On Feb. 19, 2023, the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) organization announced that 17-time WSM athlete Mark Felix would make his 18th and final appearance as a competitor at the 2023 contest, which is scheduled for April 19-23 in Myrtle Beach, SC. The announcement came from the organization’s Instagram page.
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“Breaking News: Mark Felix announces his intention to retire from World’s Strongest Man following #WSM2023,” the organization wrote in the post.
Felix confirmed the news himself with his own Instagram post.
“So incredibly excited to be a confirmed athlete for my 18th @theworldsstrongestman Show and the oldest Strongman ever to compete at WSM,” Felix wrote. “I have decided that this year will be my last time I compete at the Worlds show.”
Felix — who turns 57 two days before the 2023 WSM starts — confirmed that he will continue competing in other events going forward, including Giants Live and Official Strongman shows.
The Grenada-born competitor debuted on the WSM platform in 2004. And when he competes in the 2023 contest, the defending champion entering the week will be Tom Stoltman, who was 10 years old when Felix made his WSM debut.
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In 17 previous WSM appearances, Felix qualified for the finals three times. His highest finish was fourth, which he achieved at the 2006 WSM that Phil Pfister won. His most recent appearance was in 2022, where he failed to make the finals.
Felix has had a successful career outside of WSM, too. He was the runner-up at Britain’s Strongest Man in 2006, 2007, 2015, and 2016, and he won the 2005 IFSA British Championship.
The longtime strongman also built a reputation based on his prodigious grip strength. Besides being a two-time Rolling Thunder grip contest winner, Felix won the 2011 and 2012 Vice Grip Viking Challenge. As of February 2023, he is still the world record holder in the Hercules Hold, holding the 160-kilogram (352-pound) pillars for a time of 1 minute, 32 seconds.
He most recently competed in the 2023 Britain’s Strongest Man contest, placing seventh overall. Adam Bishop placed first in that show.
Felix isn’t the only strongman legend taking a final bow at the 2023 WSM contest. Four-time WSM champion and three-time Arnold Strongman Classic winner Brian Shaw also announced that the 2023 contest would be his last appearance as a competitor.
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Featured Image: @theworldsstrongestman and @markfelixwsm on Instagram