British strongman Shane Flowers is the most recent athlete to disclose a lat injury following the 2025 Strongest Man on Earth (SMOE) contest. Flowers, who withdrew from the competition before the Manhood Stones event, recounted the right pec injury he suffered during his prep, saying he felt he could continue competing.
Flowers completed the first three events — Max Log Lift, Carry and Hoist, and Keg Toss. It was during the warm-up for the Manhood Stones that things took a turn for the worse.
“The first stone I hit was for 150 kilograms, the second was for 180, then the final stone I warmed up with was 200-ish kilos,” Flowers recalled. “I didn’t think I did anything wrong as I picked the stone up. My left lat made a huge crunch. I knew it was game over.”
Flowers sought medical attention and shared that he may have suffered a lat tear in the muscle belly. Further medical evaluations are needed to confirm his self-diagnosis.
Flowers disclosed that while he was disappointed in his result, he acknowledged that the physical toll of his prep, while dealing with other injuries, led to his current situation.
I rolled the dice, was lucky before, but unlucky now.
—Shane Flowers
Flowers was the second athlete to announce an injury during the 2025 SMOE, which Evan Singleton won. Three-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Tom Stoltman, who ranked eighth overall, revealed his biceps injury. Flowers ranked 15th.
Flowers’s next contest was slated to be the 2026 Britain’s Strongest Man event, but he said he would have to see how he progressed in recovery before committing to future contests.
More Strongman Content
- August 2025 Moscow Sports Night Strongman Results
- Martins Licis’ Latest Feat of Strength: 3,000-Year-Old Persian Club Swinging
- Bobby Thompson Retires From Pro Strongman
Featured Image: @_shaneflowers on Instagram
