The 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest is scheduled for April 19-23, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, SC. The 12 events across the five days of competition featuring a Qualifying stage and a Final were released in January 2023, but the roster was not yet confirmed — until now.
It was known from his YouTube channel that two-time reigning WSM champion Tom Stoltman would attempt to three-peat, but unclear against whom until Feb. 9, 2023, when nearly the full roster was released. Check out who will attempt to dethrone Stoltman below:
2023 World’s Strongest Man Roster
- Tom Stoltman (UK) — Reigning two-time WSM champion
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
- Evan Singleton (USA)
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
- Trey Mitchell (USA)
- Adam Bishop (UK)
- Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
- Kevin Faires (USA)
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted (Iceland)
- Paul Smith (UK)
- Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
- Bobby Thompson (USA)
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
- Gavin Bilton (UK)
- Spenser Remick (USA)
- Eddie Williams (Australia)
- Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
- Graham Hicks (UK)
- Luke Stoltman (UK)
- Mathew Ragg (New Zealand)
- Gabriel Rhéaume (Canada)
- Brian Shaw (USA)
- Fadi El Masri (Lebanon)
- Jaco Schoonwinkel (South Africa)
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (France)
- Mark Felix (UK)
- Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
- Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
- Thomas Evans (USA)
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine) — withdrawn
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At the 2022 WSM contest, there were 30 athletes in total. Notable absences from the current roster are 2020 WSM champion Oleksii Novikov and 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis — the only athletes to reach the 2022 WSM Final who are not on the 2023 WSM roster.
Novikov has shared his training for the 2023 WSM contest on his YouTube channel and will presumably be one of the additional athletes announced later. However, per Hooper, Licis is taking the year off from competition and is unlikely to compete at the 2023 WSM — Licis has not
At the 2022 WSM contest, Mark Felix was asked if he would return in 2023 to compete in the WSM contest, and he said yes. Assuming he is healthy, he is one of the likely athletes yet to be confirmed.
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2023 World’s Strongest Man Events
Below are the events and the days of the competition they will be held on:
Qualifying Stage
- Event One | Loading Race — Day One
- Event Two | Deadlift Machine — Day One
- Event Three | Log Ladder — Day One
- Event Four | Conan’s Wheel — Day Two
- Event Five | Kettlebell Toss — Day Two
- Stone Off — Day Two
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WSM Final
- Event One | Fingal’s Fingers — Day Three
- Event Two | Deadlift — Day Three
- Event Three | Shield Carry — Day Three
- Event Four | Max Dumbbell — Day Four
- Event Five | Vehicle Pull — Day Four
- Event Six | Atlas Stones — Day Four
BarBend will update this article as additional athletes are confirmed for the 2023 WSM roster.
Featured image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram