateusz on those events could beat anyone and Aivars can beat me on stone so I didn’t go in with 100 percent confidence.”
“The deadlift machine was interesting experience. It got very heavy after the barrel 6 or 7. It seemed to disproportionately get heavy.”
“I knew that if I won Conan’s Wheel I would sweep into the finals. I picked up that Conan’s Wheel horribly. After about half a lap, it came down my arm and I was in this sort of like handcuff position that was sort of weird for about half a lap. I thought I was in serious danger at this stage I needed to get a lap in three quarters. It fell into my wrist after the lap and a bit and then it was okay. I think next time I’ll be much better. Interlocking fingers, getting elbows close would be much better strategy.”
“Surprise group winner Jaco Schoonwinkel, amazing job. Sometimes, there’s guys who behave like they could definitely win the group and then this guy just came out of nowhere. He didn’t seem particularly confident or like he was ready to go smash it. He just absolutely killed the heats. I never expected it to happen so huge well done to him.”
Hooper revealed the difficulties he faced at the 2023 WSM
Mitchell Hooper laid out the difficulties he faced as a competitor at the show.
“Everything doesn’t run perfectly at World’s obviously. Everything doesn’t run perfect everywhere. It’s just highlighted the most at World’s because there’s so much emotion around it. We did our equipment testing, that was all good, then we had a meeting, Flex Lewis got introduced as Flex Wheeler, we talked about the rain situation and we weren’t given a set of rules. The only time I read any rules were when I asked for the rules on the bus on the way to day one of the finals. Then I gave it back to production. Otherwise, to my knowledge, no athlete actually had a set of rules that we traditionally get a package of. No athlete got that. No one was clear on the rules from the get go.”
“Shield Carry, I essentially thought if I beat Tom I will be in a good spot. That was my entire thought. Thankfully, Tom is very fast with a shield and I couldn’t keep up to him. I got a lap and a quarter about 30 meters and shield was already slipping, I did a bit of pop to readjust the shield up high, walk all the way down to the end, came on back, started crab walking a bit, and ended up beating Tom by the smallest of margins.”
“The story here is mostly around Pavlo, who’s the best at Shield on the day but his foot didn’t cross the line. He was deducted 19.8 meters off of his distance which is a harsh penalty for just missing the line. That being said, if there was an actual 100 percent proper rule, he should’ve been deducted 39.8 meters because nothing should count until their foot crosses that line and they come back. While it was a harsh penalty, I don’t think it was overstepping reason because they did still give him a distance.”
“The Fingal’s Fingers didn’t go so well. I won’t get into too much detail but I went into Day 2 half a point ahead of Oleksii, 1 point ahead of Tom and 2.5 points ahead of Trey. I wasn’t particularly confident at this stage. I was going to push hard for the podium.”
Hooper called for a clearer ruleset & explained his road to victory
Mitchell Hooper suggested developing a clearer ruleset to avoid ambiguity and shared his road to victory.
“Dumbbell was difficult. There’s some questions around rules and equipment, a big challenge. The biggest was should we be allowed to wear a medical cuff on our elbows to stop things like tendonitis. That’s their primary function but the secondary function can be they help you lift more. I was very hard on the argument that this is such a bicep heavy show this year meaning that we needed protection. If we’re not safe what’s the point of doing it? That was approved. There was a lot of talk in the athletes teens between us to the refs about what equipment should be allowed or not. There’s no long-standing ill will and I don’t think it’s going to be brought up again. We just need to be super clear and have a rule sheet.”
“Max dumbbell, I overperformed dramatically on that. My personal best was 125 kilograms. I ended up hitting 140 kilograms in the competition. That is the performance I’m most proud of and I believe what secured me the World’s Strongest Man.
“There were some calls that were soft, not as strict as they could be. For example, my reps a lot of them I locked out here, I’ll speak about me, there were plenty of soft reps given to other guys. The reason it’s not a problem is that nothing should change about the judging of Strongman currently. It can modify but nothing should change altogether. I got some calls that I believe wouldn’t have been called in other competitions. A lot of other guys are in the same boat. It’s because my body was not completely vertical.”
