Felix failed to make the finals, and the competition was won by 27-year-old Mitchell Hooper. In a strange twist of coincidence, Hooper had his ninth birthday during the 2004 WSM where Felix made his debut in the competition, while Felix had his 57th birthday just two days before his final WSM appearance. On Apr. 22, 2023, Felix shared his thoughts about his expansive WSM career in an Instagram post.

“So many things I could say about my 18th and final WSM show, the opportunities Strongman and [The World’s Strongest Man] has given me over the last 18 years. I have traveled the world. I have competed with the best of the best … from athletes, organizers, crew, sponsors, coach and trainers, friends, family, and supporters, I want to thank you all. It’s been awesome.”

Even though Felix will no longer participate in the World’s Strongest Man contest, he made it clear that he is far from done in the sport itself.

“Strongman Sport is in my blood, it’s a family like no other, and I am looking forward to continuing competing in the [Giants Live] and [Official Strongman Games] shows … To everyone who supports me, thank you for the messages I read them all it means a lot … see you all soon at a show”

Felix has competed in every WSM contest from 2004 to 2023 with the exceptions of the 2005 and 2012 contests. He has reached the Finals on three occasions, with a highest-ever finish in fourth place at the 2006 WSM, followed in 2007 with a sixth-place finish.

In 2015, Felix achieved what would be his last Top 10 finish, reaching eighth place. That same year, Brian Shaw captured his third WSM title. In another coincidence, Shaw has also announced that the 2023 WSM would be his final appearance in the contest.

Felix has competed shoulder-to-shoulder with every WSM champion during that time, from Vasyl Virastyuk (2004) to Hooper (2023).

Outside of the WSM competition, Felix won titles including the 2016 World Strongman Federation’s (WSF) World Cup and the 2015 Ultimate Strongman Masters World Championships.

He may be best known for his incredible grip strength, which propelled him to a World Record in the Hercules Hold, where Felix held the 160-kilogram (352-pound) pillars for 92.37 seconds at the 2020 Europe’s Strongest Man contest. He also won the Vice Grip Viking Challenge in 2011 and 2012, as well as the Rolling Thunder competition in 2008 and 2009.

Even though Felix made it clear he will compete in other shows, as of this writing, there is no word on exactly what Felix’s next contest will be.

Featured Post: @markfelixwsm on Instagram

The post Mark Felix Speaks After Final World’s Strongest Man Appearance appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Mar. 17, 2023, the Official Strongman Games (OSG) and Giants Live organizations revealed the first parts of the 2023 ESM roster. Paul Smith is the defending champion, but there’s no shortage of worthy contenders for the title, even in this initial reveal. The events for the contest have not been confirmed at the time of this writing, but they may be announced at a later date.

Here’s an overview of the current ESM roster:

2023 England’s Strongest Man Roster

• Paul Smith | Defending Champion
• Mark Felix
• Ryan Bennett
• Shane Flowers
• Kane Francis

The 2022 ESM roster featured 12 competitors. While the exact number of athletes featured at this year’s iteration isn’t out in the open yet, the expectation is that more will be revealed in the coming weeks and months. Note: Breaking Muscle will update this article accordingly as more strongmen are confirmed for the 2023 ESM.

As for the competitors already announced for the 2023 ESM, some have their own major claims to fame. For example, in addition to his 2022 ESM title, Smith also captured the 2022 UK’s Strongest Man championship. The win may as well have cemented his relative dominance across the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, 56-year-old Grenadian strongman Mark Felix has been a professional competitor for almost two decades, holding a prolific 17 berths in the annual World’s Strongest Man (WSM). A fixture in the British strongman scene during that time, Felix possesses the World Record on the Wrecking Ball Hold with a time of two minutes and 20.49 seconds at the 2022 WSM. The 2023 ESM will likely be one of Felix’s first strongman competitions after the 2023 WSM, taking place April 19-23, which will be Felix’s final appearance at the sport’s tentpole contest.

From an initial glance, Smith and Felix may likely be considered the favorites to contend for the latest ESM title. That’s especially the case considering the relative newcomers in Bennett, Flowers, and Francis have never won a strongman contest, per Strongman Archives. However, in the case of a usually competitive strongman environment, anything can and possibly will happen. Not to mention the potential of roster additions like 2023 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM) Adam Bishop down the line.

At this point in the competition’s timeline, with so much of the roster and events lineup still unclear, decisively ruling out a rise to the top of the English strength scene for anyone would likely be a foolish prospect.

