The second day of qualifying for the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition took place on April 20th, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Having experienced some shocking results on day one, 30 athletes got a good night’s sleep to prepare themselves for the challenges of day two. The participants took part in two events today, Conan’s Wheel and Kettlebell Throw. However, the second and third place finishers in each group also performed a third event, the Stone-Off duel, in order to find out who goes through to the finals.
Having completed day two of the World’s Strongest Man 2023, we now know the names of all ten finalists. There were some surprises, since many of the athletes will be making their debut in the finals, but it definitely looks promising. In addition to the standard great performances of Oleksii Novikov, Mitchell Hooper, Pavlo Kordiyaka, and others, we also saw a masterclass from Jaco Schoonwinkel, who beat Brian Shaw and others in his group. In addition, Mathew Ragg of New Zealand also impressed everyone and will make for a great finalist.
2023 WSM Results and Point Standings
| Group 1 | ||
| Rank | Name | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pavlo Kordiyaka — Ukraine (QUALIFIED) | 25 |
| 2 | Tom Stoltman — United Kingdom (QUALIFIED THROUGH STONE-OFF) | 20.5 |
| 3 | Bobby Thompson — USA | 20 |
| 4 | Konstantine Janashia — Georgia | 17.5 |
| 5 | Pa O’Dwyer — Ireland | 13 |
| 6 | Eddie Williams — Australia | 9 |
| Group 2 | ||
| Rank | Name | Total Points |
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov — Ukraine (QUALIFIED) | 23 |
| 2 | Luke Stoltman — United Kingdom (QUALIFIED THROUGH STONE-OFF) | 21 |
| 3 | Gavin Bilton — United Kingdom | 20 |
| 4 | Thomas Evans — USA | 18 |
| 5 | Kristján Jón Haraldsson — Iceland | 15.5 |
| 6 | Fadi El Masri — Lebanon | 7.5 |
| Group 3 | ||
| Rank | Name | Total Points |
| 1 | Mitchell Hooper — Canada (QUALIFIED) | 29 |
| 2 | Mathew Ragg — New Zealand (QUALIFIED THROUGH STONE-OFF) | 22.5 |
| 3 | Aivars Smaukstelis — Latvia | 17.5 |
| 4 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski — Poland | 14 |
| 5 | Graham Hicks — United Kingdom | 11.5 |
| 6 | Spenser Remick — USA | 10.5 |
| Group 4 | ||
| Rank | Name | Total Points |
| 1 | Jaco Schoonwinkel — South Africa (QUALIFIED) | 24 |
| 2 | Brian Shaw — USA (QUALIFIED THROUGH STONE-OFF) | 23.5 |
| 3 | Rauno Heinla — Estonia | 20.5 |
| 4 | Adam Bishop — United Kingdom | 14 |
| 5 | Kevin Faires — USA | 13.5 |
| 6 | Gabriel Rhéaume — Canada | 9.5 |
| Group 5 | ||
| Rank | Name | Total Points |
| 1 | Trey Mitchell — USA (Qualified) | 26 |
| 2 | Evan Singleton — USA (QUALIFIED THROUGH STONE-OFF) | 24.5 |
| 3 | Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — Iceland | 22.5 |
| 4 | Mark Felix — United Kingdom | 12.5 |
| 5 | Paul Smith — United Kingdom | 11 |
| 6 | Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — France | 8.5 |
Related: Eddie Hall Reveals His Top 3 Predictions For The 2023 World’s Strongest Man
2023 World’s Strongest Man Day Two Event Recap
Conan’s Wheel
The Conan’s Wheel is despised by the majority of Strongman athletes due to the pain that it produces, but it is very effective in separating the best performers. In this event, the athletes have to pick up a 200-kilogram (440.9-pound) beam, which pivots around a fixed point in the center, and carry the weight for as long as possible. Having to perform the event for max distance, the athletes are not allowed to drop it at all since that would mark the end of their attempt. The beam is usually placed on the forearms of the athletes, meaning that the entire body has to be activated in order to perform well.
The result is measured in degrees, with 360° equaling one full circle.
Group One
Pavlo Kordiyaka is notoriously great at this event and he expectedly won the event by completing just over two full circles. He utilized a technique of controlled breathing and a steady pace to win, an event of this magnitude demonstrates the importance of planning in advance.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Pa O’Dwyer finished in second with 722 degrees and was the only man close to Pavlo. However, Pa almost fainted at the end of the event, having dropped his entire upper body over the beam in order to stay on his feet. Bobby Thompson covered 649 degrees for a third place finish.
