The second event of the Qualifying Stage at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest in Myrtle Beach, SC, was the “Deadlift Machine.” Athletes were tasked with deadlifting increasingly heavy barrels for as many reps as possible within the 75-second time cap. The progression is as follows:
- Deadlift One — 281 kilograms
- Deadlift Two — 298 kilograms
- Deadlift Three — 312 kilograms
- Deadlift Four — 329 kilograms
- Deadlift Five — 345 kilograms
- Deadlift Six — 362 kilograms
- Deadlift Seven and Above — 379 kilograms
The heat ticked up to 76 degrees from the brisk morning earlier.
[Related: 2023 World’s Strongest Man Live Results and Leaderboard]
[Related: Cardio for Strongmen and Strongwomen to Supercharge Your Conditioning]
2023 World’s Strongest Man Loading Race Results
Below are the results for each of the groups:
Group One
- Bobby Thompson — seven reps
- Tom Stoltman — six reps (T-second)
- Konstantine Janashia — six reps (T-second)
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — five reps (T-third)
- Pa O’Dwyer — five reps (T-third)
- Eddie Williams — five reps (T-third)
As is typical in strongman competition, the athlete who placed lowest in the previous event is the first to attempt the next event. That meant Williams was first to the deadlift. He was smooth through the first four lifts before having to hitch multiple times on his fifth pull. He couldn’t move the sixth rep and waved to the crowd.
For reference, timing did not factor into this event’s scoring — only reps matter. O’Dwyer was second to the stage, strapped in, and sped through his first three reps. The fourth rep slowed but still found the lockout. Rep five was clean, albeit a grind. The crowd was behind him, but rep six remained elusive.
Janashia sauntered to the machine as the announcer touted the “Georgian Bull’s” deadlifting prowess. He made light work of the first three reps, and his fourth looked nearly as easy. Reps five and six were smooth, but he took a knee before rep seven, which never came. Medical offered him oxygen, but he waved them off after regaining his composure.
Thompson was fourth to the floor and knew this was an event where he could shine. One, two, three, four, five reps in the books without issue. Rep six was the smoothest of the day, and he was the first to lock out rep seven before triumphantly waving to the crowd to chants of “USA! USA!”
Stoltman took to the stage, knowing the target was eight reps. Easy work was made of the first five reps before rep six slowed him down. Rep seven missed, and a second attempt remained unsuccessful.
Kordiyaka entered like Stoltman, knowing seven reps shared first-place points and eight could secure a second consecutive event win. He was concerned the deadlift was his weakness and locked out five reps before recognizing he had reached his limit.
Group Two
- Oleksii Novikov — six reps
- Thomas Evans — five reps (T-second)
- Luke Stoltman — five reps (T-second)
- Gavin Bilton — five reps (T-second)
- Kristjan Jon Haraldsson — four reps (T-third)
- Fadi El Masri — four reps (T-third)
El Masri opened for Group Two as the first athlete to lift without a lifting belt. Three reps in looked good before rep four wore him down. He caught his breath to attempt rep five but couldn’t get it past his knees.
Bilton entered the arena and brought a mechanical fan to blow air on him while he pulled. With the pivot point on the machine at its bottommost point, Bilton’s forward stance on the bar paid off through five reps. He missed his sixth rep. After adjusting his belt, he was about to make a second attempt when time elapsed.
View this post on Instagram
Luke Stoltman entered third and found a rhythm through four reps. Hitching secured him rep five before he dropped to his knees to prep for a sixth rep that never came.
Evans batted clean-up for Group Two. He entered with a grunt through a clap of chalk. He adjusted his footing in the midst of his first rep and stayed there through rep four. He hitched a successful rep five but couldn’t secure rep six.
Haraldsson entered the WSM contest on the morning to replace Iron Biby and was playing with some house money. He cleared four reps with three failed attempts at rep five.
View this post on Instagram
Novikov was fifth in the lineup and knew no athlete in his group had scored past five reps. He won the Car Deadlift at the 2022 WSM and sought to repeat his effort here. A huge footing adjustment accompanied his first rep, and then it was smooth sailing to a sixth event-winning rep.
Group Three
- Mitchell Hooper — eight reps
- Matthew Ragg — seven reps (T-second)
- Graham Hicks — seven reps (T-second)
- Aivars Šmaukstelis — five reps (T-third)
- Spenser Remick — five reps (T-third)
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — four reps
Hicks was first to the floor, and his shorter stature compared to the rest of his group was an advantage in this event — the arm of the deadlift machine was bolted to its bottom position, making it favorable to have a lockout lower to the ground. Lightning speed was the feature of his first five reps. His six and seventh reps came just as smoothly but a tad slower. He was the first athlete to attempt an eighth rep.
Kieliszkowski was second to the stage. He cleared the first two reps with poise. His third rep was smooth, and a big breath preceded a successful fourth rep. He spent a lot of time before attempting a fifth rep that was not to be.