“All we can ask for in Strongman is that in a given competition it is equal referring. No one’s getting reps they shouldn’t get when other people aren’t getting those reps. If everyone’s getting soft calls, fair enough.”
“I feel for Oleksii and Pavlo because their lockouts were perfect. If the judging was the most strict in the world, those guys would’ve had disproportionately good results so fair play to them.”
“On the Bus Pull, there is this unbelievable chunk of people at 32 seconds, I believe there was seven guys. Tom goes and he has the lowest time of 32 seconds, still in that chunk of guys meaning that if I did 32 seconds flat I would get 7 or 8 points more than if I did 33 seconds which you can imagine the pressure on something I did very poorly in the past. Now I have to go essentially win the event or lose the competition. I started the track pretty well and ended up winning the event which helped me tremendously.”
Following the result, Mitchell Hooper opened up on the victory in an exclusive interview with Fitness Volt. He detailed his mindset and credited his fellow standouts for inspiring him on his way to the title. Hooper now continues preparing for other competitions, as he plans on making a few more appearances by the end of the year.
You can watch the full video below.
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
Published: 29 April, 2023 | 4:12 PM EDT
15 Incredible Stats & Facts about 2023 World’s Strongest Man by Laurence Shahlaei
Featuring over 30 participants, the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest wrapped up this past weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. So, in a recent Big Loz YouTube video, former Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) champ, Laurence Shahlaei, and his wife, Liz Mason, broke down 15 stats about the WSM competition.
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man took place from Apr. 19-23 with over 30 contenders from 14 nations making their way to the event. There were several notable names on the roster, including Ukrainian sensation Oleksii Novikov, the British strongman brothers ,Tom and Luke Stoltman, and legendary 4x champion Brian Shaw.
Ahead of the show, Shaw announced it would be his final appearance at the WSM contests. Having won the title on four occasions (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016), Shaw was looking to level the record of five-time WSM winner Mariusz Pudzianowski. However, he underwent surgery and nearly lost his leg in preparation for the competition, but managed to recover fully in time. In the end, Shaw finished in seventh place.
Maxime Boudreault was planning to participate in the event, but got forced to withdraw due to a fracture in his shin bone caused by an incident two months ago. Pavlo Nakonechnyy was also gearing up to make his maiden appearance at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. Unfortunately, he picked up a knee injury and pulled out of the event a few weeks ago. America’s Thomas Evans got the chance to replace Nakonechnyy.
Following a very successful qualifying round, Jaco Schoonwinkel ended up getting injured on day one of the finals after trying to perform an overhead press of 115-kg (253.5 pounds). The setback appeared to be serious as it forced him to the sidelines. Meanwhile, Mitchell Hooper took the lead early with Novikov and Tom in the distance behind him. Following the second day, Hooper emerged as the winner of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. He secured the coveted title in his second showing at the event. Tom slotted in second place with Novikov taking bronze.
15 Stats & Facts about the 2023 World’s Strongest Man
In a recent YouTube video, Laurence Shahlaei and Liz Mason shared their analysis of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man with 15 stats.
The first time a contender won four final events out of six — Mitchell Hooper delivered an incredible performance throughout the whole contest. He won eight events combined; four in his group in the Qualifying stage and another four out of six events in the Final. His win in the Reign Shield Carry was a result of Pavlo Kordiyaka getting his performance docked, which pushed him down the rankings. However, Hooper is the first man to win four events since the six-event format has been introduced to the WSM
Top 3 featured contenders from three different nations for the 11th year in a row — Champion Hooper represented Canada in first place whereas Tom Stoltman represented the UK. Novikov, however, carried the flag of Ukraine to round up the podium at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. It marked the 11th year in a row where each of the top three finishers was from a different country.
Two athletes tied in a timed event — Tom and Evan Singleton both recorded a time of 32.27 seconds to get second place in the Bus Pull event. It’s only the second time in the WSM history that two contestants clocked in at the exact same time, down to one-hundredth of a second. Previously, Travis Ortmayer and Brian Shaw tied in the Plane Pull event at the 2009 WSM.
