Novikov and Hooper took huge first steps toward the Final on Wednesday.

Written by Robert Zeglinski Last updated on April 19, 2023

The 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest kicked off with a bang on Apr. 19, 2023, in sunny Myrtle Beach, SC. The participating athletes were fortunate to work through the primary Qualifying Round events on a day that never veered far past the high 70s in temperature.

The primary leg of the competition saw the competitors work through the early-morning Loading Race, the early-afternoon Deadlift Machine, and closed with the near-evening Log Ladder. Here’s where the leaderboard stands after Day 1, together with a brief recap of how each athlete fared within the competition’s kickoff events.

2022 World’s Strongest Man Leaderboard — Day 1

Rank	Name	Points
Group 5.5
1	Tom Stoltman — United Kingdom	15.5
2	Bobby Thompson — USA	14
3	Pavlo Kordiyaka — Ukraine	13
4	Konstantine Janashia — Georgia	9.5
5	Eddie Williams — Australia	6
6	Pa O’Dwyer — Ireland	5
Group 2
1	Oleksii Novikov — Ukraine	16
2	Thomas Evans — USA	14
3	Luke Stoltman — United Kingdom	12
4	Gavin Bilton — United Kingdom	9
5	Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — Iceland	8.5
6	Fadi El Masri — Lebanon	3.5
Group 3
1	Mitchell Hooper — Canada	18
2	Mathew Ragg — Latest Zealand	13.5
3	Aivars Smaukstelis — Latvia	10.5
4	Graham Hicks — United Kingdom	9.5
5	Spenser Remick — USA	6.5
6	Mateusz Kielszkowski — Poland	5
Group 4
1	Brian Shaw — USA	15.5
2	Rauno Heinla — Estonia	14.5
3	Jaco Schoonwinkel — South Africa	14
4	Adam Bishop — United Kingdom	8
5	Kevin Faires — USA	5.5
6	Gabriel Rheaume — Canada	5.5
Group 5
1	Trey Mitchell — USA	16
2	Evan Singleton — USA	15.5
3	Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — Iceland	1.5
4	Mark Felix — United Kingdom	7.5
5	Paul Smith — United Kingdom	7
6	Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — France	5.5

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2022 World’s Strongest Man Day 1 Results

Listed here are the outcomes from each Qualifying Round Group, including each athlete’s individual finishes, corresponding time, and placing inside the Loading Race, Deadlift Machine, and Log Ladder events. 

Loading Race Recap

The competition’s first event tested the competitors’ strength and athleticism. Shortly before the Loading Race began, Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou withdrew from the competition.

That they had an objective of running through a four-to-six-meter (13-to-19.6-foot) field of sand as fast as they might while loading regularly heavier implements onto an elevated platform. The deadline for the Loading Race’s completion was 90 seconds. The implements featured two stacks of bundled logs (106 kilograms/234 kilos and 114.7 kilogram/253 kilos), a 124.7-kilogram (275-pound) anvil, a 120.2-kilogram (265-pound) sandbag, and a 120.2-kilogram (265-pound) “Husafell” sandbag.

Reigning Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) champion and Group 1 competitor, Pavlo Kordiyaka, had the perfect time (41.38 seconds) while successfully loading all five implements. Meanwhile, presumed top WSM contenders Oleksii Novikov (51.14 seconds) and Mitchell Hooper (42.05 seconds) each breezed through the race to guide Group 2 and Group 3, respectively.

Group 1

1. Pavlo Kordiyaka — Five implements, 41.38 seconds
2. Tom Stoltman — Five implements, 43.84 seconds
3. Bobby Thompson — Five implements, 56.56 seconds
4. Konstantine Janashia — Five implements, 61.1 seconds
5. Pa O’Dwyer — Five implements, 65.89 seconds
6. Eddie Williams — Five implements, 66.44 seconds

Group 2

1. Oleksii Novikov — Five implements, 52.14 seconds
2. Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — Five implements, 54.58 seconds
3. Thomas Evans — Five implements, 57.4 seconds
4. Luke Stoltman — Five implements, 62.78 seconds
5. Gavin Bilton — Five implements, 63.01 seconds
6. Fadi El Masri — 4 implements, 49.57 seconds

Group 3

1. Mitchell Hooper — Five implements, 42.05 seconds
2. Aivars Šmaukstelis — Five implements, 52.71 seconds
3. Mathew Ragg — Five implements — 58.72 seconds
4. Spenser Remick — Five implements, 67.15 seconds
5. Mateusz Kieliszkowski — Five implements, 67.53 seconds
6. Graham Hicks — 4 implements, 53.4 seconds

Group 4

1. Jaco Schoonwinkel — Five implements, 47.1 seconds
2. Rauno Heinla — Five implements, 51.41 seconds
3. Brian Shaw — Five implements, 53.7 seconds
4. Adam Bishop — 4 implements, 43.12 seconds
5. Gabriel Rhéaume — 4 implements, 51.03 seconds
6. Kevin Faires — Three implements, 65.3 seconds

Group 5

1. Evan Singleton — Five implements, 46.9 seconds
2. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — Five implements, 56.41 seconds
3. Trey Mitchell — Five implements, 66.64 seconds
4. Paul Smith — 4 implements, 44.79 seconds
5. Mark Felix — 4 implements, 54.32 seconds
6. Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — Three implements, 40.63 seconds

Deadlift Machine Recap

The second event of the 2023 WSM, the Deadlift Machine, was a requisite showcase of power and endurance. The athletes had a 75-second deadline to perform as many repetitions as possible on a specially designed deadlift machine.