Remick was third to the machine. Looking to make a splash in his WSM debut, he exploded through his first three reps. Rep four was clean, and rep five locked out without a hitch. A failed sixth rep took him to a knee and closed out his time.
Ragg strode to the stage as the fourth for Group Two. He blazed his first five reps without any loss in power. His sixth rep slowed but finished clean. A grindy seventh rep tied him with Hicks for the lead.
Šmaukstelis smiled his way to the starting position and played to the crowd. Like others before him, he adjusted his footing in the middle of his first rep. He was struggling by his fifth rep and slipped before attempting his sixth. He bowed out but seemed in high spirits.
Hooper was last to the stage for Group Two, aware that seven reps was the mark for a share of first-place points. His feet danced on the first rep, but it was smooth sailing after that adjustment to seven reps. He was the second athlete to attempt an eighth rep but the first to successfully put it on the scoreboard.
Group Four
- Rauno Heinla — eight reps (T-first)
- Brian Shaw — eight reps (T-first)
- Adam Bishop — seven reps
- Jaco Schoonwinkel — six reps
- Gabriel Rhéaume — five reps (T-fourth)
- Kevin Faires — five reps (T-fourth)
Faires kicked things off for Group Three, aiming for redemption after a blunder in the Loading Race. He looked clean through four reps. Rep five saw a slight hitch but reached lockout. Rep six missed, and a second attempt never left the floor.
Rhéaume went second and opted not to wear a lifting suit. “Easy” was heard from the crowd as Rhéaume breezed through the first three reps. Rep four was a grind but successful. Rep five was also successful but emptied the tank. He waved off before making an attempt at rep six.
Bishop entered third for his specialty event. He needed to put on a performance after a falter in the Loading Race, and he certainly did. Six identical reps took the lead, and a grindy successful seventh cemented it. He sought an eighth rep but released it halfway up.
View this post on Instagram
Brian Shaw knew he needed to be the second strongman in the field to lock out eight reps to take the lead and had the crowd rooting for him. He pulled while wearing thick shin guards. The four-time WSM champ made five reps look like child’s play, while reps six and seven were locked out with single hitches. A double hitch locked out rep eight and the lead in the group.
Deadlift specialist Heinla had to follow Shaw. He wrapped his lifting straps around the bar and took off — the fastest seven reps of the day. He fell to his knees to catch his breath before bracing back for a successful eighth rep. He was the first athlete to make an attempt at rep nine but dropped it the moment it left the floor.
Schoonwinkel would have to invoke the might of the gods to maintain the magic he found in the Loading Race against the toughest deadlifting group thus far. A huge forward step amidst his first rep helped situate his following four reps. His pace seemed intentionally slower, and a grindy sixth rep secured him second-place points.
Group Five
- Trey Mitchell — eight reps
- Evan Singleton — six reps (T-second)
- Mark Felix — six reps (T-second)
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — five reps (T-fourth)
- Jean-Stephan Coraboeuf — five reps (T-fourth)
- Paul Smith — four reps
Coraboeuf got to set the pace for Group Five. Thick pads adorned the front of his legs as he braced through five smooth reps. Rep six was a grind that held at his knees for a lifetime but did not budge any farther.
Felix entered the deadlift event second in his 18th WSM appearance — at 57, he’s the oldest man to ever compete at WSM. He slipped in his mouthpiece and got to work. A super forward foot placement under the bar led to a fast five-rep set. He regripped his straps and ground through a sixth successful rep. He tipped to the crowd before a seventh rep and undid his lifting suit.
Paul Smith entered third to a crowd still hyped from Felix’s performance. Hitching at rep three, Smith fell to his knees after a huge reset off his thighs to lockout rep four. Rep five made it above the knees, but Smith could not get his hips through to the lockout.
Mitchell was fourth to the floor and proved why he’s one of the best deadlifters in the world. Six easy reps were followed by a single-hitch seventh rep. His eighth rep looked like he was prying Laffy Taffy out from the core of the Earth — a sweet finish nonetheless.
Ingolfsson Melsted was the penultimate deadlifter of the day. He took a lurch forward to adjust his footing and squared the rest of the way through five reps. His concentric was slower than most, and he caught a barrel with the machine still off the ground. Though it didn’t budge him at that moment, he had to shake off some light-headedness after bowing out.
Singleton was the last man out and took a hard headbutt from his training partner to pump himself up. Sharp pulls through five reps enabled him to grind through a sixth. He reset for a seventh rep but had to let it go.
One to Go on Day One
The final event of Day One of competition is the Log Ladder, scheduled to start at 6:03 p.m. EST on the Sand Stage. The 30 athletes will return on Day Two at 8:00 a.m. for Conan’s Wheel on the Land Stage.
Featured image courtesy of World’s Strongest Man.