Two Ukrainians were in the Final — The Final featured two Ukrainians for the first time ever. 2020 WSM champ Novikov extended his impressive run with another Final appearance and Kordiyaka entered the finals in only his second showing at the contest.
New Zealand gets the first athlete in the Final — Mathew Ragg created history by being the first athlete to represent New Zealand in the finals at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. Eventually, he placed ninth behind Brian Shaw and Luke Stoltman, respectively, after Schoonwinkel’s withdrawal.
Three WSM wins in a row were missed for the fifth consecutive time — Former champion Tom Stoltman was targeting to score the third straight win at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. It marked the ninth time an athlete attempted the feat and the fifth time straight it did not work out. Only Bill Kazmaier and Magnus ver Magnusson hold the honors of winning three in a row. Since Stoltman got dethroned by Hooper, he missed out on the three-peat.
Three USA athletes in the final — There have been three athletes that represented the USA in the Final in every edition of the show since 2017. Veteran Brian Shaw, Trey Mitchell, and Evan Singleton continued the impressive streak for their native land by featuring in the finals of the WSM this year as well.
Canada joins the list of countries with a WSM champ — The country of Canada got its first WSM champion in Mitchell Hooper this year. They become the 13th country to win gold in the history of the event. Previously, Tom Mcgee came close with a runner-up finish but it wasn’t until Hooper’s win that Canada joined the list. Countries with WSM winners: U.S.A., UK, Iceland, Netherlands, Wales, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Scotland, and Canada.
Hooper becomes the eighth youngest winner ever — Mitch Hooper became the eighth youngest winner of the WSM competition at the age of 27-years-old. Out of a total of 24 champions, Jon Pall Sigmarsson holds the record for being the youngest winner ever at 24-years-old, with Novikov in second at 24 as well.
All 2nd place athletes retained an advantage in the Stone-Off — Every athlete in second place managed to retain their advantage in the stone-off. The format came into effect in 2021. 13 of the 15 athletes who did the stone-off in second place made it through to the final. The only two exceptions were Kevin Faires and Bobby Thompson at the 2022 WSM.
Hooper turned in a strong performance but did not beat the best — Hooper turned in a strong performance with four event wins in the Final. However, it was not the most dominant performance ever seen in the history of the WSM competitions. Mariusz Pudzianowski pulled off the most convincing victory of any athlete with 66 out of a possible 70 points (94.3%) in 2003.
Hooper’s international streak continues — After making his International debut at the previous WSM, Mitch Hooper continued his dominant run of getting a podium finish in every international competition he participated in, which is 90 percent. Out of the 10 he competed in, he came out on top of 5 of those and had only been out of the podium once.
Shaw and Heinla set a new record for Stone-Offs — Shaw and Rauno Heinla went up against each other in the Stone-Off event to qualify for the Final. Both athletes set the record for the most reps performed in the contest, having lifted 11 stones each. While they both lifted 11 stones each, Shaw won as Heinla was the first one unable to lift the stone anymore.
Shaw sets history with 15th straight qualifications to the Final — Brian Shaw left no stone unturned in his final WSM appearance. He created history by qualifying for his 15th consecutive final, the most of any athlete ever. He also raised his record for the most WSM event wins to 62 with a win at the Kettlebell Toss.
Mark Felix becomes the oldest WSM participant — Mark Felix set the record for the oldest man ever to compete at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. He participated in the group stage at the age of 57 years and two days old. He also broke his own record for the most appearances at WSM with his 18th appearance at the event.
2023 World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper gave fans a look into the first training session after the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. Although it was just a light workout focused on getting a pump, it signals that Hooper is already getting prepared for his next competitions.
You can watch the full video below.
2023 WSM Contest 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
Published: 28 April, 2023 | 5:01 PM EDT
Mitchell Hooper Shares His First Workout Post 2023 World’s Strongest Man Victory
Mitchell Hooper is definitely a standout in the world of strength sports. The man is an absolute beast, standing at around an impressive 6’4″ and weighing in at a whopping 330 pounds. But it’s not just his size that’s impressive; his strength and power are simply awe-inspiring. Watching him perform feats of strength that would leave most people struggling just to lift the weights he warms up with is a sight to behold. This was displayed at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, as Hooper dominated the events and won the title. Despite putting up tremendous efforts for multiple days, Mitchell has immediately focused on his next goals. Thus, he has already completed his first training session post competition and shared it on his YouTube channel.
As Mitchell Hooper began his first workout back after four days of intense competition, he did not want to overload himself. He decided to perform a bodybuilding style workout in order to get the blood flowing through the body in order to achieve his goal.
“We’re going to hit a bodybuilding workout. My philosophy is, if a muscle is sore, going and doing training at a lower intensity is useful. Now, I actually don’t feel sore, so I might be able to workout a bit harder than I usually would.”
So, after searching for a gym in Myrtle Beach, Mitchell Hooper stumbled upon the “Pump House”. This gym is also owned by Wayne Van Nostrand, a multiple powerlifting bench press World Record holder. Mitchell was inspired by Wayne and opted for the bench press as his first exercise of the day.
Mitchell Hooper began with one plate on each side of the barbell, and continued adding a plate with each set. Once he reached 315 pounds, Mitchell decided to stick with it and complete a set of 15 reps. He then followed it up with another 15-rep set with 225 pounds.
“I feel good. My muscular endurance is terrible though. I can already feel some fatigue setting in during that.”
In addition, Mitchell Hooper was delighted to find a Standing Bench Press machine, as a similar event will be featured in the 2023 Shaw Classic later this summer. So, he utilized this workout to get used to the machine. When asked how he felt after a few sets on it, this was his reply.
“Weird, really weird. I am getting a severe pump at the moment, big time pump… It is easier (than the regular bench), but I am just so fatigued.”
Mitchell Hooper then moved onto the lat pulldown machine to perform some reps as well. However, while performing one of the sets, his eyes wandered to a guy trying to max out his deadlift on the other side of the gym. So, as the current World’s Strongest Man, Hooper completed the set and went straight over to give a few tips to a fellow gym-goer.
Mitchell Hooper continued his workout with some light lateral raises, triceps extensions, and machine biceps curls. However, he completed a substantial amount of reps in order to get a nice pump.
“It is funny, you almost feel like you are in and out without doing anything. But, biceps are pumped, chest will be sore, triceps will be sore, objective achieved.”
Mitchell Hooper’s Workout
Bench Press
Standing Bench Press
Lat Pulldown
Lateral Raises
Cable Triceps Extensions
Machine Biceps Curls
Watch the video here:
Related: Strongman Mitchell Hooper Sets a 420-kg (925.9-lb) Raw Deadlift PR In Training
During this year alone, Mitchell Hooper has competed three times and won each competition. Most importantly, that includes two of the biggest events in Strongman, World’s Strongest Man, and Arnold Strongman Classic. Overall, during his short career, Hooper has taken part in 10 International competitions and won five of them. In addition, he became the first WSM winner from Canada.
Mitchell Hooper still has big plans for this year, which include the 2023 Shaw Classic and the 2023 Rogue Invitationals. He has stated that he still can’t fathom that his victory at the 2023 WSM was real and not a dream. However, once everything settles, Hooper’s confidence will skyrocket, which will make him an even fiercer competitor.
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
Published: 26 April, 2023 | 11:15 AM EDT
Tom Stoltman Reacts To Second Place Finish at 2023 WSM: ‘I Gave Everything I Had This Year’
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
Published: 25 April, 2023 | 9:28 AM EDT
Exclusive: Mitchell Hooper Reveals How Brian Shaw, Tom Stoltman, & Licis inspired Him To Win The 2023 WSM
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest took place on April 19-23, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and saw Mitchell Hooper win. Hooper thus became the first Canadian ever to win the title with an amazing display in both qualifying and finals stages. Aged 27-years-old, Hooper is also very young and relatively inexperienced in the sport of Strongman.
