The opening event of the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Final in Sacramento, CA, was the KNAACK Giant’s Medley. The 10 finalists were tasked to carry two KNAACK boxes filled with 125 kilograms (275.6 pounds) each halfway down the 20-meter course (back-and-forth twice) and then carry a 455-kilogram (1,000-pound) super yoke the rest of the way.
Mitchell Hooper jumped out to an early lead with fast transitions that garnered first-place points. Here are the results:
KNAACK Giant’s Live Medley Results
- Mitchell Hooper — 21.96 seconds
- Tom Stoltman — 24.75 seconds
- Oleksii Novikov —24.86 seconds
- Luke Stoltman — 28.72 seconds
- Martins Licis — 30.6 seconds
- Brian Shaw — 30.78 seconds
- Trey Mitchell — 32.54 seconds
- Gabriel Rhéaume — 33.87 seconds
- Maxime Boudreault — 34.11 seconds
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 37.61 seconds
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[Related: 2022 World’s Strongest Man Results and Leaderboard]
KNAACK Giant’s Medley Recap
Shaw was first to the floor and tested both implements before his heat. He appeared zoned in for his 14th straight WSM Final after the tacky malfunction by Bobby Thompson in the Stone-Off.
The crew reset the field of play. Rhéaume joined Shaw, and the first day of the Final was underway. Rhéaume got to an early lead in the boxes but had to reposition his first before moving on to the yoke. That gave Shaw a window to take the lead and finish the course unbroken in 30.78 seconds. Rhéaume logged a time of 33.87 seconds.
In a post-event interview, Shaw said the weights were too light and called for them to be heavier. He was “not happy” with his time. Regarding the speed of the event, Shaw said:
This is a drag race.
Heat two paired Melsted against Mitchell. Melsted got the first box up, but Mitchell caught up by the second. Both men were much more measured in their approach, but Mitchell crossed the finish line first in 32.54 seconds.
Melsted stumbled toward the back end of the course carrying the yoke and logged in at 37.61 seconds.
Boudreault and Luke Stoltman took the field for the third heat. The tempo was much quicker for this heat as both men got to the yoke quickly. Boudreault struggled to get his footing early with the 1,000-pound implement, allowing Stoltman to commandeer the overall lead with a time of 28.72 seconds. Boudreault’s official time was 34.11 seconds.
Heat four saw the reigning WSM champion, Tom Stoltman, clash with Mitchell Hooper. The expectations of breakneck speed came to fruition as both men blitzed the course. A stumble by Stoltman during the transition to the yoke cost him precious seconds but still clocked in at 24.75 seconds. Hooper claimed the overall lead with an event-winning time of 21.96 seconds.
The final heat pitted two former WSM champions against each other — Novikov vs. Licis. They knew Hooper’s score was the time to beat. Licis was the first strongman to utilize wraps on his knees.
Novikov looked like a track star sprinting back and forth in the front half of the event. He blitzed the course in a time of 24.86 seconds. Licis moved slower with yoke and logged a time of 30.6 seconds.
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[Related: 2022 World’s Strongest Man Final Predictions]
More To Come
Day one of the 2022 WSM Final features two more events. The first is the Deadlift at 10:00 a.m. PST which will challenge athletes to establish max reps. The second event is the return of the Flintstone Barbell at 1:30 p.m. PST.
The last day of competition includes another trio of events. The Bus Pull at 8:00 a.m. PST will open the day. The Reign Total Body Fuel Power Stairs will occur at 11:00 a.m. PST. The closing event is the Atlas Stones at 2:00 p.m. PST, where a 2022 WSM champion will be crowned.
Featured image via Joe Martinez/World’s Strongest Man
