Fojtü at full force in Leeds

A packed First Direct Bank Arena witnessed a peerless performance that featured four event wins, as well as a world record! Having finished just off the podium for the last two years, this time around he made no mistakes and the man who claimed 6^th at World Strongest Man last year lived up to the huge promise he has shown, by taking his first major Strongman title.

Shattering Eddie William’s Webster Stones world record in the first event, with a stunning 51.75m carry, Ondřej signalled his intentions early. He was in a class of his own as he equalled the record set at the 2024 WSM with a single carry! Following a brief 10-second respite after his first drop, he added another 5m and there looked to be even more in the tank! 2023 champion, Pavlo Kordiyaka, claimed second, with a 40.00m carry, on his way to a superb runner-up overall result. With no World’s Strongest Man invite yet in place for the Ukrainian, this result should secure his place in Myrtle Beach later this month.

Two-time Britain’s Strongest Man winner, Adam Bishop, took the final podium place – his second having finished runner-up in 2020. With his WSM qualification already confirmed, the Englishman looked to be keeping his powder dry, with World’s less than a fortnight away. He backed off in both the Log Lift and Axle Deadlift and whether he could have mounted a serious challenged to Fojtů, had he given every event full throttle, is a matter of debate; the young Czech athlete was in imperious form!

After a solid carry in Event 1, defending champion, Luke Richardson looked to be putting up a stern defence of his title after posting 8-reps in the 150kg Log Lift – just one behind the record. In the final heat, however, Fojtů posted a world record equalling 9-reps to claim back-to-back victories and keep his nose ahead of the Englishman. This result came as no great surprise considering he had achieved a junior world record of 220kg in his last Giants outing at the 2025 World Tour Finals.

In the Axle Deadlift for Reps, which was next up, Luke’s challenge stalled as he appeared well below par in a discipline that should have been one of his strongest. Producing a modest 4-reps, he conceded a crippling 7.5-points to Fojtů who equalled Haynes’ leading total of 8-reps to make it three wins out of three. Richardson’s defence effectively ended at this point and though he finished the contest, he appeared dejected and spoke of the tough time he has had in dealing with the sudden passing of his close friend Pa O’Dwyer. Placing 7^th overall, Luke will look to regroup ahead of World’s, and will no doubt take comfort from the tremendous support offered by the Leeds crowd who reacted empathetically after his emotional interview with Terry Hollands.

With Ondřej now commanding a near-unassailable 9-point lead, the likes of Haynes, Kordiyaka and Bishop knew they would have to defeat him in Event 4: Farmer’s Walk into Power Stairs – a new discipline for the Giants Live event roster. They may well have fancied their chances too, with the Czech athlete being one of the shorter competitors in the field and therefore more likely to struggle up the Power Stairs. Going in the final heat, however, Fojtů’s run was faultless, as he eased ahead of Haynes to take an astonishing fourth event win in a row!

Now 10-points clear of Kordiyaka, who had taken second in Event 4, Fojtů’s victory was all but guaranteed and he only needed to complete a “safe” stone run to put the finishing touches to his triumph. The Dark Horse, Paddy Haynes, claimed the event win with a scintillatingly quick 18.30 second run, but it would not move him onto the podium, and he would have to be content with 4^th place overall.

Another Czech athlete who made a big impression in Leeds was 20-year-old Matyáš Funiok, the youngest man in the contest. His 5^th place finish was highly impressive, but not a great surprise to many, having placed 3^rd at the Official Strongman Games and 2^nd at the OSG European Championships. His performance showed great consistency, indicating a lack of weaknesses that will surely see him continue his rapid rise in the sport. His placing may well earn him an invite to World’s Strongest Man, with three of the four men placed above already assured of their selection.

Ben Glasscock had a strong night, improving on his 7^th place finish at Britain’s by claiming 6^th. He will have an anxious wait to see if it will be enough to earn him a ticket to Myrtle Beach. Fellow Brit, Gavin Bilton’s night got off to a poor start, after finishing 12^th in the Webster Stones. Such a haemorrhaging of points left The Bull a mountain to climb and the best he could muster was a disappointing 10^th overall.

Debutants, Patrick Eibel and Kevin Hazeleger, fared better and were able to place 8^th and 9^th respectively. Eibel was a last-minute entrant following the withdrawal of Graham Hicks and would have had little time available to prepare for the contest. His best results came in the Stone Walk, in which he was 4^th, and Axle Deadlift, where he finished =3^rd with 7-reps. Just half a point back, Hazeleger placed =3^rd in the Log Lift, managing 7-reps with the 150kg implements – an impressive feat for such a tall man.

Poland’s Dawid Pakulski and Conor Curran of Scotland were also drafted into the contest as injury replacements for Mateusz Kieliszkowski and Luke Stoltman and performed admirably given their lack of prep time. Pakulski, making his first appearance at Giants Live, had his best result in the Log Lift, while Curran’s 10^th in the Webster Stones was his evening’s highlight.

Fojtů’s win was of such quality that he will be highly fancied to improve on his 6^th place finish at World’s and compete for a podium place. His confidence will be sky high and his competitors will be looking at him with even greater respect. His victory was characterised by not just insane static strength, but accomplished technical ability, tremendous endurance and astonishing speed. It was a performance of the very highest calibre.

Last year, Rayno Nel reminded everyone that World’s Strongest Man is not just a two-horse race between Mitchell Hooper and Tom Stoltman. Could Fojtů provide a further upset on the sport’s biggest stage?

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Event Results

Event 1: Comma Oils Webster Stone Walk

Stone weights: 113kg and 136kg

Event 2: MiraFit Log for Reps

Log weight: 150kg

Event 3: IronRhino Axel Deadlift for Reps

Axle weight: 350kg

Event 4: SBD Black Farmer’s Walk into Power Stairs

Farmer’s Walk implement weight: 150kg, Power Stairs wights: 2 x 250kg

Event 5: Castle Water Stones

Stone weights: 100kg, 120kg, 140kg, 160kg, 180kg

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