The 46th annual World’s Strongest Man (WSM) ran from Wednesday, April 19 through Sunday, April 23, 2023 with a one-day break on Friday, April 21, to separate the Qualifying Round from the Finals. The biggest event in strength sports was held for the first time in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at the Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion Place.
The 30-man roster was whittled down to 10 Finalists over the course of the weekend: Mitchell Hooper, Defending WSM champion Tom Stoltman, Oleksii Novikov, Trey Mitchell, Evan Singleton, Brian Shaw, Pavlo Kordiyaka, Luke Stoltman, Mathew Ragg, and Jaco Schoonwinkel. By contest’s end, Mitchell Hooper pulled away from the pack to win the title of 2023 World’s Strongest Man.
Breaking Muscle updated this results page throughout the contest to keep you on top of all the action throughout this year’s contest. Contest organizers had stated there would be no livestream of the event but, as the contest progressed, WSM offered behind-the-scenes commentary and interviews with athletes, hosted by former WSM competitor Terry Hollands.
Editor’s Note: Results were provided by our official reporter in attendance. These results were not considered official until after they were confirmed on the World’s Strongest Man homepage.
2023 WSM Finals Leaderboard
| Rank | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Hooper — Canada | 53.5 |
| 2 | Tom Stoltman — United Kingdom | 49 |
| 3 | Oleksii Novikov — Ukraine | 41 |
| 4 | Trey Mitchell — USA | 39.5 |
| 5 | Evan Singleton — USA | 39.5 |
| 6 | Pavlo Kordiyaka — Ukraine | 31.5 |
| 7 | Brian Shaw — USA | 27.5 |
| 8 | Luke Stoltman — United Kingdom | 21.5 |
| 9 | Mathew Ragg — New Zealand | 18.5 |
| 10 | Jaco Schoonwinkel — South Africa — Withdrawn | 5.5 |
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man
- Day One — Loading Race
- Day One — Deadlift Machine
- Day One — Log Ladder
- Day Two — Conan’s Wheel
- Day Two — Kettlebell Toss
- Day Two — Stone Off
- Day Three — Finals — Reign Total Body Fuel Shield Carry
- Day Three — Finals — KNAACK Deadlift
- Day Three — Finals — Fingal’s Fingers
- Day Four — Finals — Max Dumbbell
- Day Four — Finals — Bus Pull
- Day Four — Finals — Atlas Stones
2023 WSM Day Four
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man competitors entered their last day with three remaining events set to determine who would take home the title. With few opportunities to score significant points, the odds shifted as some athletes appeared to be in a more advantageous position than others.
Max Dumbbell
The first event of the contest’s conclusion was the max dumbbell — a single-arm overhead dumbbell press with an oversized, thick-handled dumbbell. Competitors lifted in a series of rounds, with athletes advancing to lift progressively heavier and larger dumbbells until reaching their maximum performance.
Weights progressed accordingly: 115 kilograms (254 pounds), 125 kilograms (275 pounds), 132.5 kilograms (291 pounds), 140 kilograms (308 pounds), 145 kilograms (319 pounds), 151 kilograms (333 pounds — a World Record weight), and 155 kilograms (342 pounds).
Eliminated 2023 WSM competitor Mateusz Kieliszkowski holds the current max dumbbell World Record, pressing 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds) in 2018. Interestingly, Oleksii Novikov put up 153.2 kilograms (337.8 pounds) in 2021. Because it was performed in training rather than in competition, Novikov’s lift was an unofficial record.
Shortly after beginning the event, Jaco Schoonwinkel appeared to suffer an injury during his first lift. Details were unconfirmed, but the athlete was taken away to be examined by on-site medical staff. Being unable to continue, Schoonwinkel withdrew from the competition. This was an unfortunate end to the South African athlete’s first WSM appearance. He made an impressive debut, earning a spot in the Finals by outscoring his group in the Qualifying Round — a field which included four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw.
- Mitchell Hooper — 4 lifts
- Evan Singleton — 4 lifts
- Oleksii Novikov — 3 lifts
- Tom Stoltman — 3 lifts
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 3 lifts
- Luke Stoltman — 3 lifts
- Trey Mitchell — 2 lifts
- Brian Shaw — 2 lifts
- Mathew Ragg — 2 lifts
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrawn
Bus Pull
The penultimate event of the contest was arguably one of the most visually impressive events in the entire sport — the bus pull. Athletes were attached via harness to the front of a 25.5-ton (23,133-kilogram/51,000-pound) bus. They had 60 seconds to march as far as possible along a 25-meter (82-foot) path with the vehicle in tow, as quickly as possible.