A lot can happen between now and October. Smith and Felix might stand as the headliners for the time being, but plenty can be thrown into this enticing mix of English strongmen. The competitive drama is only bound to build.

Featured image: @officialstrongman_ on Instagram

The post 2023 England’s Strongest Man Roster Revealed appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Feb. 19, 2023, Felix wrote an Instagram post where he revealed he would soon retire from WSM competition. Once the 2023 iteration of the contest is in the books after April — his 18th appearance over the past 19 years— Felix will no longer participate in the WSM. He joins the legendary Brian Shaw as the latest strongman veteran to announce their WSM retirement. Though, crucially, it won’t be the last anyone sees of Felix as a professional strongman overall.

After clarifying that he would officially be on the 2023 WSM roster, Felix made sure to nip a few potential questions in the bud. The 2023 WSM might be his last, but he’ll still be quite active on other competitive circuits.

Why? Competing in strongman appears to be his passion.

“So incredibly excited to be a confirmed athlete for my 18th [World’s Strongest Man] show and the oldest strongman ever to compete at the WSM,” Felix wrote. “I have decided that this year will be my last time I compete at the [WSM] show, but I will continue to compete at [Giants Live] shows and [Official Strongman Games] shows. Strongman is in my blood, and I will hopefully be able to continue to compete for many many years to come.”

According to Strongman Archives, Felix debuted as a strongman during a sixth-place performance at the 2004 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM) competition. His career highlights might be his prolific 17 berths at the WSM, along with four Finals appearances. One of his better Giants Live contest results was taking fifth place at the 2021 Arnold Strongman Classic UK (ASCUK). Meanwhile, in the Official Strongman Games (OSG), he is the defending champion in the Men’s Masters 50-plus category.

When it comes to international records, Felix recently set a World Record on the Wrecking Ball Hold at the 2022 WSM when he held up the titular implement for two minutes and 20.49 seconds.

While Felix might be set to lift his last Fingal’s Fingers and pull his last vehicles in a WSM setting, the strongman community certainly hasn’t seen the last of this competitor. For someone who has been so active for so long, perhaps the opportunity to refocus will lead to improved performances in the years to come.

@markfelixwsm on Instagram

The post Mark Felix Reveals 2023 World’s Strongest Man Will Be His Final Appearance at the Contest appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

During the Hercules Hold portion of the contest — where the competitors must utilize their grip strength to hold massive pillars in their hands for as long as possible — Dixson managed to hold her pillars for 1:08:61. (Note: Both teams were scored by their respective athletes’ collective time.) By the end of the competition, Dixson’s time was the second-longest of any of the participating strongmen and strongwomen, bested only by Team UK’s Mark Felix’s time of 1:28:35.

Felix has earned a reputation in the strength sport community when it comes to grip-strength events, winning the Hercules hold in nearly every appearance and having set the World Record for the event with 1:32 at the 2020 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM).

In a post on her Instagram, Dixson seemed to beam with pride at just having the opportunity to once again meet a strongperson competitor like Felix. The two apparently had crossed paths before during the 2021 Official Strongman Games (OSG). Dixson recalled a humorous story about her hand size compared to Felix and his famous grip strength.

“I remember last year at [the 2021 Official Strongman Games] when I met [Mark Felix],” Dixson started, “I knew about his rep as the ‘grip G.O.A.T’ [greatest of all time] and was curious how my hand size would measure up in comparison (I have always had big hands for a woman and can palm a men’s basketball). So I ran over to him, briefly introduced myself, and asked him to put his hands up to mine. He very politely obliged, and, of course, his hands were bigger. Duh. The poor fella must have thought I was insane at the time!”

Roughly a year later, it doesn’t appear Dixson lost the significance of a performance which put her name in the same conversation as an apparent role model.

“Who would have thought that just over a year later, we’d go No. 1. and No. 2 on the [2022 WSN] stage amongst some of the best of our peers?!” Dixson wrote. “Life is crazy, y’all, and I am forever grateful for the friends I made on this trip and for Mark [Felix] being so kind about a random no-name coming up to him last year.”

As for the team results, Team UK captured the overall title. That said, Dixson’s individual display of grip prowess wasn’t lost in the shuffle. Far from it. It was an elite athlete showing she’s on par with someone she seemed to look up to.

Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram

The post Gabi Dixson Notches the Second-Longest Hercules Hold at 2022 World’s Strongest Nation appeared first on Breaking Muscle.