Finding the strongest man in the world starts with 30 competitors and ends with just 10 vying for the most prestigious title in the sport of strongman. On April 30, just one day before the 2024 World’s Strongest Man is set to begin in Myrtle Beach, SC, Giants Live announced the six athlete groups for the 2024 WSM Qualifying Stage on their YouTube channel.
[Read More: The Continuous Flux of the 2024 World’s Strongest Man Roster]
The Qualifying Stage takes place over the first two days of competition: May 1-2, 2024. The top two athletes in each group will advance to the WSM Final on May 4-5. WSM organizer and promoter Colin Bryce attributed the late group announcement, relative to years past, to the high number of pre-event drop-outs (including WSM mainstays Oleksii Novikov, Martins Licis, and Mateusz Kieliszkowski).
“We’ve lost a few big names on the way in here. If you call groups too early, you will end up in a situation where two of your biggest seeds fall out of one group. Where does that leave you? It leaves a massive void. All that matters is you get the information on the events as early as possible. And we’ve done that.”
2024 World’s Strongest Man Groups
At long last, here are the groups for 2024 WSM. Of these 30 strongman competing in the Qualifying Stage, only 10 will advance to the 2024 WSM Final.
Group 1
- Luke Stoltman (GB)
- Trey Mitchell (USA)
- Kevin Faires (USA)
- Eddie Williams (AUS)
- Oskar Ziółkowski (POL)
- Tristain Hoath (CA)
Trey Mitchell remains a wildcard for this competition. He suffered an Achilles injury that compelled him to withdraw from the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational. With only six months or so to recover and prep for this contest, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding expectations — Mitchell is typically a podium contender at this stage of his strongman career on the sport’s biggest stages.
Most can presume that the 2024 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Luke Stoltman can carry his current momentum to a 2024 WSM Final birth. He is comfortable on this stage and should fare well given the event structure — overhead events are his specialty.
If Mitchell is not competing at 100 percent, then Faires is likely the most favorable pick to escape the group with Stoltman. The Webster Stones, as the opening event, will likely be a legendary battle between Faires and Williams. The latter currently holds the Nicol Stones record, but Faires set and held the record multiple times over before Williams claimed it.
Group 2
- Austin Andrade (MX)
- Gavin Bilton (BG)
- Nicolas Cambi (IT)
- Ondrej Fojtu (CZ)
- Mitchell Hooper — Defending Champion (CA)
- Spenser Remick (USA)
Hooper is expected to slam dunk his way through this group to the Final. The question after that is who competes in the Stone Off. The Qualifying Stage events are favorable to guys like Bilton and Andrade, but Cambi is untested at this level.
Cambi and Hooper are likely to crush the moving events (e.g., the Sandbag Steeplechase), while the Viking Press is potentially favorable to heavier competitors like Bilton. If Cambi or Andrade can covert a runner-up finish in the group so they can lift second in the Stone-Off, a WSM Final appearance might be in their future.
Group 3
- Adam Bishop (GB)
- Thomas Evans (USA)
- Rob Kearney (USA)
- Pa O’Dwyer (IRL)
- Mathew Ragg (NZ)
- Aivars Šmaukstelis (LVA)
After his debut performance in 2023, Ragg has many eyes on him to perform well in 2024. Betting odds likely favor Ragg to win the group. However, Kearney will have the fire under him in his the final WSM appearance before he closes the curtain on his competitive strongman career.
Šmaukstelis has been a workhorse of consistency on the Strongman Champions League circuit and knows how to handle himself at this level. Bishop has historically been hit or miss at the WSM; some years, he seems undeniable, while others leave the crowd perplexed. If Bishop is on his game, the events are favorable to him.
This is an extremely tight group, and any of its athletes could win. Keep tabs on who can covert a runner-up finish because the likelihood is whoever is in third and, therefore, lifting first in the Stone-Off will fall.
Group 4
- Marcus Crowder (USA)
- Kane Francis (GB)
- Rauno Heinla (EST)
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (UA)
- Evans Nana (GHA)
- Evan Singleton (USA)
Singleton’s stock has risen a ton with all the withdrawals. He has been a podium contender at the WSM before, and much of his elite competition from years past will not be in attendance. He is certainly aware of this. If Singleton can maintain his nerves and execute his gameplan, he is a favorite to escape the group and advance to the Final.
Kordiyaka is a jack-of-all-trades would could blitz the group if they are unsuspecting and outright win it. If that happens, the other competitors just need to ensure Heinla does not make it to the Stone-Off because if he does, he will likely bury whomever is lifting across from him.
Group 5
- Wesley Derwinsky (CA)
- Nathan Goltry (USA)
- Adam Roszkowski (POL)
- Jaco Schoonwinkel (SA)
- Tom Stoltman (GB)
- Bobby Thompson (USA)
Tom Stoltman is the biggest contender to Hooper’s throne. Stoltman, a former two-time WSM champion, has good events through the Qualifying Stage and is untouchable on the Stones.
A legitimate strategy for the other five athletes is to concede the group to Stoltman to ensure he is not in the Stone-Off. That way, whomever does reach the Stone-Off can take a legitimate shot on goal to reach the Final.
Early money is likely on Bobby Thompson and Schoonwinkel to be in that Stone-Off position as the other three athletes are untested on the WSM stage.
View this post on Instagram
[Read More: Rob Kearney Will Retire From Competitive Strongman After 2024 World’s Strongest Man]
2024 World’s Strongest Man Events and Schedule
The importance of the groupings cannot be understated. An athlete’s opportunity to reach the Finals Stage can be made or broken in large part by who they’re up against in their groups during the Qualifying Stage.
Another huge component of an athlete’s journey through the WSM? Which events do athletes take on, and in which order? Here are the feats of strength these groups will take on during the prestigious week of grit and showmanship.
The events for both the Qualifying Events and Finals follow, along with their day and time in EST.
Qualifying Stage — Day One (Wednesday, May 1)
- Qualifying Event 1: Webster Stones — 9:00 AM
- Qualifying Event 2: Deadlift Ladder — 1:00 PM
- Qualifying Event 3: Sandbag Steeplechase — 4:00 PM
Qualifying Stage — Day Two (Thursday, May 2)
- Qualifying Event 4: Globe Viking Press — 9:00 AM
- Qualifying Event 5: Car Walk — 1:00 PM
- Qualifying Event 6: Stone-Off — 5:00 PM
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
[Read More: The 2024 World’s Strongest Man Events Revealed]
Stay Tuned
Fans won’t be able to watch the 2024 WSM on livestream, but you can stick around BarBend‘s 2024 WSM results page and up-to-date articles covering each event as soon as they conclude. Our on-the-ground correspondent Roger Lockridge will be bringing all breaking news, event recaps, and analysis right from Myrtle Beach.
With the groups finally announced, the 2024 WSM is all set for an impressive ride.
Featured Image Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