The first surprise of the day was also seen in group one, as Tom Stoltman finished in last place. He started off well, but his forearms slipped down very quickly, making it harder for him to hold the beam.
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 742 °
- Pa O’Dwyer — 722 °
- Bobby Thompson — 649 °
- Konstantine Janashia — 633 °
- Eddie Williams — 614 °
- Tom Stoltman — 598 °
Group Two
It was clear that Oleksii Novikov was determined to secure his place in the finals as early as possible and leave nothing to chance. By covering a distance of 897 degrees, Oleksii demolished everyone in his group and extended his overall lead to an uncatchable six points.
Gavin Bilton finished in second after a very elegant attempt. While many athletes were very unstable in this event, especially at the end, Bilton was upright and stable. He kept the same pace throughout and just suddenly dropped the beam. However, with 557 degrees, he still managed to outperform Luke Stoltman by 12 degrees.
- Oleksii Novikov — 897 °
- Gavin Bilton — 557 °
- Luke Stoltman — 545 °
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 524 °
- Fadi El Masri — 70 °
- Thomas Evans — 69 °
Group Three
Mitchell Hooper managed to hold on to his perfect win streak in this competition with a 636 degrees Conan’s Wheel result. He immediately took up a fast rhythm, securing max points and mathematically winning group three overall as well.
Mathew Ragg took up a different approach than Hooper, starting off slower, but being more stable. He was just short of Hooper, with a score of 628 degrees. Aivars Smaukstelis’ result of 575 degrees was more than good enough for third place, but he wasn’t able to contend for the top two places.
- Mitchell Hooper — 636 °
- Mathew Ragg — 628 °
- Aivars Smaukstelis — 575 °
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 538 °
- Spenser Remick — 470 °
- Graham Hicks — 425 °
Group Four
Group four proved to be the tightest of all, as there was no way of knowing who could win the group going into the final event. Jaco Schoonwinkel, one of the most pleasant surprises this year, won his second event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. He won the event as the only man with over 700 degrees of coverage in group four, which he managed to do due to his long and efficient strides.
Kevin Faires finished in second after a very subpar performance from him this year. He completed 636 degrees and proved that he earned his place at the most prestigious competition. Just after him was Rauno Heinla, who started fast straight from the gates.
The biggest surprise was Brian Shaw who finished second-to-last for apparently no specific reason.
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 713 °
- Kevin Faires — 636 °
- Rauno Heinla — 572 °
- Gabriel Rheaume — 476 °
- Brian Shaw — 411 °
- Adam Bishop — 292 °
Group Five
As a result of his leaner build, Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted managed to put in a very impressive performance. He finished with a score of 629 degrees, which was significantly better than anyone else’s attempt.
However, all eyes were on Evan Singleton and Trey Mitchell, as they were fighting for first place overall. Evan was just slightly better than Trey, earning valuable points.
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 629 °
- Evan Singleton — 589 °
- Trey Mitchell — 523 °
- Paul Smith — 518 °
- Mark Felix — 470 °
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — 143 °
Kettlebell Toss
The next event at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man was the Kettlebell Toss. It was arguably the most important event in the qualifying stage of the competition, since the first place overall qualified for the finals. On the other hand, the fifth and sixth place overall completely lost the chance to qualify at all. So, this event presented the final chance for everyone.
For the Kettlebell Toss, the athletes were tasked with throwing seven kettlebells over a 4.57-meter tall beam. The seven implements started at a weight of 20 kilograms (44 pounds) and progressively increased with each next one. The final kettlebell was set to weigh 31 kilograms (68.3 pounds). However, the participants only had 60 seconds to complete all implements.
Group One
The Kettlebell Toss turned out to be a very tight event in group one, as only seconds separated the pack. Everyone in the group found the seventh implement too heavy to toss over the bar. So, it came down to who was the quickest to perform the sixth one. Pavlo Kordiyaka was the last man to come out on the field. So, having known the results of everyone in his group, he plowed through the six kettlebells and won with a time of 18.09 seconds. Pavlo was also the first in the group overall, qualifying for the finals directly.
Konstantine Janashia finished in second by putting up a time of 19.93 seconds. However, this meant nothing for his overall placing, as Tom Stoltman and Bobby Thompson put up good enough performances to advance to the Stone Off.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 6 in 18.09 s
- Konstantine Janashia — 6 in 19.93 s
- Tom Stoltman — 6 in 21.99 s
- Pa O’Dwyer — 6 in 31.71 s
- Bobby Thompson — 6 in 35.67 s
- Eddie Williams — 6 in 36.40 s
Group Two
Group two also did not see anyone complete the final kettlebell, but Gavin Bilton did surprise everyone with his incredibly fast 6 implements. Two out of the six kettlebells just nearly crossed over the bar. So, Gavin evidently took the risky road. However, walking out with a time of 19.90 seconds was enough to bump him from fourth to third place overall, securing him a place in the Stone Off.