Mitchell Hooper secured a win in the event with a blistering 30.24 seconds, shaving nearly 20 seconds from his time on the same event at his 2022 World’s Strongest Man debut.
- Mitchell Hooper — 30.24 seconds
- Tom Stoltman — 32.27 seconds
- Evan Singleton — 32.27 seconds
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 32.46 seconds
- Trey Mitchell — 32.49 seconds
- Brian Shaw — 32.65 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 32.83 seconds
- Mathew Ragg — 36.29 seconds
- Oleksii Novikov — 33.35 seconds
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrawn
Atlas Stones
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest came to a close with a quintessential strongman event, the Atlas stones. The Atlas stones have been the concluding event of WSM Finals for 22 of the last 24 WSM contests, cementing it as a clear staple of the sport.
Competitors ran through the series of five stones, loading as many as possible onto a 50-inch high platform as quickly as possible within the 60-second time limit. The stones ascended in weight: 150 kilograms (330 pounds), 160 kilograms (350 pounds), 180 kilograms (395 pounds), 200 kilograms (440 pounds), and 210 kilograms (460 pounds).
While the defending WSM champion Tom Stoltman won the event, second place finisher Mitchell Hooper has become the 2023 World’s Strongest Man based on the point standings at the end of the five-day competition.
- Tom Stoltman — 5 stones, 33.26 seconds
- Mitchell Hooper — 5 stones, 36.96 seconds
- Trey Mitchell — 5 reps, 45.72 seconds
- Oleksii Novikov — 4 reps, 27.43 seconds
- Evan Singleton — 4 reps, 28.16 seconds
- Brian Shaw — 4 stones, 35.88 seconds
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 4 stones, 45.86 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 4 stones, 48.49 seconds
- Mathew Ragg — 4 stones, 49.5 seconds
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrawn
2023 WSM Day Three
The first day of Finals competition began in dramatic fashion. Contest organizers were faced with a challenge no feat of strength could overcome — thunder, lightning, wind, and rain. The day’s order of events was shuffled at the last minute, after deciding the first event — Fingal’s Fingers — was unsafe to perform in the stormy weather. The Shield Carry, initially set as the last event of the day, was moved to kickoff the Finals as soon as weather permitted.
Competitors’ scores were refreshed and athletes entered the Finals on a level playing field, regardless of their performance in the Qualifying Stage. The most successful competitor in the Finals will earn the 2023 World’s Strongest Man title.
Reign Total Body Fuel Shield Carry
After a two-hour weather delay, the first event of the Finals began. The Reign Total Body Fuel Shield Carry tested core strength, agility, and total-body endurance as the athletes were required to carry a 196-kilogram (432-pound) shield for maximum distance. Competitors ventured down and back along a 20-meter (65.6-foot) course.
In a judge’s decision that stunned spectators, Pavlo Kordiyaka was marked with a significant 19.8-meter penalty after failing to cross the preset boundary during one lap of his carry. The deduction cost a crucial allotment of points which would’ve sent Kordiyaka to the top of the leaderboard. WSM newcomer Jaco Schoonwinkel stumbled shortly after beginning his carry, sending him to last place and securing a single point for the event.
Heat 1
- Brian Shaw — 39.1 meters
- Mathew Ragg — 37.65 meters
Heat 2
- Evan Singleton — 48.3 meters
- Luke Stoltman — 44.62 meters
Heat 3
- Mitchell Hooper — 64.8 meters
- Tom Stoltman — 63.15 meters
Heat 4
- Trey Mitchell — 50.83 meters
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 46.59 meters (includes 19.8-meter penalty)
Heat 5
- Oleksii Novikov — 55.87 meters
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 15.92 meters
KNAACK Deadlift
In an event familiar to most lifters, the KNAACK Deadlift involved a standard deadlift performed for maximum repetitions in 60 seconds. In a potentially unfamiliar aspect for many gym-goers, competitors deadlifted 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds). Competitors persevered despite continued rainfall during the outdoor event.
Mitchell Hooper came away with his sixth event win of the entire contest, giving the Canadian athlete a strong position atop the leaderboard.
