World’s Strongest Man – the sport’s most sought-after title – gets underway on 15th May and pre-contest excitement and speculation is at fever pitch!
The strongest twenty-five men on the planet will be converging on Sacramento, California, to battle it out for the greatest strength title of them all. With the two days of q
ualification kicking off on May 15th, the group line-ups can finally be announced, and with just five men per heat, qualification for the final will be tougher than ever!
As is the case every year, the big guns are seeded and kept apart in the heats. But with the phenomenal strength in-depth in attendance this year, there will be no easy rides to the grand final and every one of the ten qualification places will be fought for tooth and nail. Every year, a major player falls foul of the group stages and this year, above any other, there is scope for some big upsets!
Defending and three-time champ, Tom Stoltman, heads the first group and will be looking to join a very select club of four-time winners. Previous finalists include South Africa’s Jaco Schoonwinkel, who was 10th in 2023, and the World’s Strongest Latino, Austin Andrade, who placed 7th last year. Australia’s Singing Strongman, Eddie Williams, possibly the biggest athlete in the whole contest, will be hoping to make his first final as will Thomas Evans of the US. He was 4th at the Strongman Open last season, and like the hugely talented Williams, is well capable of causing an upset.
The second qualification group offers a blend of past finalists and debutants, as well as the contest’s red-hot favourite, Michell Hooper! The Moose will be looking to extend his seven-contest winning streak and add a second WSM title to his staggering list of accolades. Fellow Canadian, Wes Derwinsky, and New Zealand’s Mat Ragg were both finalists last year, and potential podium finishers. If Hooper’s qualification for the final is the closest thing to a certainty there is this year, then one of these men will out. Making their debuts are England’s Paddy Haynes, who was 2nd at Europe’s Strongest Man, and 2024 OSG runner-up, Bryce Johnson.
The third group is an intriguing one and arguably the hardest to predict. Two-time runner-up, Mateusz Kieliszkowski, will be hoping to put recent WSM disappointment behind him and return to the incredible form he is capable of. America’s Strongest Man, Lucas Hatton was second at the Arnold’s, and despite having never competed at World’s, is well fancied to make the final. Rayno Nel will also be making his debut and comes into the contest on a winning streak that includes the SCL World Final and Africa’s Strongest Man. England’s Shane Flowers returns to WSM for the first time since 2022, and Ghanaian Evans Nana will also make his second appearance.
“Big Thickett” Trey Mitchell, a four-time finalist, could well be the favourite to progress from Group 4, but newly crowned Europe’s Strongest Man, Luke Richardson, will have plenty to say about it! The Englishman, also a former finalist, returns to World’s for the first time since 2021 and is in the form of his life. Two Canadians feature in this group, with Tristain Hoath returning after placing 5th last year. Maxime Boudreault was 3rd in 2021 and will be looking to make a third top ten. Ondřej Fojtů narrowly missed the final last year and could be a wild card pick, having performed superbly at Europe’s Strongest Man.
The T-Rex, Evan Singleton, made his first WSM podium last year and is steadily moving closer to fulfilling his promise to take the title. He’ll have his hands full, however, with two multiple finalists in Luke Stoltman and Pavlo Kordiyaka, ready to pounce on any mistakes from the massive American. 2024 Official Strongman Games winner, Nick Gardione, could no doubt cause some upsets, as could the other rookie in this heat – Andrew Flynn, who was 3rd at Britain’s earlier this year.
And that completes the line-up of what is arguably the strongest collection of athletes ever seen at World’s Strongest Man. With the ten eventual qualifier’s group-stage performance now contributing to their final points total, these will be the most competitive heats ever seen. WSM looks as if it will be more competitive than ever!