Luke Stoltman finished second as the only other man in this group to toss six kettlebells. His approach was completely different from Gavin’s, since he took it slow and steady. Finishing in third was Thomas Evans, who proved how powerful he is, but the lack of experience and technique prevented him from placing higher.
Oleksii Novikov only performed one kettlebell since it was enough for him to win the group overall and qualify for the finals.
- Gavin Bilton — 6 in 19.90 s
- Luke Stoltman — 6 in 49.35 s
- Thomas Evans — 5 in 28.68 s
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 5 in 15.57 s
- Fadi El Masri — 4 in 20.61 s
- Oleksii Novikov — 1 in 9.56 s
Group Three
Mateusz Kieliszkowski was the first man in the competition to complete all seven implements, thus winning the event in group three. He completed all implements in 32.44 seconds, but was eliminated from the competition due to not finishing in the top three overall.
Mitchell Hooper had already secured a victory overall in group three, but he still gave his all in the Kettlebell Toss event. He completed six implements in 17.18 seconds. He attempted the seventh kettlebell as well, but was not bothered by failing at all. Mathew Ragg was just four seconds slower than Hooper and finished third.
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 7 in 32.44 s
- Mitchell Hooper — 6 in 17.18 s
- Mathew Ragg — 6 in 21.96 s
- Aivars Smaukstelis — 6 in 25.41 s
- Spenser Remick — 5 in 24.31 s
- Graham Hicks — 4 in 20.51 s
Group Four
Brian Shaw has previously set world records in toss events like this. So, it was no surprise that he was capable of finishing all seven implements in just 48.45 seconds. However, his seventh kettlebell throw was initially unsuccessful, but he managed to correct it on the second attempt. However, Brian finished second in his group overall, which means that he has to perform the Stone Off.
Adam Bishop completed six kettlebells in 32.29 seconds, securing a second place in this group. However, this performance was just for the show, since Adam had no way of advancing to the next stage of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man.
Jaco Schoonwinkel struggled to get the sixth implement over the bar, but somehow gathered the strength to do it in the final seconds. Due to this, Jaco won the group overall and directly qualified for the finals which no one predicted due to the strength of the group’s roster.
- Brian Shaw — 7 in 48.45 s
- Adam Bishop — 6 in 32.29 s
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — 6 in 47.32 s
- Kevin Faires — 5 in 34.09 s
- Rauno Heinla — 5 in 44.51 s
- Gabriel Rheaume — 3 in 14.00 s
Group Five
Trey Mitchell clutched out at the end, winning the event and his group overall. He was one of the few athletes in the entire competition who completed all seven implements, and the only one to do this in group five.
The second and third place in this event were occupied by Melsted and Singleton, with six kettlebells each. In addition, their battle was extremely close since Melsted finished his six implements just one second faster than Singleton. Having also finished second and third overall, these two men advanced to the Stone Off.
- Trey Mitchell — 7 in 34.42 s
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 6 in 27.66 s
- Evan Singleton — 6 in 28.81 seconds
- Mark Felix — 4 in 42.66 s
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — 2 in 23.65 s
- Paul Smith — 1 in 28.62 s
Stone Off
The final event of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man qualifiers was the Stone Off. Only two athletes wtook part in this event, and those were the second and third place finishers in each group.
The second-place finisher and third-place finisher from the same group were stationed on two sides of one beam. The third-place finisher then lifted and tossed the Atlas Stone to the side of the second-place finisher, who then did the same. This went on until one of the men wa unable to toss the Atlas Stone to the other man’s side. Consequently, the winner of this duel secured his place in the finals, while the loser went home.
Group One
Bobby Thompson injured his hamstring, making the job easy for Tom Stoltman.
- Tom Stoltman: Won
- Bobby Thompson: Lost
Group Two
After both men performed seven repetitions, Gavin Bilton was unable to complete another one. Thus, Luke Stoltman emerged victorious, leaving Gavin Bilton devastated.
- Luke Stoltman: Won
- Gavin Bilton: Lost
Group Three
After both men performed eight repetitions, Aivars Smaukstelis failed to perform the ninth, resulting in a loss for him. Consequently, Mathew Ragg advanced to the finals. Aivars also appeared to have injured himself.
- Mathew Ragg: Won
- Aivars Smaukstelis: Lost
Group Four
Brian Shaw faced off against Rauno Heinla in the Stone-Off and won, qualifying for the finals. However, Rauno did not make it easy for Brian, since he had to perform 11 reps before Rauno could not go anymore.
