The 2024 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) officially kicked off on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Myrtle Beach, SC. Thirty of the strongest men on earth have gathered to face off over five days of competition to determine who will stand atop the podium on May 5.
All 30 strongmen were within their six Qualifying stage groups for the opening event: the Webster Stones. Named after David Webster, former MC for WSM, the stones weighed 250 and 300 pounds.
Each strongman men was tasked with carrying the stones down a course in the fastest time or farthest distance within the time cap. Athletes raced in two-person heats.
[Related: Mitchell Hooper Reveals His Predictions for the 2024 World’s Strongest Man]
2024 World’s Strongest Man Event 1 Results
The contest started under a cloudy sky with a light breeze blowing through Myrtle Beach. Light rain fell before the opening events. Below are the final standings for each Qualifying Group.
Group 1 Results
- Eddie Williams (AUS) — 46.45 meters
- Luke Stoltman (GB) — 33.12 meters
- Kevin Faires (USA) — 32.59 meters
- Tristain Hoath (CA) — 31.8 meters
- Trey Mitchell (USA) — 12.78 meters
- Oskar Ziółkowski (POL) — 10.66 meters
American Kevin Faires and Tristain Hoath of Canada opened the show for the fans beachside. Faires won the heat, but neither athlete completed the course.
In heat two, Nicol Stones world record holder Eddie Williams was paired against Oskar Ziółkowski. Williams’s experience paid off as he won the heat by darting down the course and back before dropping the stones on his second lap.
Heat three matched Group Two’s early favorites — 2024 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Luke Stoltman and Trey Mitchell. Mitchell has been recovering from an Achilles injury, but appeared focus and ready.
Both strongmen started slow, but Stoltman picked up the pace once comfortable. Stoltman reached the end of the first lap before Mitchell was halfway down. Stoltman emerged triumphant in the heat, but the event win went to Williams.
Group 2 Results
- Mitchell Hooper (CA) — 40 meters (T-first)
- Ondrej Fojtu (CZ) — 40 meters (T-first)
- Austin Andrade (MX) — 29.59 meters
- Spenser Remick (USA) — 27.79 meters
- Gavin Bilton (BG) — 25.27 meters
- Nicolas Cambi (IT) — 14.69 meters
Group Two featured the reigning, defending WSM champion Mitchell Hooper. However, Spenser Remick and Austin Andrade took the competition floor first as the beach and crowd heated up. Andrade won the heat by almost two meters. Gavin Bilton edged out Nicolas Cambi in heat two.
Ondrej Fojtu is the youngest athlete in the field at 22 years old. He walked alongside Hooper in the final heat and held parity with the defending champ. The official score had Hooper and Fojtu reaching the 40-meter mark to split first-place points.
Group 3 Results
- Adam Bishop (GB) — 35.29 meters
- Aivars Šmaukstelis (LVA) — 32.56 meters
- Mathew Ragg (NZ) — 21.93 meters
- Thomas Evans (USA) — 21.66 meters
- Rob Kearney (USA) — 20.35 meters
- Pa O’Dwyer (IRL) — 16.65 meters
Group Three kicked off with Pa O’Dwyer versus the soon-to-be-retired Rob Kearney. “The World’s Strongest Gay” received an ovation from the crowd before winning his heat over O’Dwyer.
[Read More: Rob Kearney Will Retire From Competitive Strongman After 2024 World’s Strongest Man]
Thomas Evans squared off against Adam Bishop in heat two. Bishop got the upper hand in the heat and the event with his distance just over 35 meters. The final heat paired Aivars Šmaukstelis versus Mathew Ragg. The Latvian got the better of the matchup but fell shy of ousting Bishop.
Group 4 Results
- Evan Singleton (USA) — 40 meters
- Marcus Crowder (USA) — 35.92 meters
- Rauno Heinla (EST) 27 — .55meters
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (UA) — 25.79 meters
- Kane Francis (GB) — 21.38 meters
- Evans Nana (GHA) — 20.16 meters
Group Four opened with Kane Francis versus Evans Nana, both making their WSM debuts. Francis edged Nana out but their distances would not hold up against the rest of the group.
Heat two — Marcus Crowder versus Rauno Heinla — saw the American post a distance that would have won in Group Two but wasn’t enough to best Evan Singleton’s 40 meters against Pablo Kordiyaka in heat three.
Group 5 Results
- Jaco Schoonwinkel (SA) — 31.75 meters
- Tom Stoltman (GB) — 29.74 meters
- Wesley Derwinsky (CA) — 29.36 meters
- Nathan Goltry (USA) — 24.56 meters
- Adam Roszkowski (POL) — 22.62 meters
- Bobby Thompson (USA) — 20 meters
Adam Roszkowski versus Wesley Derwinsky was Group Five’s opening heat. The Canadian won outlasted Roszkowski by just over nine meters. The penultimate matchup featured Nathan Goltry against Bobby Thompson. Thompson’s run ended in unfortunate circumstances, as he appeared to suffer an injury and limped off the course.
Tom Stoltman and Jaco Schoonwinkel faced off in the final heat. Schoonwinkel showed off his prowess for group stage competition as he revealed in 2023, taking the heat win and first-place points in the event.
Deadlift Ladder Next
The second event of the opening day of competition is the Deadlift Ladder. The final event of Day One is the Sandbag Steeplechase. BarBend will provide updates regarding Thompson’s potential injury as more information becomes available.
Featured Image: Rich Storry / World’s Strongest Man