The burden for the Deadlift Machine was increased after each rep, in the next order: 281 kilograms (619.5 kilos), 298 kilograms (657 kilos), 312 kilograms (687 kilos), 329 kilograms (725 kilos), 345 kilograms (760 kilos), 362 kilograms (798 kilos), and 379 kilograms (835.5 kilos). Any athletes who had the capability to perform the seventh and final weight could achieve this as many as they pleased inside the allotted timeframe.

Hooper (Group 3), Brian Shaw (Group 4), and Trey Mitchell (Group 5) all tied for probably the most variety of repetitions performed with eight. Hooper and Novikov (six reps in Group 2) were the one athletes to attain a second consecutive event victory for his or her Qualifying Round Group.

Group 1

1. Bobby Thompson — Seven reps
2. Tom Stoltman — Six reps
3. Konstantine Janashia — Six reps
4. Pavlo Kordiyaka — Five reps
5. Pa O’Dwyer — Five reps
6. Eddie Williams — Five reps

Group 2

1. Oleksii Novikov — Six reps
2. Thomas Evans — Five reps
3. Luke Stoltman — Five reps
4. Gavin Bilton — Five reps
5. Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — 4 reps
6. Fadi El Masri — 4 reps

Group 3

1. Mitchell Hooper — Eight reps
2. Mathew Ragg — Seven reps
3. Graham Hicks — Seven reps
4. Aivars Šmaukstelis — Five reps
5. Spenser Remick — Five reps
6. Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 4 reps

Group 4

1. Brian Shaw — Eight reps
2. Rauno Heinla — Eight reps
3. Adam Bishop — Seven reps
4. Jaco Schoonwinkel — Six reps
5. Kevin Faires — Five reps
6. Gabriel Rhéaume — Five reps

Group 5

1. Trey Mitchell — Eight reps
2. Mark Felix — Six reps
3. Evan Singleton — Six reps
4. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — Six reps
5. Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — Five reps
6. Paul Smith — 4 reps

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Log Ladder

As has been the past precedent for WSM contests, the primary day of the 2023 WSM concluded with the Log Ladder. The competitors needed to power through a difficult ladder of logs, which regularly increased in weight. Once more, that they had a 75-second deadline.

Competitors were presented with a series of 5 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 subsequent weight: 124 kilograms (275 kilos), 140 kilograms (310 kilos), 158 kilograms (350 kilos), 170 kilograms (375 kilos), and 181 kilograms (400 kilos).

Seven of the 30 competitors were capable of complete all the series of 5 lifts, including reigning WSM champion Tom Stoltman (Group 1), two-time Shaw Classic winner Trey Mitchell (Group 5), and WSM debut athletes Thomas Evans and Mathew Ragg (Group 2 and Group 3, respectively), with Evans completing the lifts within the fastest time of all the field.

Group 1

1. Tom Stoltman — Five reps, 42.5 seconds
2. Pavlo Kordiyaka — Five reps, 46 seconds
3. Bobby Thompson — 4 reps, 25.83 seconds
4. Konstantine Janashia — 4 reps, 68.35 seconds
5. Eddie Williams — 4 reps, 55.89 seconds
6. Pa O’Dwyer — Three reps, 25.8 seconds

Group 2

1. Thomas Evans — Five reps, 38.96 seconds
2. Luke Stoltman — Five reps, 52.76 seconds
3. Oleksii Novikov — 4 reps, 32.5 seconds
4. Gavin Bilton — 4 reps, 56.84 seconds
5. Fadi El Masri — Two reps, 17.43 seconds
6. Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — Two reps, 16.28 seconds

Group 3

1. Mitchell Hooper — Five reps, 39.51 seconds
2. Mathew Ragg — Five reps, 56.84 seconds
3. Graham Hicks — 4 reps, 28.31 seconds
4. Aivars Šmaukstelis — 4 reps, 30.44 seconds
5. Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 4 reps, 33.24 seconds
6. Spenser Remick — 4 reps, 38.79 seconds

Group 4

1. Brian Shaw — 4 reps, 33.99 seconds
2. Jaco Schoonwinkel — 4 reps, 34.77 seconds
3. Rauno Heinla — Three reps, 21.6 seconds
4. Kevin Faires — Three reps, 28.93 seconds
5. Gabriel Rhéaume — Three reps, 32.96 seconds
6. Adam Bishop — Three reps, 33.25 seconds

Group 5

1. Trey Mitchell — Five reps, 39.44 seconds
2. Evan Singleton — 4 reps, 35.48 seconds
3. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 4 reps, 39.93 seconds
4. Paul Smith — 4 reps, 45.84 seconds
5. Jean-Stephen Corabeouf — Three reps, 22.34 seconds
6. Mark Felix — One rep, 7.58 seconds

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An Epic WSM Day Looms

While Hooper and Novikov can have separated themselves from the pack, a bunch of 2023 WSM competitors still have to make their mark at the competition. Not everyone can dominate within the early goings and earn themselves loads of respiratory room in the method. Thursday’s Qualifying Round events, which feature the Conan’s Wheel, Kettlebell Toss, and customary Stone Off to determine five of the ten berths within the Final, should present a tense show for the athletes and spectators available.

With the subsequent legendary WSM Final on the horizon, Thursday will likely go down as a seminal moment within the forty sixth edition of strongman’s definitive competition.

Featured image: Todd Burandt / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man