The 2024 Strongest Man On Earth competition took place on August 17-18 and was a true strength festival. However, one man who hoped to battle for the title walked away unsatisfied. That man was Tom Stoltman, who finished in 7th place overall. Well, after traveling back to Scotland, Tom has decided to share his thoughts on the competition via YouTube.
Tom Stoltman had one of his worst performances in recent years at the 2024 Strongest Man On Earth, mostly due to the two events that he got zero points on. However, he also showed signs of improvement in the overhead pressing events, which could serve him well in the future.
Related: Tom Stoltman Shares His 11,000+ Calorie Diet While Traveling to 2024 Strongest Man On Earth
Tom Stoltman Reflects On His 7th Place Finish at 2024 SMOE
Event One — Max Deadlift
Tom Stotlman faced a number of incredible deadlifters at the 2024 Strongest Man on Earth, which made the first event exceptionally difficult. Moreover, he was used to performing deadlifts with a suit, which was not allowed at this show. So, his heaviest lift came out to 408 kilograms (900 pounds), which was enough for a seventh-place finish.
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!
“With this event, you are not allowed to wear a suit… I was coming into this event a bit nervous… My second lift was about 408 kilograms (xx pound). I was very happy with that result since that was my biggest deadlift in a competition in a long time…
For me to go up one position, I had to pull 427 kilograms, give or take, so I put that number in. I was laughing because I knew that there was no way that I was going to get this… When I stepped up to the bar for my third attempt, it was cemented to the ground.”
Event Two — Overhead Medley
The overhead pressing was not one of Tom Stoltman’s prominent abilities in the past, but he has been working hard in order to change that. Well, he was one out of just three men that managed to finish the entire Overhead Medley, which shows that he has made tremendous improvements.
“This is the event that I was really looking forward to. I put a lot of work in the gym, and it was so hard to train… Three of us finished the event. They were faster than me, but my game plan was to not rush it and get it done… It proved that I still have some of the best shoulders in the world.”
Event Three — Keg Toss
Coming into the 2024 SMOE, Tom Stotlman was one of three people that shared the World Record in the Keg Toss. However, he could not get close to his previous best, mainly due to the inaccuracy of his tosses, which forced him to expend unnecessary amounts of energy.
“The fatigue was kicking in, and I was kind of hit and miss at this. I need to dial it in properly, since sometimes I was too far away from the bar and sometimes I was too close to the bar.”
Event Four — Manhood Stones
The biggest shock for Tom Stotlman happened on the final event on day one, as he was by far the biggest favorite to take the win. The goal of the event was to choose one of four stones and perform as many reps as possible with it. Tom decided to take his chance with the heaviest one, but was not capable of lifting it on the day. So, instead of adding 16 points to his tally, Tom ended up with zero.
“I was getting a few doubts since everyone was coming back saying that the stones were a bit slippery… I was like, something bad is going to happen. Anyway, I decided to go straight for 600 pounds since Brian’s put this in the competition for someone to attempt it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it up; my tacky just kept slipping off.”
Event Five — Squat
Day two of the 2024 Strongest Man on Earth started with zero points for Tom Stotlman once again. It happened in an event that Tom feared the most, as his squat has never been one of his greatest assets. There was not much more to the performance, as Tom recognized that it is simply an event that he needs to practice a lot in the future.
“It was a beast of a thing… It was an absolute torture device. I didn’t have any buzz, and I was not confident at all… It didn’t feel heavy at all, but as soon as I got it onto the safety pins, it felt like the whole world was crushing me… I have never been one of the guys that can squat a big weight.”
Event Six — Wheelbarrow Carry / Tractor Pull
The Wheelbarrow Carry was not a problem for Tom Stoltman, but the Tractor Pull was too difficult for him. In fact, none of the 16 athletes managed to complete the entire event, which puts into perspective just how difficult it was.
“The first part of this was no problem for me, as I could put my bodyweight into it. The second part of it was arm-over-arm with a massive, massive truck. It was hellish, with every pull, you had to give 100%. It was the heaviest arm-over-arm I have ever done.”
Event Seven — Dumbbell Medley
The Dumbbell Medley was a surprise for Tom Stotlman, as he was hoping to get just one or two repetitions. Instead, he managed to lock out three, beating a number of his rivals on another overhead pressing event. This boosted his confidence, as it proved that all of his hard work on this exercise has paid off.
“By the time you get to the seventh event, you are fatigued… Thankfully, I went out there and got three dumbbells. Maybe if I took a bit extra time, I could have gotten the fourth one… It just proves that my pressing is up there with the best in the world.”
Event Eight — Fingal Fingers / Power Stairs
The final event of the 2024 Strongest Man On Earth took the final bits of energy that Tom Stoltman had left in his body. He kept pushing on for the sake of the fans, but his body was absolutely crushed at that point.
“I was just doing every step, trying to empty the tank. That was important, empty the tank, not give up, and leave everything on the field. I was done after this; I couldn’t lift anything else.”
Conclusion
Overall, it is clear that Tom Stotlman was not satisfied with his performance at the 2024 Strongest Man On Earth. However, he has taken accountability for the result and acknowledged what he needs to work on in the future. Moreover, Tom also praised Mitchell Hooper and Hafthor Bjornsson, showing that he has a true champion mentality.
“It is a bit of a miserable performance. I am back home now, and I need to put in a lot of work in order to not let this happen ever again. Obviously, I’m not happy. You go into this competition to win, and for me to come in seventh place, I should do better.
I think I just wasn’t prepared enough, and I wasn’t ready… First of all, Mitchell Hopper is an unbelievable athlete; he is proving that by winning these shows. There is no other athlete like him. Well done to Hafthor Bjornsson as well.
I have to look at these two guys. I am meant to be a professional athlete, but I go over to America and eat sweets and c**p food, while these guys are eating good quality food… If I want to be the greatest of all time, I need to win these other shows (apart from WSM).”
Message to Brian Shaw
“Thank you for inviting me again, Brian. I will never ever put on a performance like that again. I promise you I will win this show next year, and I will come back hungrier, stronger, better, and fitter.”
Watch the video here:
Related: Tom Stoltman Wins the Title for Third Time at 2024 World’s Strongest Man
Tom Stoltman has taken part in 40 international and national competitions so far and won seven of those. Most notably, he won three World’s Strongest Man competitions, along with a couple of Britain’s Strongest Man titles. However, he recognizes the need to win other competitions as well and is working towards achieving that goal.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
