The 2022 World’s Strongest Nation (WSN) contest took place on Nov. 26, 2022, in Liverpool, England, and pitted Team UK, led by 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Eddie Hall against Team USA, led by 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis. Licis was a late addition to the mixed-athlete (strongman and strongwoman) contest after former Team USA captain Robert Oberst withdrew for reasons not disclosed.
There was a standout performance by USA’s Gabi Dixson . In the Hercules Hold event, the strongmen and strongwomen attempted to sustain the same two pillars in their grip for as long as possible. Each team was scored by their athletes’ cumulative time. Ultimately, current world record holder Mark Felix scored the longest time of 1:28.35, but Dixson scored the second most prolonged time of any athlete other than Felix.
The 31-year-old Dixson held the pillars for 1:08.61 — nearly three seconds longer than the next closest competitor, Kevin Faires, at 1:05.79. Check out Dixson’s performance in the video below, courtesy of Giants Live STRONGMAN’s YouTube channel:
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Here were the final times in the Hercules Hold event:
2022 World’s Strongest Nation Results | Hercules Hold
- Mark Felix (UK) — 1:28.35
- Gabi Dixson (USA) — 1:08.61
- Kevin Faires (USA) — 1:05.79
- Rebecca Roberts (UK) — 1:03.49
- Martins Licis (USA) — 1:02.91
- Gavin Bilton (UK) — 59.75
- Donna Moore (UK) — 23.47
- Inez Carrasquillo (USA) — 00.10
Spoiler alert: Team UK claimed the overall 2022 WSN title on their home turf. In his competitive strongman return since retiring in 2017, Hall tore his teres minor in his Viking Press showdown against Licis, but his team still overcame the odds.
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One of the biggest takeaways from this competition, as remarked by Hall, is how well it showcased the strongwomen, which he suggested are more often “buried” than showcased on the elite level. That was the opposite case in Liverpool. Given how many fans praised Dixson’s Hercules Hold as the standout moment of the entire contest, it would be reasonable to expect more opportunities for strongwomen on the Giants Live stage in the near future.
Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram
