The Polish athlete is able to shine on strongman’s biggest stage again.
Mateusz Kieliszkowski hoped to finally break through with a World’s Strongest Man (WSM) victory in 2022. Yet, roughly two months before the competition, the Polish strongman withdrew after suffering a leg injury. After a three-year WSM absence, Kieliszkowski’s return nears in Myrtle Beach, SC, on Apr. 19-23, 2023. It seems he’s pulling out all of the stops. Quite literally.
On Apr. 12, 2023, Kieliszkowski shared an Instagram video of himself pulling a 32-ton (64,000-pound) truck. Kieliszkowski also lists the load in his post as 70,547 kilos, but that could be 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.
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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 way more comprehensive and could have led to his eventual second consecutive runner-up performance. On this occasion, the athlete didn’t make clear precisely why he took less time to arrange, which could also be related to lapses within the timeline related to his leg injury. The athlete also participated within 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 completely satisfied with a solid qualification as something to construct on for the long run with quality patience and planning.
“Three weeks behind isn’t enough time to make miracles occur,” 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 after which the whole lot will probably be clear in the method. Next recovery, return to training and old form after which hit 2024 with full force.”
At age 29, Kieliszkowski is one among the more established modern elite strongmen with the profile to back it up. In accordance with Strongman Archives, along with his WSM runner-up finishes in 2018-2019, Kieliszkowski is a five-time Poland’s Strongest Man (PSM) champion (2015-2019). He can be a two-time winner of the Giants Live World Tour Finals (2018-2019) and got here in first through the 2019 World’s Ultimate Strongman.
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It’s clear that within the late 2010s, Kieliszkowski turned himself right into a strongman powerhouse to be reckoned with. His 2023 ASC runner-up performance is likely to be evidence “The Polish Terminator” is on his way back to prominence. Even when Kieliszkowski believes he’s behind the eight-ball with the 2023 WSM, the titan could thoroughly come to surprise many individuals in Myrtle Beach.
Featured image: @kieliszkowskimateusz on Instagram