On the 3rd and 4th of March, the 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter (WSF) competition was held in Columbus, Ohio, as a part of the 2023 Arnold Sports Festival. This year’s competition was different from the traditional format, as the organizers modified the events to better represent the strength and skills required in the firefighting profession. The competition was intense, and after four grueling events, Andrew Burton emerged as the 2023 WSF champion, representing the Rockwall Fire Station 1, from Lavon, Texas.
Although the competition featured over a hundred athletes in the first stage, following the prelims, that number dropped to 18. However, what is most interesting is that there were no divisions, but instead women competed against middleweight and heavyweight men. The format in place still ensured that everyone had a fair chance of winning the title, as every athlete lifted the weight that corresponded with them the best. So, women, men weighing under 105 kilograms, and men weighing over 105 kilograms, all had different weight implements.
2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter Results
- Andrew Burton
- Brooks Larkin
- Nathan Warfel
- Idelfonso Nieves
- Cameron St. Amand
- Peter Juhasz
- Zack Hash
- Casey Shoe
- Olivier de Launiere
- Harry Walker
Related: 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Results – Mitchell Hooper Triumphant
Ambulance Tire Deadlift
Anyone familiar with the sport of Strongman knows that tire variations of deadlifts have been around for years, but this one was very specific. With a 60-second time limit, the participants had to perform as many reps as possible of an Ambulance Tire Deadlift.
The men who fit in the Open division deadlifted 272.1 kilograms (600 pounds), while those who weighed under 105 kilograms used a 238-kilogram (525-pound) deadlift. On the other hand, the men pulled 167.8 kilograms (370 pounds).
Cameron St. Amand was the standout athlete in the first event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter. He locked out 18 repetitions topping the leaderboards. He was followed by Idelfonso Nieves and Andrew Burton, who both performed 16 reps.
- Cameron St. Amand — 18 reps
- Idelfonso Nieves — 16 reps (Tied-second)
- Andrew Burton — 16 reps (Tied-second)
- Harry Walker — 14 reps (Tied-fourth)
- Olivier de Launiere — 14 reps (Tiex-fourth)
Sandbag Carry
For the second event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter, the participants were tasked with carrying three sandbags across the platform and bringing them back to the starting position. Both Open and U105KG men were given sandbags weighing 100 kilograms (220 pounds), 113.7 kilograms (250 pounds), and 136 kilograms (300 pounds).
Women, however, carried 79.3-kilogram (175-pound), 90.7-kilogram (200-pound), and 100-kilogram (220-pound) sandbags.
Brooks Larkin was the speediest of the bunch, outperforming Cameron Dt. Amand by just 0.07 seconds for first-place. Nathan Warfel finished in third with a time of 41.99 seconds.
- Brooks Larkin — 40.43 seconds
- Cameron St. Amand — 40.5 seconds
- Nathan Warfel — 41.99 seconds
- Daniel Camacho — 43.19 seconds
- Andrew Burton — 43.33 seconds
Axe Hold
The penultimate event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter was the Axe Hold. This endurance event saw the men hold an 11.3-kilogram (25-pound) axe, while women held 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds).
The only athlete to hold the axe for over a minute and thus win the event was Joseph Voiles. His final time came out to 61.38 seconds, two seconds more than the second-place finisher, Zack Hash. Rounding out the top three was Andrew Burton with a time of 59.7 seconds.
- Joseph Voiles — 61.38 seconds
- Zack Hash — 59.77 seconds
- Andrew Burton — 59.7 seconds
- Brooks Larkin — 59.28 seconds
- Nathan Warfel — 58.22 seconds
Fire Hydrant Load
Many Strongman competitions finish with the Atlas Stones, and the 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter was not too much different. However, instead of loading the Atlas Stones, the participants had to load Fire Hydrants.
For women, the Fire Hydrants weighed 45.3 kilograms (100 pounds), 56.6 kilograms (125 pounds), 68 kilograms (150 kilograms), and 79.3 kilograms (175 pounds).
Men used fire hydrants weighing 79.3 kilograms (175 pounds), 90.7 kilograms (200 pounds), 102.5 kilograms (225 pounds), and 113.7 kilograms (250 pounds).
Andrew Burton finished with a bang despite the pressure. He needed the win and managed to achieve it with a time of 17.17 seconds. Peter Juhasz finished just behind him in the second, beating Brooks Larkin by 0.35 seconds.
- Andrew Burton — 17.17 seconds
- Peter Juhasz — 18 seconds
- Brooks Larkin — 18.35 seconds
- Idelfonso Nieves — 20.62 seconds
- Nathan Warfel — 21.88 seconds
Related: 2023 Arnold Strongwoman Classic Results — Victoria Long Victorious
The 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter competition was once again very thrilling, with the winners determined in the final seconds. In addition, it proved just how strong and powerful these men and women are, which is directly correlated with the firefighting jobs. Many of these participants showed great skills, with some even resembling top-level Strongman and Strongwoman athletes.
Published: 7 March, 2023 | 2:00 PM EDT
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