Over the last two days, the 2024 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) athletes have competed with hopes of advancing to the Final, which takes place on May 4-5, 2024. The last step in that journey was the sixth Qualifying stage event: the Stone-Off.
Not all athletes made it to the Stone-Offs. The leaders of the Qualifying groups — Tristan Hoath, Mitchell Hooper, Matthew Ragg, Evan Singleton, and Tom Stoltman — secured their positions in the Final. Conversely, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-place athletes in each group were eliminated.
Second- and third-place finishers in each group squared up in the Stone-Off for the final qualifying spot for their groups.
[Related: 2024 World’s Strongest Man Results & Leaderboard]
[Related: Adam Bishop Withdraws From 2024 World’s Strongest Man Due to Ruptured Achilles]
2024 World’s Strongest Man Stone-Off Results
Six stones weighing 140 to 200 kilograms (308 to 440 pounds) were set before crossbars. Third-place finishers lifted the stones over the post first. Second-place finishers waited to return it over the bar. Athletes traded stone lifts until one failed a lift within the time cap.
If both athletes completed all six stones, they continued lifting the last stone until one failed a lift. The winner advanced to the Final; the loser was eliminated. Below are the results:
Group 1 — Luke Stoltman def. Eddie Williams
The drama unfolded with Luke Stoltman against Eddie Williams. Luke’s brother, Tom, was arena-side to watch the event. Luke Stoltman ranked third in Group One and was charged with the opening lift.
Both strongmen loaded all six stones with apparent ease. It came down to who could rep the last stone the most. Stoltman completed four reps, while Williams only converted three. Stoltman advances to his fifth WSM Final.
Group 2 — Austin Andrade def. Ondrej Fojtu
Clear skies and a light breeze greeted Ondrej Fojtu and Austin Andrade as they made their way to the stage.
Andrade had to lift first. Fojtu struggled but completed the sixth stone. Andrade needed three more reps to win the matchup. The announcer confirmed that Andrade made history as the first Mexican strongman to ever advance to the WSM Final in the contest’s 47-year history.
Group 3 — Aivars Šmaukstelis def. Thomas Evans
Aivars Šmaukstelis faced off against Thomas Evans for Group Three. Evans assumed the slot after Adam Bishop withdrew due to injury. Evans lifted first, but the first two men to start won their matchups. Evans wanted to continue that streak.
Unfortunately, Evans could not even complete the second stone before tapping out. This will be Šmaukstelis’s second career WSM Final appearance.
Group 4 — Pavlo Kordiyaka def. Marcus Crowder
Pavlo Kordiyaka and Marcus Crowder collided in the fourth Stone-Off. Crowder, the 2023 Official Strongman Games champion, lifted first. Kordiyaka dropped the first stone but he recovered and completed it.
They continued to the 200-kilogram stone. However, Crowder could not finish it off, and Kordiyaka scored the win and the spot in the Final.
Group 5 — Wesley Derwinsky def. Jaco Schoonwinkel
The 10th athlete to advance to the Final would be either Jaco Schoonwinkel or Wesley Derwinsky. Schoonwinkel lifted first. They traded the first five stones without issue trouble. The crowd got louder with each rep leading to the sixth stone. In the end, Derwinsky’s three reps were enough to secure his spot to compete over the weekend.
The 2024 WSM Final Roster
After six grueling events, the 2024 WSM Final is set. The 10 athletes who will compete for the title are below, with names in alphabetical order:
- Austin Andrade
- Wesley Derwinsky
- Tristain Hoath
- Mitchell Hooper — Defending Champion
- Pavlo Kordiyaka
- Matthew Ragg
- Evan Singleton
- Aivars Šmaukstelis
- Luke Stoltman
- Tom Stoltman
Friday, May 3, 2024, is a day off for the athletes, but BarBend’s coverage of the 2024 WSM continues on Saturday, May 4, 2024. There will be three events on May 4 and three events on May 5 before a champion is crowned. Here they are:
Finals Stage — Day One (Saturday, May 4)
- Finals Event 1: KNAACK Giant’s Medley — 10:00 AM
- Finals Event 2: Max Axle Press — 11:30 AM
- Finals Event 3: Keg Toss — 3:00 PM
Finals Stage — Day Two (Sunday, May 5)
- Finals Event 4: Reign Total Body Fuel Conan’s Wheel — 10:00 AM
- Finals Event 5: BFGoodrich Tires HD Terrain Deadlift — 12:00 PM
- Finals Event 6: Atlas Stones — 3:00 PM
Stay tuned to BarBend to catch the latest news and updates from Myrtle Beach, SC.
Featured image: Rich Storry / World’s Strongest Man