- Mitchell Hooper — 8 reps
- Oleksii Novikov — 7 reps
- Trey Mitchell — 7 reps
- Brian Shaw — 7 reps
- Mathew Ragg — 7 reps
- Tom Stoltman — 6 reps
- Evan Singleton — 5 reps
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 5 reps
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 4 reps
- Luke Stoltman — 3 reps
Fingal’s Fingers
The first day of Finals competition wrapped up with the eye-catching Fingal’s Fingers, an event not seen in a World’s Strongest Man Finals since the 2009 WSM.
Athletes had 60 seconds to flip a series of five “fingers” — completing as many as possible as quickly as possible. Each beam, roughly the size of a telephone pole, was progressively heavier than the last. The weights were presented, in order: 145 kilograms (320 pounds), 154 kilograms (340 pounds), 159 kilograms (350 pounds), 163 kilograms (360 pounds), and 172 kilograms (380 pounds).
With the conclusion of the first day of Finals, Brian Shaw’s “Drive for Five” almost certainly came to an end. The four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) is most likely out of contention for a podium-finish based on his current standing in points, depending on his performance and the performances of his peers in the contest’s three remaining events.
- Tom Stoltman — 5 reps, 39.36 seconds
- Oleksii Novikov — 5 reps, 42.26 seconds
- Trey Mitchell — 5 reps, 48.46 seconds
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 5 reps, 48.69 seconds
- Evan Singleton — 5 reps, 49.85 seconds
- Mitchell Hooper — 5 reps, 49.89 seconds
- Brian Shaw — 4 reps, 26.61 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 4 reps, 32.54 seconds
- Mathew Ragg — 4 reps, 35.03 seconds
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 1 rep, 40.76 seconds
2023 WSM Day Two
After completing the first full day of competition, athletes head into the second day and their last opportunities to secure a spot in the Finals. Here are the results from each competitive Group including each athlete’s results, corresponding performance, and placing within the event.
Conan’s Wheel
In a test of core strength, endurance, and perhaps pain tolerance reminiscent of the epic film character, the Conan’s Wheel required competitors to support a 199.5-kilogram (440-pound) bar in the Zercher position while walking around a fixed circle for maximum distance.
Scoring was determined by “degrees” of the circle completed — 360 degrees being one complete lap around the circle’s circumference. Oleksii Novikov earned his third event win of the Qualifying Round, pushing ahead of Conan’s Wheel World Record holder Pavlo Kordiyaka by nearly 150 degrees.
Group 1
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 749 degrees
- Pa O’Dwyer — 722 degrees
- Bobby Thompson — 649 degrees
- Konstantine Janashia — 633 degrees
- Eddie Williams — 614 degrees
- Tom Stoltman — 598 degrees
Group 2
- Oleksii Novikov — 897 degrees
- Gavin Bilton — 557 degrees
- Luke Stoltman — 545 degrees
- Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — 524 degrees
- Fadi El Masri — 70 degrees
- Thomas Evans — 69 degrees
Group 3
- Mitchell Hooper — 636 degrees
- Mathew Ragg — 628 degrees
- Aivars Šmaukstelis —575 degrees
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 538 degrees
- Spenser Remick — 470 degrees
- Graham Hicks — 425 degrees
Group 4
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 713 degrees
- Kevin Faires — 636 degrees
- Gabriel Rhéaume — 476 degrees
- Rauno Heinla — 572 degrees
- Brian Shaw — 411 degrees
- Adam Bishop — 292 degrees
Group 5
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 629 degrees
- Evan Singleton — 589 degrees
- Trey Mitchell — 523 degrees
- Paul Smith — 518 degrees
- Mark Felix — 470 degrees
- Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — 143 degrees
Kettlebell Toss
To determine explosive power, athletes were presented with a series of seven progressively heavier kettlebells. Using a movement similar to a kettlebell swing, they had 60 seconds to launch as many weights as possible past a 4.5-meter (15-foot) bar set overhead.
The weight progression was: 20.5 kilograms (45 pounds), 21.8 kilograms (48 pounds), 22.7 kilograms (50 pounds), 22.7 kilograms (50 pounds), 24 kilograms (53 pounds), 26.3 kilograms (58 pounds), and finally 30.8 kilograms (68 pounds).
Konstantine Janashia, the sole Polish competitor in this year’s WSM, topped the event blasting through all seven weights in 32.44 seconds. Janashia’s surprise performance, after being mathematically eliminated from the Finals based on points entering the event, interrupted Mitchell Hooper’s four-event win streak.
