Adam Bishop reclaimed the title of Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM). The 2020 titleholder won his second title at the 2023 championship on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2023, at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England. He held off the challenge of 11 other competitors, including Gavin Bilton, who finished in second place, and 2019 champion Graham Hicks, who took home the bronze.
The event was streamed live by Official Strongman. Below are the final standings:
2023 Britain’s Strongest Man Results
- Adam Bishop — 53.5 points
- Gavin Bilton — 50 points
- Graham Hicks — 48 points
- Paul Smith —43 points
- Kane Francis — 35 points
- Andy Black — 34.5 points
- Mark Felix — 32 points
- Ryan Bennett — 31 points
- Louis Jack — 23.5 points
- Zake Muluzi —17.5 points
- Cilléin Groom — 17 points
- Shane Flowers — one point (withdrew)
The single-day competition featured five events: Deadlift Ladder, Car Walk, Viking Press for Reps, Loading Race, and Power Stairs. Recaps for each event are below.
[Related: Martins Licis and Mitchell Hooper Study Technique at Squat University]
Deadlift Ladder
The opening event was the Deadlift Ladder. The athletes performed up to five reps on the deadlift with progressively heavier weights, ranging from 300 kilograms (661 pounds) to 380 kilograms (838 pounds). Bishop, Hicks, Andy Black, and Bilton completed all five reps. Bishop won the event by knocking out all five in less than 30 seconds. Flowers withdrew after this event, reducing the field to 11 for the remainder of the contest.
- Adam Bishop — Five in 28.09 seconds
- Graham Hicks — Five in 31.79 seconds
- Gavin Bilton — Five in 48.35 seconds
- Andy Black — Five in 55.46 seconds
- Mark Felix — Four in 22.59 seconds
- Paul Smith — Four in 31.66 seconds
- Kane Francis — Four in 40.29 seconds
- Louis Jack — Three in 19.46 seconds
- Zake Muluzi — Three in 23.63 seconds
- Ryan Bennett — Three in 32.50 seconds
- Cilléin Groom — Three in 38.18 seconds
- Shane Flowers — Two in 10.23 seconds
Car Walk
Next up was the Car Walk. The strongmen maneuvered a 20-meter course carrying a 450-kilogram (992-pound) car frame. The fastest time determined the winner. All 11 remaining athletes finished the event, but Bishop took the victory with a time of 17.16 seconds. Smith finished 1.5 seconds behind him. Hicks rounded out the top three.
- Adam Bishop — 17.16 seconds
- Paul Smith — 18.46 seconds
- Graham Hicks — 19.66 seconds
- Mark Felix — 21.03 seconds
- Gavin Bilton — 24.35 seconds
- Ryan Bennett — 26.25 seconds
- Kane Francis — 34.54 seconds
- Andy Black — 38.64 seconds
- Cilléin Groom — 49.53 seconds
- Louis Jack — 52.46 seconds
- Zake Muluzi — 52.46 seconds
Viking Press for Reps
A strongman event wouldn’t be complete without an overhead challenge. The 2023 BSM had the Viking Press for Reps. The strongman who pressed 150 kilograms (330 pounds) the most times overhead to full lockout with proper form won. The winner was Paul Smith, who completed 13 reps. Hicks, Bilton, and Ryan Bennett tied for second with 12 reps. Bishop managed eight reps to rank seventh in this event.
- Paul Smith — 13 reps
- Graham Hicks — 12 reps
- Gavin Bilton — 12 reps
- Ryan Bennett — 12 reps
- Kane Francis — 10 reps
- Louis Jack — Nine reps
- Adam Bishop — Eith reps
- Andy Black — Eight reps
- Zake Muluzi — Six reps
- Cilléin Groom — Five reps
- Mark Felix — One rep
[Related: Rhianon Lovelace Scores U64KG Axle Clean & Press World Record of 101 Kilograms (222.7 Pounds)]
Loading Race
In the fourth event of the day, the competitors had one minute to carry an anchor, two barrels, and a tire across a 12-meter course. Each weighed 120 kilograms (264 pounds). Bishop rebounded from the last event to a third event win, finishing in just under 40 seconds. Bilton was .99 of a second behind him, and Paul Smith was third by finishing two seconds slower. Only Zake Muluzi and Hicks could not finish the course in time.
- Adam Bishop — Four in 39.09 seconds
- Gavin Bilton — Four in 40.08 seconds
- Paul Smith — Four in 41.60 seconds
- Andy Black — Four in 41.65 seconds
- Kane Francis — Four in 42.51 seconds
- Cilléin Groom — Four in 44.61 seconds
- Louis Jack — Four in 45.80 seconds
- Mark Felix — Four in 49.84 seconds
- Ryan Bennett — Four in 52.10 seconds
- Zake Muluzi — Three in 39.45 seconds
- Graham Hicks — Three in 43.70 seconds
Power Stairs
Typically, elite strongman contests close with the Atlas Stones, but the 2023 BSM finished with the Power Stairs. Five weights, ranging from 200 kilograms (440 pounds) to 240 kilograms (529 pounds) in 10-kilogram increments, had to be carried up three steps to the top. The strongman who completed all 15 steps the fastest would win, and that was Bishop. He clinched the title by finishing in 36 seconds.
Bilton sealed up the silver position by ranking second, and Hicks finished third. Only they and Mark Felix completed all 15 steps within the 60-second time limit.
- Adam Bishop — 15 in 36.65 seconds
- Gavin Bilton — 15 in 47.35 seconds
- Graham Hicks — 15 in 52.99 seconds
- Mark Felix — 15 in 57.19 seconds
- Andy Black — 14 in 57.66 seconds
- Kane Francis — 14 in 55.37 seconds
- Ryan Bennett — 14 in 57.83 seconds
- Louis Jack — 11 in 50.79 seconds
- Zake Muluzi — 11 in 43.32 seconds
- Paul Smith — Nine in 29.27 seconds
- Cilléin Groom — Nine in 33.82 seconds
Other Notes
With this win, Bishop now joins two-time reigning World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman as two-time BSM champion. Stoltman opted to not defend his BSM title after winning it in 2021 and 2022 to focus on training for the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic.
Thanks to their finishes in this contest, Bishop, Bilton, and Hicks have qualified for the 2023 World’s Strongest Man contest, set to take place Apr. 19-23, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, SC. The next contest on the Giants Live calendar is the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man competition, held on April Fool’s Day, April 1, 2023, in Leeds, England.
Featured Image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram
