On June 19, 2023, the organizers of the 2023 SC used an Instagram post to reveal that Polish strongman Mateusz Kieliszkowski had withdrawn from the latest edition of the contest, schedules for August 19-20 in Loveland, CO. Citing that Kieliszkowski wanted to take the time to get back into “fighting shape,” Welsh strongman Gavin Bilton was announced to take Kieliszkowski’s roster spot. The 2023 SC will mark Bilton’s debut in the contest’s fourth iteration later this summer.

After suffering a leg injury in the spring of 2022, Kieliszkowski returned to the strongman fray during the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC). The competition, where the Polish athlete finished as the runner-up to eventual WSM champion Mitchell Hooper, marked Kieliszkowski’s first competitive appearance in roughly a year and a half since his injury.

However, even with a strong second-place result at the early March contest, Kieliszkowski seemed to understand he likely wouldn’t be at his best possible physical condition before a 2023 WSM return, just over six weeks later. Such a prediction would come to fruition when the athlete didn’t make it out of Group 3 in the Qualifying Round.

At the time of this writing, with no specific details on the extent of Kieliszkowski’s capabilities or limitations, it appears the strongman is taking a step back to further emphasize recovery before pushing full throttle again sometime in the future. That could be a wise decision, considering a full-strength Kieliszkowski was a back-to-back runner-up at the 2018-2019 editions of the WSM.

Kieliszkowski’s absence will allow Bilton, a frequent fixture at strongman contests throughout any given competition year, to try and make his mark at the 2023 SC for the first time. Bilton recently won the 2023 Strongman Champions League (SCL) Serbia and could be riding a wave of momentum into another stellar performance. Notably, Bilton was also the runner-up at the 2023 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM), falling just short of the victor Adam Bishop.

Bilton and the rest of the roster in Colorado will be chasing Trey Mitchell, who is the two-time defending champion of the SC (2021-2022). Mitchell defeated the eponymous Shaw on both occasions for the two consecutive titles.

Whatever happens at the 2023 SC, it figures to be quite the dynamic show of strength. With a roster featuring Mitchell, Shaw, Hooper, and now Bilton, this Colorado battle is shaping up to provide an excellent test for everyone involved.

Featured image: @theshawclassic on Instagram

The post Mateusz Kieliszkowski Withdraws from 2023 Shaw Classic, Gavin Bilton Steps In appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

From Stoltman’s hallowed pursuit of all-time strongman history to the last ride for one of the sport’s all-time legends, here are five prime 2023 WSM contenders to watch in Myrtle Beach the weekend of April 19-23.

Tom Stoltman

• Most notable accomplishment: Two-time WSM champion (2020-2021)

Stoltman is chasing history few have ever touched.

It’s been almost three decades since the last three-peat in the WSM. Icons like Poland’s Mariusz Pudzianowski and Lithuania’s Žydrūnas Savickas came close to the accomplishment in the early parts of the 21st century but ultimately fell short. The United States’ Bill Kazmaier (1980-1982) and Iceland’s Magnús Ver Magnússon (1994-1996) remain the only men to score this hallowed strongman feat.

With a win in the 2023 WSM, Stoltman would join them. In this specific respect, he will have surpassed Pudzianowski, Savickas, and another living legend in Brian Shaw. He will have eclipsed every strongman to have repeated as WSM champion, but who couldn’t take it another step further.

A lot is on the line for the Scottish superstar. He might rise up to meet the moment.

Mitchell Hooper

• Most notable accomplishment: 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) champion

If there’s a strongman who seems destined for WSM greatness, the conversation probably starts and ends with Mitchell Hooper. The Canadian athlete first burst onto the scene when he blitzed the 2022 WSM Qualifying Round. While Hooper eventually lost gas in the Final, it was apparent he was part of the future of the sport. Ever since, he’s lived up to the hype and blazed a trail straight through the heart of strongman.

Per Strongman Archives, Hooper has qualified for the podium in each of his last eight strongman appearances since the 2022 WSM. Moreover, he’s won four of his last five contests, including the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK (ASCUK), the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals, the 2023 Australia’s Strongest International, and the 2023 ASC.

Should someone like Stoltman drop even a little bit off in performance near the top, it would be fair to assume that someone red-hot like Hooper steps up to fill in the gap. Winning his first career WSM title would be a perfect way to cap Hooper’s recent run of sheer dominance.

Brian Shaw

• Most notable accomplishment: Four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016)

All around, 2023 is shaping up to be an emotional and seminal moment in Shaw’s strongman career. The 2023 WSM will not only be his last appearance in the flagship strongman contest — the ensuing 2023 Shaw Classic will be the legend’s last-ever professional strongman competition. That’s right: In the next few months, Shaw will lift his last Atlas Stone.