However, that did not stop him from enduring a difficult training regimen since he has a motto that he lives by. In addition, Hooper enjoys doing Strongman, especially having found inspiration in the likes of Tom Stoltman, Martins Licis, and Brian Shaw.
Following the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, Mitchell Hooper sat down to give us an exclusive interview about his new achievement, the training leading up to it, his inspiration, as well as future goals.
Our Exclusive Interview with Mitchell Hooper
Mitchell Hooper (Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
Mitchell Hooper explained that he didn’t do anything special to win the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition. He just showed up every day and put in the work during training sessions, performing well enough to come out on top.
Fitness Volt: What do you attribute your success to, and how have you prepared for this competition?
Mitchell Hooper: “Being good enough every day. None of my training sessions look particularly astonishing. I don’t do anything insane on a given day, but I don’t miss a day. My training motto is Good Enough Every Day.”
We spoke to Mitchell Hooper, the winner of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, to get his perspective on the challenges he faced during the tournament. Despite making many of the events seem effortless, we were curious to know what he found to be the most difficult aspect of the competition.
Fitness Volt: Which event in the World’s Strongest Man competition did you find the most challenging?
Hooper: “It was Max Dumbbell. Max Dumbbell is a weakness of mine. I came, I believe ninth out of ten in Rogue (Invitational) and that was four or five months ago… I would say max dumbbell and that is when I got most excited.”
The fans were definitely impressed by Mitchell Hooper’s performance in the Max Dumbbell, but he put up one of the most epic displays ever in another event. That was the Reign Shield Carry, the first event of the finals. At one point in the event, it looked like Hooper was completely exhausted, but he kept carrying the shield with every last ounce of strength he had left. In the end, Hooper won the event and took max points.
Fitness Volt: You had shown incredible resilience and put up one of the most epic performances in the Shield Carry event against Tom Stoltman. So, many fans believe that this largely influenced the remainder of the finals. What do you think about it, and how did it feel to cross the final few feet?
Hooper: “Winning the first event allows you to know what to do for the rest of the competition… It set it up really well and I think it was a statement to kick off the finals.”
Despite professionally competing for under one year, Mitchell Hooper has already had the experience of competing with all of the greatest Strongmen in the world. So, we asked him if anyone surprised him and if he found any athlete inspirational.
Fitness Volt: You’ve faced tough competition from some of the strongest athletes in the world. Who has been your biggest rival or inspiration, and why?
Hooper: “I am inspired by so many of the guys. I am inspired by Tom and his journey to become the strongest man in the world. Martins, Martins and I talk quite a lot. Brian and his four wins and everything he does outside of the sport as well. It is really an amalgamation of a lot of people and we are not short of people to be inspired by in the Strongman world.”
Obviously, finishing day one of the 2023 WSM finals at the top of the leaderboards results in some very powerful feelings. However, Hooper revealed that he did not think of himself as the winner at that point. Instead, he remained focused until the final moments of the competition.
Mitchell Hooper (Credit: Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
Fitness Volt: Earlier this year, you claimed the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic title in March. How did that victory influence your preparation and mindset for the World’s Strongest Man event?
Hooper: “You have to go prove yourself every single event and it was the same attitude when I started winning the events in the finals. You can’t celebrate before everything is over.”
Each Strongman athlete has their own unique motivation for pursuing the sport, whether it be for the glory, the accolades, or personal fulfillment. Mitchell Hooper recently shared his personal goals and aspirations within the Strongman community.
Fitness Volt: How do you see the future of strongman, and what role do you hope to play in its growth?
Hooper: “I hope to grow it at the community level as much as possible. I think it is a great way for people to get moving… The gym can be a daunting place, but the Strongman community is one of the most welcoming communities that I have been a part of.”
Related: 4x WSM Brian Shaw Completes His Final World’s Strongest Man Appearance; An End Of An Era
Mitchell Hooper 2023 WSM Finals Performances
Mitchell Hooper opened up the qualifying stage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man perfectly, winning all three events of day one. Then moving on to day two of the qualifying, Hooper needed to do the bare minimum to advance to the finals. However, he wanted to put on a show for the fans and thus gave his all on day two as well. Two events were on the schedule, so Mitchell ended up winning Conan’s Wheel and placing second in the Kettlebell Toss event.