Group 1
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 6 reps, 18.09 seconds
- Konstantine Janashia — 6 reps, 19.93 seconds
- Tom Stoltman — 6 reps, 21.99 seconds
- Pa O’Dwyer — 6 reps, 31.71 seconds
- Bobby Thompson — 6 reps, 35.67 seconds
- Eddie Williams — 6 reps, 36.4 seconds
Group 2
- Gavin Bilton — 6 reps, 19.9 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 6 reps, 49.35 seconds
- Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — 5 reps, 15.57 seconds
- Thomas Evans — 5 reps, 28.68 seconds
- Fadi El Masri — 4 reps, 20.61 seconds
- Oleksii Novikov — 1 rep, 9.56 seconds
Group 3
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 7 reps, 32.44 seconds
- Mitchell Hooper — 6 reps, 17.18 seconds
- Mathew Ragg — 6 reps, 21.96 seconds
- Aivars Šmaukstelis — 6 reps, 25.41 seconds
- Spenser Remick — 5 reps, 24.31 seconds
- Graham Hicks — 4 reps, 20.51 seconds
Group 4
- Brian Shaw — 7 reps, 48.45 seconds
- Adam Bishop — 6 reps, 32.29 seconds
- Kevin Faires — 5 reps, 34.09 seconds
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 6 reps, 47.32 seconds
- Rauno Heinla — 5 reps, 44.31 seconds
- Gabriel Rhéaume — 3 reps, 14 seconds
Group 5
- Trey Mitchell — 7 reps, 34.42 seconds
- Evan Singleton — 6 reps, 28.81 seconds
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 6 reps, 27.66 seconds
- Mark Felix — 4 reps, 42.66 seconds
- Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — 2 reps, 23.65 seconds
- Paul Smith — 1 rep, 28.62 seconds
Stone Off
As the last event of the Qualifying Stage, the second and third place competitors from each group (based on overall points in the leaderboard) battled head-to-head in an attempt to advance into the Finals. The first place competitors from each group have already secured a berth in the Finals.
Athletes took turns lifting progressively heavier Atlas stones over a bar that separates the competitors, with weights ranging from 140 kilograms (308 pounds) up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds). The final and heaviest weight was performed for reps until one strongman could no longer continue.
The one-on-one showdown determined which five competitors would join Pavlo Kordiyaka, Oleksii Novikov, Mitchell Hooper, Jaco Schoonwinkel, and Trey Mitchell in the Finals. Those athletes were Tom Stoltman, Luke Stoltman, Mathew Ragg, Brian Shaw, and Evan Singleton.
Group 1
- Tom Stoltman — 3 stones — Winner
- Bobby Thompson — 3 stones
Group 2
- Luke Stoltman — 7 stones — Winner
- Gavin Bilton — 7 stones
Group 3
- Mathew Ragg — 8 stones — Winner
- Aivars Smaukstelis — 8 stones
Group 4
- Brian Shaw — 11 stones — Winner
- Rauno Heinla — 11 stones
Group 5
- Evan Singleton — 8 stones — Winner
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 8 stones
2023 WSM Day One
Competitors began this year’s World’s Strongest Man with a full plate of three events — the loading race, the deadlift machine for reps, and the log ladder.
Loading Race
The loading race challenged the athletes’ blend of strength, endurance, and agility. The competitors were tasked with running as quickly as possible across a four- to six-meter (13- to 19.6-foot) field of sand while loading a series of progressively heavier implements onto an elevated platform.
The event was capped with a 90-second time limit. The implements included two stacks of bundled logs (106 kilograms/234 pounds and 114.7 kilogram/253 pounds), a 124.7-kilogram (275-pound) anvil, a 120.2-kilogram (265-pound) sandbag, and a 120.2-kilogram (265-pound) “Husafell” sandbag.
Shortly before the first event began, Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou withdrew from the contest for reasons undisclosed at the time of this article’s publication. He was replaced by Icelandic athlete Kristjan Jon Haraldsson.