In a competitive setting, anyway.

Shaw appears to be reveling in his farewell tour, and justifiably so. He trained with the five other American strongmen participating in the 2023 WSM and is hoping a recent leg infection is a harbinger of coming good luck based on his past competitive precedent. If Shaw wins a fifth WSM title, he will match Pudzianowski for the most all-time.

That’d be one heck of a way to pen a final chapter in his resume.

Mateusz Kieliszkowski

• Most notable accomplishment: WSM runner-up (2018-2019)

The last anyone saw Kieliszkowski in a WSM setting was almost four years ago, during the 2019 edition. The “Polish Terminator” had just capped a second-consecutive runner-up finish, making it appear his ascent to strongman’s tallest summit would be inevitable in the 2020s. However, injuries and their complications would muddle matters for Kieliszkowski. A late withdrawal from the 2022 WSM made it unclear when he’d again thrive amongst some of the globe’s strongest athletes.

After a recent 32-ton (64,000 pounds) truck pull in training, Kieliszkowski has professed he doesn’t have high expectations for his official return to the WSM. A sterling runner-up finish in the 2023 ASC — his first strongman appearance in over two years — says otherwise. When the dust settles, Kieliszkowski might not win the 2023 WSM. The five-time Poland’s Strongest Man (PSM) champion’s (2015-2019) evaluation of his own ability is probably more accurate than any outside perspective.

That said, counting his chances out on paper could be a massive mistake.

Oleksii Novikov

• Most notable accomplishment: WSM champion (2020)

If one looked up the definition of consistency in a dictionary, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a picture of a roaring Novikov. According to Strongman Archives, the Ukrainian competitor has qualified for the podium in 18 out of 20 strongman competitions dating back to September 2020. He has recorded seven victories in that same time span, including a 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) title and a triumph in the 2022 Rogue Invitational. Factor in Novikov’s WSM title to begin the decade, and it’s abundantly clear he has the pedigree to add another WSM notch to his already loaded belt of strength accomplishments.

Unfortunately, a lat muscle tear might limit Novikov’s capacity to thrive under strongman’s brightest “lights.” It didn’t seem to affect Novikov’s 2023 ESM runner-up performance in early April, but the severity of the potentially lingering injury is unconfirmed. While purely speculation, a healthier Novikov might have made it back-to-back ESM victories.

If Novikov is close to 100 percent, he will likely be a significant player working toward the 2023 WSM title until the curtains come up. His overall health status could determine whether Novikov wins outright or “only” records another podium finish.

2023 World’s Strongest Man Roster

Here’s a complete look at the full lineup of competitors in this year’s contest.

• Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom) — Defending two-time WSM champion
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
• Brian Shaw (United States)
• Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
• Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Trey Mitchell (United States)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
• Kevin Faires (United States)
• Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted (Iceland)
• Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
• Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
• Bobby Thompson (United States)
• Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
• Spenser Remick (United States)
• Eddie Williams (Australia)
• Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
• Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
• Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Mathew Ragg (New Zealand)
• Gabriel Rhéaume (Canada)
• Fadi El Masri (Lebanon)
• Jaco Schoonwinkel (South Africa)
• Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (France)
• Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
• Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
• Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
• Thomas Evans (United States)
• *Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine) — *Withdrawn
• *Maxime Boudreault (Canada) — *Withdrawn

A WSM Battle for the Ages

None of these predictions and insights are to say that other competitors on the 30-person roster for the 2023 WSM roster don’t have a chance. It’s more that the defending champion (Stoltman), the only other previous WSM winners in the competition (Shaw, Novikov), a young superstar (Hooper), and an established dark horse in his return (Kieliszkowski) could present the best possible chances for a win.

When the 2023 WSM weekend draws to a close in Myrtle Beach, it wouldn’t be a far cry to see this group of five men create fireworks.

Featured image: @shawstrength on Instagram

The post 5 Top Contenders to Watch at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Apr. 12, 2023, Kieliszkowski shared an Instagram video of himself pulling a 32-ton (64,000-pound) truck. Kieliszkowski also lists the weight in his post as 70,547 pounds, but that is a likely typo or conversion error. The athlete writes that the monstrous truck-pulling feat is the last stop in his 2023 WSM prep before taking time to appropriately recuperate his strength.

In his post, Kieliszkowski explains that he really only spent three weeks on hardcore preparation focused on the 2023 WSM. He maintained that his last true WSM preparation in 2019 was much more comprehensive and may have led to his eventual second consecutive runner-up performance. On this occasion, the athlete did not clarify precisely why he took less time to prepare, which may be related to lapses in the timeline related to his leg injury. The athlete also participated in the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) in early March, where he earned second place. That competition could’ve shuffled around his training plans as his competitive energy was momentarily diverted elsewhere.

As such, Kieliszkowski isn’t setting expectations for his individual performance very high. He’ll be happy with a solid qualification as something to build on for the future with quality patience and planning.

“Three weeks behind is not enough time to make miracles happen,” Kieliszkowski wrote in a translation. “That’s why I don’t ask for much from myself. The goal is to get to the [2023 WSM] Final and then everything will be clear in the process. Next recovery, return to training and old form and then hit 2024 with full force.”

At age 29, Kieliszkowski is one of the more established modern elite strongmen with the profile to back it up. According to Strongman Archives, in addition to his WSM runner-up finishes in 2018-2019, Kieliszkowski is a five-time Poland’s Strongest Man (PSM) champion (2015-2019). He is also a two-time winner of the Giants Live World Tour Finals (2018-2019) and came in first during the 2019 World’s Ultimate Strongman.

It’s clear that in the late 2010s, Kieliszkowski turned himself into a strongman powerhouse to be reckoned with. His 2023 ASC runner-up performance might be evidence “The Polish Terminator” is on his way back to prominence. Even if Kieliszkowski believes he’s behind the eight-ball with the 2023 WSM, the titan could very well come to surprise many people in Myrtle Beach.

Featured image: @kieliszkowskimateusz on Instagram

The post Mateusz Kieliszkowski Pulls 32-Ton Truck as His World’s Strongest Man Return Nears appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On April 6, 2022, the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competition announced that Kieliszkowski withdrew from the 2022 WSM, which will take place on May 24-29, in Sacramento, CA. The WSM organization has not yet announced a replacement but noted one would come soon on Twitter.

Shortly after the announcement of his withdrawal, the Polish-born athlete discussed his rationale in a post on his Instagram profile:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mateusz Kieliszkowski (@kieliszkowskimateusz)

[Related: 2022 World’s Strongest Man Reveals 30-Person Lineup]

“I still feel some pain and am not comfortable in my leg after the injury I got before Arnold [Classic],” Kieliszkowski wrote in the post’s caption. “Heavy training isn’t a good method to fix for recovery for my body. I have some power but not enough to compete at the highest level in the world. The best and the smartest solution for me is to withdraw from the competition. I don’t want risk because I don’t need a bigger injury than I got.”

After Kieliszkowski finished second overall in the 2019 WSM, this will be the third consecutive year he misses the competition. He previously withdrew from the 2020 event due to a triceps injury and wasn’t on the 2021 roster for undisclosed reasons. The injury Kieliszkowski alludes to in his Instagram post is also the reason he withdrew from the Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) in March of 2022. 

Success will come one day

What’s apparent is that Kieliszkowski wants to take his time working his way back into the sport. Before competing against many of the world’s elite strength-sports athletes at his usual “Polish Terminator” level again, he wants to be in a comfortable place first. He wants to be at his best. 

“Also, I don’t want to be beaten by everyone because that’s not my style — my goal is only first place,” Kieliszkowski says. “I made many mistakes. I have to be smarter this time because I want my career to be longer. Now I just need time to heal my body and be 100 percent healthy and hungry for victory.”

According to one of the sport’s greats, patience in recovery can be vital in bringing your best to competitive strongman. That certainly seems to be the main theme of Kieliszkowski’s coming approach. 

“No pressure or stress. I just need time and to be patient.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mateusz Kieliszkowski (@kieliszkowskimateusz)

[Related: Strongman Oleksii Novikov Is The 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man]

Kieliszkowski at a Glance

At only 28-years-old, Kieliszkowski has built up quite the strongman resume. Here’s a rundown of notable results from his career in recent years:

• Poland’s Strongest Man Champion — 2015-2019
• 2018 Giants Live Finals — 1st overall
• 2018 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) — 3rd overall
• 2018 WSM — 2nd overall
• 2019 Giants Live Wembley — 1st overall
• 2019 Giants Live World Tour Finals — 1st overall
• 2019 World’s Ultimate Strongman (WUS) — 1st overall
• 2019 ESM — 2nd overall
• 2019 WSM — 2nd overall
• 2019 ASC — 3rd overall
• 2020 ASC — 2nd overall
• 2021 WUS Dubai — 2nd overall

Notably, in addition to his many podium finishes, Kieliszkowski is also the current world record holder for the Cyr Dumbbell Press. He achieved this mark by lifting a 320-pound dumbbell over his head at the 2020 ASC. 

Whenever Kieliszkowski does decide to compete again, the top strongman sphere will likely welcome him with open arms. 

Featured image: @kieliszkowskimateusz on Instagram

The post Mateusz Kieliszkowski Opens Up About 2022 World’s Strongest Man Withdrawal: ‘My Goal Is Only First Place’ appeared first on Breaking Muscle.