Mitchell Hooper (Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
Qualifying
Loading Race: First-Place
Deadlift Machine: First-Place
Log Ladder: First-Place
Conan’s Wheel: First-Place
Kettlebell Toss: Second-Place
After one rest day, Mitchell Hooper came back fully energized for the finals. He opened up the finals similar to the qualifying, winning the Reign Shield Carry and Knaack Deadlift event on day one. However, he placed sixth in the Fingal’s Fingers and lost a lot of his lead over Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov.
On day two of the finals, Mitchell Hooper once again won the first two events, thus needing just a few points on the final event. He ended up getting those points and claiming the title. Fun fact, Hooper is the first man to win four events in the finals of the World’s Strongest Man competition since the 6-event format was introduced.
Finals
Reign Shield Carry: First-Place
Knaack Deadlift: First-Place
Fingal’s Fingers: Sixth-Place
Max Dumbbell: Tied-First
Bus Pull: First-Place
Atlas Stones: Second-Place
Mitchell Hooper (Todd Burandt / World’s Strongest Man)
It is incredible to think that Mitchell Hooper has already become this big of a figure in Strongman despite not competing for even one full year. However, he has taken part in 10 International competitions, winning five of them, including the 2023 WSM and 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic.
Mitchell Hooper will continue pushing himself, as there are some more big titles for him to win. In addition, judging by his performances at the 2023 WSM, Hooper will end up with a plethora of World Records in a few years. So, there is still a lot to look forward to.
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
Published: 24 April, 2023 | 10:28 AM EDT
Mitchell Hooper Wins The 2023 World’s Strongest Man
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..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 / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
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
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 4:01 PM EDT
![2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Day Two Finals [Live Updates]](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-WSM-Result.jpg)
2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Day Two Finals [Live Updates]
The stage is set for the final day of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest, which has been taking place from April 19-23, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Only three more events remain until the competition concludes and we find out who the World’s Strongest Man this year is. Those events are the Max Dumbbell, Bus Pull, and Atlas Stones.
The day one of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals saw Mitchell Hooper take the lead with two event wins. However, he still has a very difficult task for day two, as Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov, both previous WSM champions, are within one point of him.
2023 World’s Strongest Man Finals Results [Live]
Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — 34.5 points
Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — 31 points
Tom Stoltman (UK) — 30.5 points
Trey Mitchell (USA) — 25.5 points
Evan Singleton (USA) — 25 points
Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine) — 20.5 points
Brian Shaw (USA) — 17.5 points
Mathew Ragg (New Zealand) — 14.5 points
Luke Stoltman (UK) — 14.5 points
Jaco Schoonwinkel (South Africa) — 5.5 points (Withdrew)
Related: Eddie Hall Reveals His Top 3 Predictions For The 2023 World’s Strongest Man
2023 World’s Strongest Man Finals Day Two Event Recap
Max Dumbbell
The second day of the finals began with the Max Dumbbell event, in which the athletes had to lift a dumbbell from the floor and onto one shoulder, then perform an overhead press with one hand. They had to find a comfortable position with the dumbbell before attempting the press.
Mitchell Hooper has once again won the event, marking his third victory in the finals. However, this time he had to share it with Evan Singleton, since both men lifted 140 kilograms. In addition, both attempted to lift even more, but were unsuccessful.
In regards to the third-place finish, four men ended up sharing the points, as both Stoltmans, Novikov, and Kordiyaka all lifted 132 kilograms. Unfortunately for these four competitors, sharing the points means they missed out on earning more points individually.
Jaco Schoonwinkel had the dumbbell fall back to his shoulder on his first attempt, which caused him to fall down. Although he did walk off, it was later announced that Jaco withdrew.
