After a thrilling, competitive Qualifying Round of the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), there are 10 athletes left standing.
Entering Thursday, May 26, 2022, some of the respective top contenders, like defending champion Tom Stoltman and former WSM Champion Oleksii Novikov (2020), already had a spot in the Finals. The debut of the Wrecking Ball Hold and the intense Stone Off would determine the other half of the remaining field on Day Three.
Here’s where the overall leaderboard stands after the conclusion of the Qualifying Round, a short recap of Thursday’s events, and an overview of the 10 finalists for the 2022 WSM Finals this weekend.
2022 WSM Leaderboard — Day Three/End of Qualifying
| Rank | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | ||
| 1 | Tom Stoltman — United Kingdom | 25 |
| 2 | Kevin Faires — USA | 24 |
| 3 | Gabriel Rheaume — Canada | 20 |
| 4 | Aivars Smaukstelis — Latvia | 15 |
| 5 | Andy Black — United Kingdom | 12 |
| 6 | Manuel Angulo — Chile | 6 |
| Group 2 | ||
| 1 | Mitchell Hooper — Canada | 23.5 |
| 2 | Bobby Thompson — USA | 22 |
| 3 | Brian Shaw — USA | 17.5 |
| 4 | Mark Felix — Canada | 15 |
| 5 | Konstantine Janashia — Georgia | 13 |
| 6 | Gabriel Pena — Mexico | 13 |
| Group 3 | ||
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov — Ukraine | 24.5 |
| 2 | Trey Mitchell — USA | 21.5 |
| 3 | Adam Bishop — United Kingdom | 18 |
| 4 | Rob Kearney — USA | 15 |
| 5 | Grzegorz Szymanski — Poland | 13 |
| 6 | Mika Törrö — Finland | 13 |
| Group 4 | ||
| 1 | Martins Licis — USA | 25.5 |
| 2 | Maxime Boudreault — Canada | 23 |
| 3 | Pavlo Kordiyaka — Ukraine | 21.5 |
| 4 | Gavin Bilton — United Kingdom | 17 |
| 5 | Nedžmin Ambešković — Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 |
| 6 | Shane Flowers — United Kingdom (withdrawn) | 6 |
| Group 5 | ||
| 1 | Luke Stoltman — United Kingdom | 23 |
| 2 | Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — Iceland | 20 |
| 3 | Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — France | 18 |
| 4 | Kelvin De Ruiter — Netherlands | 116.5 |
| 5 | Evan Singleton — USA | 14.5 |
| 6 | Kim Ujarak Lorentzen — Greenland | 11 |
2022 WSM Day Three Results
As noted, some of the competitors entered the third day of the competition already having locked up a spot in the Finals. That meant Day Three’s events were more about the rest of the field trying to find points to secure their spots. The Wrecking Ball Hold and Stone Off stood in their way.
Wrecking Ball Hold
This static strength event made its first appearance in a WSM competition. It’s a test of grip strength, as well as total-body endurance. The athletes had to hold a 228-kilogram (500-pound) bare wrecking ball for as long as they could.
Group 1
- Kevin Faires — 1:35.18s
- Andy Black — 1:26.92s
- Gabriel Rhéaume — 1:24.10s
- Manuel Angulo — 1:11.66s
- Aivars Šmaukstelis — 0:57.44s
- Tom Stoltman — 0:04.63s
Group 2
- Mark Felix — 2:20.49s
- Bobby Thompson — 1:21.33s
- Brian Shaw — 1:06.13s
- Konstantine Janashia — 1:01.38s
- Gabriel Peña — 0:48.27s
- Mitchell Hooper — 0:06.40s
Group 3
- Trey Mitchell — 2:06.46s
- Mika Törrö — 1:53.17s
- Grzegorz Szymanski — 1:46.49s
- Oleksii Novikov — 1:38.63s
- Adam Bishop — 1:31.35s
- Rob Kearney — 1:01.95s
Group 4
- Maxime Boudreault — 1:33.93s
- Pavlo Kordiyaka — 1:31.33s
- Martins Licis — 1:25.63s
- Nedžmin Ambešković — 1:12.47s
- Gavin Bilton — 1:07.15s
- Shane Flowers — Withdrawn
Group 5
- Kelvin De Ruiter — 1:45.65s
- Evan Singleton — 1:40.34s
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 1:03.42s
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — 1:00.70s
- Kim Ujarak — 0:36.24s
- Luke Stoltman — No time completed
Notably, Mark Felix set a world record when he held the ball for 2:20.49. Trey Mitchell pitched in a more-than-solid 2:06.46.
Stone Off
In their last chance to clinch a spot in the Finals, the competitors went head-to-head with someone from their Qualifying Group in the Stone Off. They lifted six stones — 150 kilograms (330 pounds), two stones at 160 kilograms (353 pounds), two stones at 180 kilograms (397 pounds), and ended with 200 kilograms (440 pounds). To complete the challenge, the last stone was lifted for as many reps as possible until one competitor failed.
One of the more unique situations entering the Stone Off was Brian Shaw, who needed to win in order to qualify for a record-setting 14th WSM Finals and reach for a record-setting fifth title. Shaw ended up defeating Bobby Thompson and moved forward to potential history. Gabriel Rheaume, Maxime Boudreault, Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted, and Mitchell rounded out the other winners who qualified for the Finals thanks to their Stone Off performance.
Group 1
- Kevin Faires
- Gabriel Rheaume — Winner
Group 2
- Bobby Thompson
- Brian Shaw — Winner
Group 3
- Trey Mitchell — Winner
- Adam Bishop
Group 4
- Maxime Boudreault — Winner
- Pavlo Kordiyaka
Group 5
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted – Winner
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf
The Finals Lie Ahead
Now that the Qualifying Round is over, the complete list of finalists for the 2022 WSM is: 2021 WSM Champion Tom Stoltman, 2020 WSM Champion Oleksii Novikov, 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis, four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw (2011, 2013, 2015-2016), Maxime Boudreault, Mitchell Hooper, Trey Mitchell, Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted, Gabriel Rheaume, and Luke Stoltman.
Friday will present a good break for the competitors before starting the latter half of the competition. The first round of the Finals will take place on Saturday, May 28, 2022. It features the KNAACK Giant’s Medley, which is similar to the Loading Race, the Deadlift, and the Flintstone barbell, where the athletes will press a barbell loaded with giant stones.
Soon enough, the strongest man on the planet will be crowned.
Featured image: Joe Martinez/World’s Strongest Man