Group 1
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 5 implements, 41.38 seconds
- Tom Stoltman — 5 implements, 43.84 seconds
- Bobby Thompson — 5 implements, 56.56 seconds
- Konstantine Janashia — 5 implements, 61.1 seconds
- Pa O’Dwyer — 5 implements, 65.89 seconds
- Eddie Williams — 5 implements, 66.44 seconds
Group 2
- Oleksii Novikov — 5 implements, 52.14 seconds
- Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — 5 implements, 54.58 seconds
- Thomas Evans — 5 implements, 57.4 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 5 implements, 62.78 seconds
- Gavin Bilton — 5 implements, 63.01 seconds
- Fadi El Masri — 4 implements, 49.57 seconds
Group 3
- Mitchell Hooper — 5 implements, 42.05 seconds
- Aivars Šmaukstelis — 5 implements, 52.71 seconds
- Mathew Ragg — 5 implements — 58.72 seconds
- Spenser Remick — 5 implements, 67.15 seconds
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 5 implements, 67.53 seconds
- Graham Hicks — 4 implements, 53.4 seconds
Group 4
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 5 implements, 47.1 seconds
- Rauno Heinla — 5 implements, 51.41 seconds
- Brian Shaw — 5 implements, 53.7 seconds
- Adam Bishop — 4 implements, 43.12 seconds
- Gabriel Rhéaume — 4 implements, 51.03 seconds
- Kevin Faires — 3 implements, 65.3 seconds
Group 5
- Evan Singleton — 5 implements, 46.9 seconds
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 5 implements, 56.41 seconds
- Trey Mitchell — 5 implements, 66.64 seconds
- Paul Smith — 4 implements, 44.79 seconds
- Mark Felix — 4 implements, 54.32 seconds
- Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — 3 implements, 40.63 seconds
Deadlift Machine
Competitors had 75 seconds to perform as many repetitions as possible using a specially designed deadlift machine. The weight was increased after each successful repetition: 281 kilograms (619.5 pounds), 298 kilograms (657 pounds), 312 kilograms (687 pounds), 329 kilograms (725 pounds), 345 kilograms (760 pounds), 362 kilograms (798 pounds), and 379 kilograms (835.5 pounds).
If the athlete was capable, they were allowed to continue performing repetitions with the seventh (maximum) weight until time ran out.
Group 1
- Bobby Thompson — 7 reps
- Tom Stoltman — 6 reps
- Konstantine Janashia — 6 reps
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 5 reps
- Pa O’Dwyer — 5 reps
- Eddie Williams — 5 reps
Group 2
- Oleksii Novikov — 6 reps
- Thomas Evans — 5 reps
- Luke Stoltman — 5 reps
- Gavin Bilton — 5 reps
- Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — 4 reps
- Fadi El Masri — 4 reps
Group 3
- Mitchell Hooper — 8 reps
- Mathew Ragg — 7 reps
- Graham Hicks — 7 reps
- Aivars Šmaukstelis — 5 reps
- Spenser Remick — 5 reps
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 4 reps
Group 4
- Brian Shaw — 8 reps
- Rauno Heinla — 8 reps
- Adam Bishop — 7 reps
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 6 reps
- Kevin Faires — 5 reps
- Gabriel Rhéaume — 5 reps
Group 5
- Trey Mitchell — 8 reps
- Mark Felix — 6 reps
- Evan Singleton — 6 reps
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 5 reps
- Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — 5 reps
- Paul Smith — 4 reps
Log Ladder
The first day of competition concluded with a staple event in many strongman contests — the log ladder. Testing their upper body strength, athletes worked their way through five progressively heavier logs, one repetition at a time, within a 75-second time limit.
Competitors were presented with a series of five fixed-weight logs. They were allowed as many attempts as needed to successfully put the log overhead. After one complete repetition, they progressed to the next weight: 124 kilograms (275 pounds), 140 kilograms (310 pounds), 158 kilograms (350 pounds), 170 kilograms (375 pounds), and 181 kilograms (400 pounds).