- Brian Shaw: Won
- Rauno Heinla: Lost
Group Five
Evan Singleton qualified for the finals of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man for the first time in his career. Melsted turned out to be the weaker athlete in this duel, thus dropping out of the competition.
- Evan Singleton: Won
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted: Lost
2023 World’s Strongest Man Remaining Schedule
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
Previous World’s Strongest Man Winners
| Year | Winner | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Bruce Wilhelm | Hollywood, California |
| 1978 | Bruce Wilhelm | Hollywood, California |
| 1979 | Don Reinhoudt | Hollywood, California |
| 1980 | Bill Kazmaier | Vernon, New Jersey |
| 1981 | Bill Kazmaier | Magic Mountain, California |
| 1982 | Bill Kazmaier | Magic Mountain, California |
| 1983 | Geoff Capes | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| 1984 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Mora, Sweden |
| 1985 | Geoff Capes | Cascais, Portugal |
| 1986 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Nice, France |
| 1988 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Budapest, Hungary |
| 1989 | Jamie Reeves | San Sebastián, Spain |
| 1990 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Joensuu, Finland |
| 1991 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Tenerife, Spain |
| 1992 | Ted van der Parre | Reykjavík, Iceland |
| 1993 | Gary Taylor | Orange, France |
| 1994 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Sun City, South Africa |
| 1995 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 1996 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Port Louis, Mauritius |
| 1997 | Jouko Ahola | Primm, Nevada |
| 1998 | Magnus Samuelsson | Tangier, Morocco |
| 1999 | Jouko Ahola | Valletta, Malta |
| 2000 | Janne Virtanen | Sun City, South Africa |
| 2001 | Svend Karlsen | Victoria Falls, Zambia |
| 2002 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 2003 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Victoria Falls, Zambia |
| 2004 | Vasyl Virastyuk | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 2005 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Chengdu, China |
| 2006 | Phil Pfister | Sanya, China |
| 2007 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Anaheim, California |
| 2008 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Charleston, West Virginia |
| 2009 | Žydrūnas Savickas | Valletta, Malta |
| 2010 | Žydrūnas Savickas | Sun City, South Africa |
| 2011 | Brian Shaw | Wingate, North Carolina |
| 2012 | Žydrūnas Savickas | Los Angeles, California |
| 2013 | Brian Shaw | Sanya, China |
| 2014 | Žydrūnas Savickas | Los Angeles, California |
| 2015 | Brian Shaw | Putrajaya, Malaysia |
| 2016 | Brian Shaw | Kasane, Botswana |
| 2017 | Eddie Hall | Gaborone, Botswana |
| 2018 | Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson | Manila, Philippines |
| 2019 | Martins Licis | Bradenton, Florida |
| 2020 | Oleksii Novikov | Bradenton, Florida |
| 2021 | Tom Stoltman | Sacramento, California |
| 2022 | Tom Stoltman | Sacramento, California |
Related: Every Winner of The World’s Strongest Man Competition Since 1977
How To Watch
You can’t watch the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition live online unless you’re in Myrtle Beach, SC. But, we’ll provide a detailed summary of the event for you to stay informed.
FAQs
How Does The Scoring System Work?
The resulting system is based on the number of competitors. Seeing that there are six athletes in each group, the winner of the event gets six points, with every following position receiving one point less.
Who Won Last Year’s World’s Strongest Man Title?
Tom Stoltman from Scotland is the reigning 2x World’s Strongest Man champion. He won two consecutive titles in 2021 and 2022.
Which World’s Strongest Man Is Inducted Into Hall Of Fame?
The WSM Hall of Fame is a club of the most impressive Strongman athletes in history. It was established in 2008, but still features only a small number of athletes. The Hall of Fame has six members as of 2022: Bill Kazmaier, Mariusz Pudzianowski, Svend Karlsen, Magnús Ver Magnússon, Jón Páll Sigmarsson, and Magnus Samuelsson.
Full WSM 2023 Coverage
- 2023 World’s Strongest Man Results
- 2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Day Two Finals
- 2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Finals Day One
- 2023 World’s Strongest Man Finalist Revealed
- 2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Day One Qualifiers
- 2023 World’s Strongest Man Results — Day Two Qualifiers
- Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou Withdraws From 2023 World’s Strongest Man; Kristján Jón Haraldsson Steps In
Stay on top of the 2024 World’s Strongest Man! Reporting live from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Find exclusive interviews, final results, and all the latest news at our WSM hub: FitnessVolt.com/wsm
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
