The 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest is here, as just one sleep separates us from the start of the biggest Strongman competition in the world. With 30 athletes taking part, they first have to be divided into five groups of six athletes for the qualifying. They will remain in their groups for two days, before the two greatest athletes from each group progress to the finals. So, the groups are definitely an important factor of the competition, and they have just been revealed.
It is important to note that only the winner of the group will go straight to the finals. Consequently, the second and third place finishers in the group will battle against each other in a Stone-Off to determine who the second finalist is.
2023 World’s Strongest Man Groups
Group One
- Konstantine Janashia — Georgia
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — Ukraine
- Pa O’Dwyer — Ireland
- Tom Stoltman — GBR
- Bobby Thompson — USA
- Eddie Williams — Australia
Group Two
- Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou — Burkina Faso
- Gavin Bilton — GBR
- Fadi El Masri — Lebanon
- Thomas Evans — USA
- Oleksii Novikov — Ukraine
- Luke Stoltman — GBR
Group Three
- Graham Hicks — GBR
- Mitchell Hooper — Canada
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — Poland
- Mathew Ragg — New Zealand
- Spenser Remick — USA
- Aivars Smaukstelis — Latvia
Group Four
- Adam Bishop — GBR
- Kevin Faires — USA
- Rauno Heinla — Estonia
- Gabriel Rheaume — Canada
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — South Africa
- Brian Shaw — USA
Group Five
- Evan Singleton — USA
- Trey Mitchell — USA
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — Iceland
- Paul Smith — GBR
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — France
- Mark Felix — GBR
Related: Brian Shaw Reveals How He Almost Lost His Leg In Preparation For 2023 World’s Strongest Man
The most important portion of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man for these groups will be the first two days. So, here is what events they will go through in the hopes to qualify for the finals.
Day One, April 19th — Qualifying
- Event One — Loading Race – 8 a.m EST
- Event Two — Deadlift Machine – 11:29 a.m. EST
- Event Three — Log Ladder – 4:49 p.m. EST
Starting off on day one, the participants will be tasked with performing a loading race, which will drain every muscle group of their body. They will then move on to the Deadlift Machine, displaying their lower body and core strength. The athletes will then conclude the first day of the competition with a Log Ladder test to measure the strength of their upper body.
Day Two, April 20th — Qualifying
- Event Four — Conan’s Wheel – 8 a.m. EST
- Event Five — Kettlebell Toss – 1:20 p.m. EST
- Special Event — Stone Off – 6:13 p.m. EST
Coming into day two of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, the athletes will once again start off with a pain-endurance event, the Conan’s Wheel. They will then move on to the Kettlebell Toss. At this point, the winner of the group will secure his place in the final, while the bottom two finishers will lose all chances of qualifying.
However, the second-place and third-place in each group will perform a Stone-Off. These athletes will be stationed face-to-face, with only a wooden beam between them. They will then lift and toss the Atlas Stone to the other man’s side until one of them is unable to do it anymore. The winner of the Stone-Off goes through to the finals, but significantly more tired than the winners of each group who do not perform the Stone-Off.
Day Three, April 22nd — Finals
- Event One — Fingal’s Fingers – 8 a.m. EST
- Event Two — Knaack Deadlift – 10:41 a.m. EST
- Event Three — Reign Shield Carry – 2:18 p.m. EST
Day Four, April 23rd — Finals
- Event Four — Max Dumbbell – 8 a.m. EST
- Event Five — Vehicle Pull – 10:10 a.m. EST
- Event Six — Atlas Stones – 1:54 p.m. EST
Related: Every Winner of The World’s Strongest Man Competition Since 1977
The 2023 World’s Strongest Man will not be live-streamed anywhere, but the footage will be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network and CBS Television Network starting on May 28th. However, we will cover every aspect of the competition, so make sure to come back.
Discover comprehensive coverage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition at our WSM coverage hub, featuring exclusive interviews, final results, event recaps and in-depth analysis: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
Published: 18 April, 2023 | 3:16 PM EDT
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