Group 1
- Tom Stoltman — 5 reps, 42.5 seconds
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 5 reps, 46 seconds
- Bobby Thompson — 4 reps, 25.83 seconds
- Konstantine Janashia — 4 reps, 68.35 seconds
- Eddie Williams — 4 reps, 55.89 seconds
- Pa O’Dwyer — 3 reps, 25.8 seconds
Group 2
- Thomas Evans — 5 reps, 38.96 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 5 reps, 52.76 seconds
- Oleksii Novikov — 4 reps, 32.5 seconds
- Gavin Bilton — 4 reps, 56.84 seconds
- Fadi El Masri — 2 reps, 17.43 seconds
- Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — 2 reps, 16.28 seconds
Group 3
- Mitchell Hooper — 5 reps, 39.51 seconds
- Mathew Ragg — 5 reps, 56.84 seconds
- Graham Hicks — 4 reps, 28.31 seconds
- Aivars Šmaukstelis — 4 reps, 30.44 seconds
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 4 reps, 33.24 seconds
- Spenser Remick — 4 reps, 38.79 seconds
Group 4
- Brian Shaw — 4 reps, 33.99 seconds
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 4 reps, 34.77 seconds
- Rauno Heinla — 3 reps, 21.6 seconds
- Kevin Faires — 3 reps, 28.93 seconds
- Gabriel Rhéaume — 3 reps, 32.96 seconds
- Adam Bishop — 3 reps, 33.25 seconds
Group 5
- Trey Mitchell — 5 reps, 39.44 seconds
- Evan Singleton — 4 reps, 35.48 seconds
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 4 reps, 39.93 seconds
- Paul Smith — 4 reps, 45.84 seconds
- Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — 3 reps, 22.34 seconds
- Mark Felix — 1 rep, 7.58 seconds
2023 WSM Schedule of Events
Here’s the complete schedule for the competition, including the two-day Qualifying Round and the two-day Finals. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.
Qualifying Stage Day One
- Event One: Loading Race — April 19 | 8 a.m., Sand Stage
- Event Two: Deadlift Machine — April 19 | 12:19 (initially set for 11:29 a.m.), Land Stage
- Event Three: Log Ladder — April 19 | 6:03 (initially set for 4:49 p.m.), Sand Stage
Qualifying Stage Day Two
- Event Four: Conan’s Wheel — April 20 | 8 a.m., Land Stage
- Event Five: Kettlebell Toss — April 20 | 1:20 p.m., Sand Stage
- Event Six: Stone Off — April 20 | 6:13 p.m., Land Stage
Rest Day
- No Events — April 21
Finals Day One
- Event One: Reign Shield Carry — April 22 | 10:30 a.m. (initially set for 2:18 p.m.), Street Stage
- Event Two: KNAACK Deadlift — April 22 | 12:45 p.m. (initially set for 10:41 a.m.), Sand Stage
- Event Three: Fingal’s Fingers — April 22 | 3:45 p.m. (initially set for 8 a.m.), Street Stage
Finals Day Two
- Event Four: Max Dumbbell — April 23 | 8 a.m., Land Stage
- Event Five: Vehicle Pull — April 23 | 10:10 a.m., Street Stage
- Event Six: Atlas Stones — April 23 | 1:54 p.m., Sand Stage
2023 WSM Competitor Withdrawals
While 30 men qualified to enter this year’s WSM, unexpected scenarios can occur. Any competitor withdrawals during the course of the competition will be noted here.
- Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou — Withdrew before the first event of Qualifying Stage Day One. No official reason declared. Replaced by Kristjan Jon Haraldsson.
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — Withdrew after attempting Max Dumbbell on the second day of Finals. Unconfirmed injury.
How Strongman is Scored
Scoring points in competitive strongman events relates to the overall field of competitors. First place can earn as many points as there are competitors, and points descend accordingly.
In the Qualifying stage, athletes can earn a maximum of six points because there are six athletes in each group. First place earns six points; second places earns five, and so on. In the Finals, there will be 10 competitors in total, so first place receives 10 points; second receives nine; third eight; and so on.
In the event of any tied scores, points are split evenly. If two athletes tie for second, for example, the second and third place points are added together and divides by two. For example, in the WSM Finals, if two athletes tie for second place, they would each earn 8.5 points — nine plus eight divided by two.
How to Watch the 2023 World’s Strongest Man
Admission is free for fans attending in person at Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion Place in Myrtle Beach, SC, and gates open to the public at 7 a.m. Eastern time. There will be a fan festival area and a general admission viewing area for spectators.
Unfortunately, for those who wish to watch the 2023 WSM at home, viewing it live is impossible. In the U.S., CBS Sports Network will air the 2023 WSM beginning on May 28, 2023. In the UK, the 2023 WSM will air on Channel 5 in December. In the meantime, the 2023 WSM’s various social media platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, will feature behind-the-scenes coverage while 15-time WSM athlete Terry Hollands conducts interviews with the competitors.
Featured Image: Todd Burandt / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
