World's Strongest Man Events 2023 Revealed

The 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) will take place on Apr. 19-23, 2023, in Myrtle Beach, SC. Less than 12 weeks before the competition actually gets up and rolling, the official slate of strength obstacles has been revealed. On Jan. 26, 2023, the WSM organization revealed the 12 events that will comprise the latest iteration of the premier event in strongman.

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There will be six events during the Qualifying Round and six during the Final. The 2023 WSM announcement also clarified that this year’s competition would now start a day later on Apr. 19, 2023, after initially announcing an April 18 start date.

The training regime for World’s Strongest Man competitors is intense and often includes a combination of weightlifting, cardio, and specific event training. They typically lift extremely heavy weights, with some events requiring competitors to lift multiple times their own body weight. The heaviest weight ever lifted in competition is approximately 1,102 lb (500 kg) in the deadlift event. However, the weight that a competitor can lift can vary depending on the event and their own personal abilities.

Here are the events scheduled for the 2023 WSM in mid-April. Notably, even with a change to a tightened schedule, there will potentially be a built-in rest day between the Qualifying Stages and the Final, as has been the norm in recent editions of the WSM. That said, with a relatively shortened schedule, fatigue could play a role in the latter stages of the competition, potentially even deciding the champion.

2023 World’s Strongest Man Event Schedule

Qualifying Round

Event One: Loading Race — Day One
Event Two: Deadlift Machine — Day One
Event Three: Log Ladder — Day One
Event Four: Conan’s Wheel — Day Two
Event Five: Kettlebell Toss — Day Two
Event Six: Stone Off — Day Two

Final

Event One | Fingal’s Fingers — Day Three
Event Two | Deadlift — Day Three
Event Three | Shield Carry — Day Three
Event Four | Max Dumbbell — Day Four
Event Five | Vehicle Pull — Day Four
Event Six | Atlas Stones — Day Four

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At the time of this writing, the precise structure of each of the 2023 WSM’s events is unclear.

A safe assumption would be to expect the Stone Off, the concluding event of the Qualifying Round, to be head-to-head. In the past, each group’s second and third-place finishers would square off to determine who would move on to the Final. Such a consistent setup would once again favor the respective group winners.

At the time of this article’s publication, the complete final roster for the 2023 WSM has not been revealed, nor has the makeup of each respective group. Presumably, reigning two-time WSM champion Tom Stoltman will return to defend his title. In January 2023, former WSM champ (2020) Oleksii Novikov revealed he would again be vying for the biggest prize in strongman. Four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw previously announced the 2023 WSM would be his final appearance at the contest.

By the time the 2023 WSM is underway in Myrtle Beach, some of the strongest people in the world will have already been well-prepared for the gauntlet ahead. Regardless of who is on the roster and how the events are precisely structured, a fascinating battle likely lies ahead in the spring.