Mitchell Hooper — 140 kilograms
Evan Singleton — 140 kilograms
Tom Stoltman — 132 kilograms
Pavlo Kordiyaka — 132 kilograms
Luke Stoltman — 132 kilograms
Oleksii Novikov — 132 kilograms
Trey Mitchell — 125 kilograms
Brian Shaw — 125 kilograms
Mathew Ragg — 125 kilograms
Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrew
Bus Pull
In the second-to-last event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, the athletes were tasked with pulling a bus a distance of 25 meters. Although the weight of the vehicle is unknown, the time limit for this event was 60 seconds.
*Results are coming soon
Atlas Stones
The Atlas Stones serve as the final event in most strongman competitions, including the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. However, this year’s competition features an exceptionally heavy set of Atlas Stones, with the five implements ranging from 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds) to 210 kilograms (463 pounds).
*Results are coming soon
Related: Mark Felix Retires From World’s Strongest Man Appearances; A Tribute to a Strongman Legend
Full WSM 2023 Coverage
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, event recaps, in-depth analysis, and results: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 11:00 AM EDT
Jaco Schoonwinkel Withdraws From 2023 World’s Strongest Man Competition
The final day of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man is underway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but it has proved to be very unlucky for one man. In the first event of the day, the Max Dumbbell, Jaco Schoonwinkel attempted to overhead press 115 kilograms (253.5 pounds). However, he was unsuccessful and ended up seemingly injuring himself on the attempt.
Jaco Schoonwinkel managed to lift the dumbbell onto his shoulder during the Max Dumbbell event but struggled to fully lock out the weight during the overhead press. As he attempted to lower the weight, he lost control, and it appeared to hit his shoulder. Jaco fell to the ground and remained lying down for a period before getting up and walking off. Fortunately, he seemed to be okay despite the incident.
However, Jaco Schoonwinkel was obviously not fine, as the World’s Strongest Man’s official Instagram page shared the news of his withdrawal from the competition. They did not reveal the exact reason why.
Related: Eddie Hall Reveals His Top 3 Predictions For The 2023 World’s Strongest Man
Jaco Schoonwinkel really lacked luck in the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals, as he had another incident on day one. During the Reign Shield Carry event, Jaco started off well, but stumbled and fell after 15.92 meters. So, it is not clear if that incident has anything to do with his withdrawal today as well.
Jaco Schoonwinkel was one of the main surprises of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition. He was placed in a very tough group with Brian Shaw, Adam Bishop, and Rauno Heinla. Regardless, Jaco kept his cool and managed to win the group ahead of all these big names.
Jaco Schoonwinkel’s performances in the finals were less than desirable for him, but it is understandable as this was his debut at the WSM. Jaco is not too experienced in other competitions either, having only taken part in three more International competitions. Most notably, he finished second in both the 2021 Africa’s Strongest Man and 2022 Official Strongman Games.
Jaco Schoonwinkel’s 2023 WSM Performances
Qualifying
Loading Race: 5 in 47.10 s (First-Place)
Deadlift Machine: 6 reps (Fourth-Place)
Log Ladder: 4 in 34.77 s (Second-Place)
Conan’s Wheel: 713 ° (First-Place)
Kettlebell Toss: 6 in 47.32 s (Third-Place)
Finals
Reign Shield Carry: 15.92 m (Tenth-Place)
Knaack Deadlift: 5 reps (Tied-Seventh)
Fingal’s Fingers: 4 in 40.76 s (Tenth-Place)
Related: Mark Felix Retires From World’s Strongest Man Appearances; A Tribute to a Strongman Legend
Jaco Schoonwinkel is the first athlete to withdraw from the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals, and hopefully the only one. There was only one other withdrawal in the entire competition, and it was Iron Biby at the start of the competition.
2023 WSM Coverage Recap
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, event recaps, in-depth analysis, and results: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 10:48 AM EDT
![2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Finals Day One [Live Updates]](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-WSM-Finals-Day-One.jpg)
2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Finals Day One [Live Updates]
We have already passed the halfway point of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest, but the most exciting part of the event is yet to come. Following two days of qualifying and a rest day, the competition resumed today, April 22nd, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Today marks the first of two days of Finals, where the top ten athletes compete in six events each day. The events scheduled for today include Fingal’s Fingers, Deadlift, and a Shield Carry.
