The 2023 World’s Strongest Man competitors was held in Myrtle Seaside, SC, from April 19-23, and the conclusion noticed a brand new champion win his first title.
Mitchell Hooper of Canada is in his second full season as a strongman, and he gained the championship in his second try. He was eighth in his WSM debut in 2022. Final yr’s winner, two-time champion Tom Stoltman completed in second place, and 2020 winner Oleksii Novikov got here in third. It’s the second straight yr {that a} champion was joined by two former champions on the rostrum.
The person referred to as each “Moose” and “Tremendous Hooper” was within the total lead over two-time defending champion Tom Stoltman going into the ultimate occasion – the Atlas Stones. The contestants needed to decide up 5 stones starting from 330 to 460 kilos and place them on their podiums within the quickest time doable. Stoltman gained the occasion by three seconds over Hooper, however Hooper positioned second and had a cushion on the general factors lead that allowed him to clinch the championship.
The ultimate placings for the ten finalists are beneath.
1st – Mitchell Hooper
2nd – Tom Stoltman
3rd – Oleksii Novikov
4th – Trey Mitchell
5th – Evan Singleton
6th – Pavlo Kordiyaka
7th – Brian Shaw
8th – Luke Stoltman
9th – Matthew Ragg
tenth – Jaco Schoonwinkel
Hooper Made Historical past
Except for being the 24th totally different athlete to win World’s Strongest Man because the contest began in 1977, Hooper is the primary Canadian to carry the title. He additionally gained the 2023 Arnold Strongman Basic in Columbus, OH in March. He’s the primary man to carry each titles on the similar time since Hafthor Bjornsson pulled the feat off in 2018.
Hooper is a bodily therapist by commerce in addition to a licensed energy and conditioning specialist in Canada. The 27-year-old wasn’t the most important man within the competitors, both. At 6’4” and 320 kilos, he’s a giant boy, however he was going through a champion in Stoltman that stands 6’8” and weighs over 400 kilos. He had additionally competed in ice hockey, marathons, and powerlifting earlier than getting into the game of strongman. Lower than two years after he absolutely dedicated to the game, Hooper’s gained each of the highest titles in the identical calendar yr.
Occasion Highlights
Amongst Hooper’s best feats in the course of the week in Myrtle Seaside have been successful the Automobile Pull occasion by pulling a 51,000-foot bus down a course 25 meters lengthy in 30 seconds, carrying a 432-pound defend for 64 meters, and deadlifting a bar with two KNAACK steel containers on it weighing over 780 kilos for eight reps. Hooper positioned both first or second in 5 of the six last occasions and all 4 of the opening heats that he was in, which narrowed the unique discipline from 30 to 10.
Different Notes
This was the ultimate World’s Strongest Man for four-time winner Brian Shaw, who’s in his last season as a competitor. His last contest total will probably be his personal Shaw Basic, which is ready for Aug. 19-20 in Loveland, CO.
At age 57, strongman legend Mark Felix additionally made his final look on this contest. He was 30 years senior over the brand new champion and made his document 18th look within the contest, however he didn’t advance to the finals. The WSM promoters named each Shaw and Felix the inaugural co-winners of the KNAACK Instruments of the Strongman award.