The first day of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals has been delayed due to problematic weather conditions. Additionally, the events may be re-arranged, as some of the equipment might be too slippery to perform on safely without risking injuries.
2023 World’s Strongest Man Finals Results [Live]
Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — 10 points
Tom Stoltman (UK) — 9 points
Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — 8 points
Trey Mitchell (USA) — 7 points
Evan Singleton (USA) — 6 points
Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine) — 5 points
Luke Stoltman (UK) — 4 points
Brian Shaw (USA) — 3 points
Mathew Ragg (New Zealand) — 2 points
Jaco Schoonwinkel (South Africa) — 1 points
Related: Every Winner of The World’s Strongest Man Competition Since 1977
2023 World’s Strongest Man Finals Day One Event Recap
Reign Shield Carry
The Reign Shield Carry was the first event on day one of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man Final. A massive shield-like implement was placed on the ground for participants to pick up and carry for the maximum distance possible. The shield weighs 196 kilograms (432.1 pounds) and the event has no time limit.
Due to the weather conditions, the Shield Carry event was rescheduled to be the first event of the day instead of the final event. This decision was made to ensure the safety of the participants.
Mitchell Hooper had to exert all his effort to win the first event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man Finals. Although he initially struggled after only a few meters, he displayed unparalleled mental strength by persevering, taking deliberate steps, and leaning backwards
Tom Stoltman began the Shield Carry event with impressive speed, covering three lengths of 20 meters with ease. However, in stark contrast to Hooper’s determination and perseverance, Stoltman unexpectedly dropped the shield.
Oleksii Novikov secured the third place with ease by surpassing all other competitors except for Hooper and Stoltman.
On the other hand, Pavlo Kordiyaka managed to have the longest run in the Shield Carry event, but he received a deduction of 20 meters from his score as he failed to comply with the rules by crossing the marked line on the pavement.
Mitchell Hooper — 64.8 m
Tom Stoltman — 63.15 m
Oleksii Novikov — 55.87 m
Trey Mitchell — 50.83 m
Evan Singleton — 48.3 m
Pavlo Kordiyaka — 46.59 m
Luke Stoltman — 44.62 m
Brian Shaw — 39.1 m
Mathew Ragg — 37.65 m
Jaco Schoonwinkel — 15.92 m
Knaack Deadlift
The second event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals was the Knaack Deadlift for reps. This standard Strongman movement involved a barbell loaded with two massive Knaack boxes on each side, bringing the total weight to 353 kilograms (778.2 pounds). The event also had a time limit of 60 seconds for athletes to perform as many repetitions as possible.
*Results are coming soon.
Fingal’s Fingers
In the Fingal’s Fingers event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals, five long poles were placed horizontally on the ground. The athletes had to lift each pole from the ground, get it into an upright position, and then push it to the opposite side. The weight of each Fingal’s Fingers pole increased and ranged from 145 kilograms (319.7 pounds) to 172 kilograms (379.2 pounds). The event has a time limit of 60 seconds.
Actually, Fingal’s Fingers was originally scheduled as the first event of day one of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man finals, but due to weather conditions, it was moved to last for safety purposes.
*Results are coming soon.
Related: Eddie Hall Reveals His Top 3 Predictions For The 2023 World’s Strongest Man
We are just one day away from the conclusion of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition. In order to not miss out on any of the action, here are the scheduled starting times for each event.
Event Schedule
Day Four, April 23rd — Finals
Event Four — Max Dumbbell – 8 a.m. EST
Event Five — Vehicle Pull – 10:10 a.m. EST
Event Six — Atlas Stones – 1:54 p.m. EST
How To Watch
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to watch the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition live online unless you are physically present in Myrtle Beach, SC. However, there’s no need to worry as we will provide you with a detailed summary of the event to keep you informed.
Full WSM 2023 Coverage
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, event recaps, in-depth analysis, and results: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 22 April, 2023 | 11:18 AM EDT