Finding the World’s Strongest Man 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 kicks off in Myrtle Beach, SC, Giants Live announced the six athlete teams 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 on the first two days of the Games: 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 team’s late announcement, compared to previous years, to the high number of dropouts before the event (including key WSM executives Oleksii Novikov, Martins Licis and Mateusz Kieliszkowski).
“We lost some big names on the road in here. If you call groups too early, you will end up in a situation where two of your top seeds fall out of a group. Where does that leave you? It leaves a huge void. All that matters is that you get the information about the events as early as possible. And we did that.”
World’s Strongest Men Teams 2024
Finally here are the groups for 2024 WSM. Of these 30 strong men competing in the Qualifying Phase, only 10 will advance to the 2024 WSM Final.
Group 1
- Luke Stoltman (GIGABYTES)
- Trey Mitchell (USA)
- Kevin Faires (USA)
- Eddie Williams (Australia)
- Oscar Ziolkowski (POL)
- Tristan Hoath (CA)
Trey Mitchell remains a wild card for this contest. Suffered an Achilles injury that forced him to withdraw from the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational. With just six months or so to recover and prepare for this competition, there’s a lot of uncertainty about expectations – Mitchell is usually a podium contender at this stage in the strongman’s career on the sport’s biggest stages.
Most can assume that 2024 European Strongest Man (ESM) Luke Stoltmann can carry his current momentum into a 2024 WSM Final birth. He is comfortable on this stage and should do well , given the structure of the event – general events are his specialty.
If Mitchell doesn’t compete at 100%, then Fairs is probably the most favorable option to break out of the lineup 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 several times before Williams claimed it.
Group 2
- Austin Andrand (MX)
- Gavin Bilton (BG)
- Nicolas Kambi (THE)
- Ondrej Fojtu (CZ)
- Mitchell Hooper — Defending Champion (CA)
- Spencer Remick (USA)
Hooper is expected to advance from this group to the final. The question after that is who is competing in Stone Off. Qualifying events are favorable for guys like Bilton and Andrade, but Cambi is untested at this level.
Cambi and Hooper are likely to crush moving events (eg Sandbag Steeplechase), while Viking Press is potentially favorable for heavier competitors like Bilton. If Cambi or Andrade can cover up a runner-up finish in the group so they can make it to Stone-Off as runners-up, a WSM Finals appearance could be in their future.
Group 3
- Adam Bishop (GIGABYTES)
- Thomas Evans (USA)
- Rob Kearney (USA)
- Pa O’Dwyer (IRL)
- Matthew Rugg (NZ)
- Aivars Šmaukstelis (LVA)
After debuting in 2023, Ragg has many eyes on him to perform well in 2024. The betting odds probably favor Ragg to win the group. However, Kearney will have his sights set on his final WSM appearance before closing the curtain on his competitive career.
Šmaukstelis has been a consistent horse on the Strongman Champions League circuit and knows how to handle himself at this level. Bishop has historically been hit or miss in WSM. some years it seems undeniable, while others leave the crowd confused. If Bishop is on his game, events are in his favor.
This is an extremely tight group and any of its athletes could win. Watch who can sneak a second finish because the odds are whoever is third and therefore standing first in the Stone-Off will drop.
Group 4
- Marcus Crowder (USA)
- Kane Francis (GIGABYTES)
- Rauno Heinla (EST)
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (UA)
- Evans Nana (GHA)
- Evan Singleton (USA)
Singleton’s stock is up a ton with all the withdrawals. He has been a podium contender at WSM in the past, and much of his competition from previous years will not be in attendance. He certainly knows this. If Singleton can keep his nerve and execute his gameplan, he is a favorite to get out of the group and into the final.
Kordiyaka is a jack-of-all-trades who could blow the team if he doesn’t suspect and win it. If that happens, the other competitors just have to make sure Heinla doesn’t get to the Stone-Off because if he does, he’ll likely bury anyone who stands up against him.
Group 5
- Wesley Dervinsky (CA)
- Nathan Goltry (USA)
- Adam Roszkowski (POL)
- Jaco Schoonwinkel (SA)
- Tom Stoltman (GIGABYTES)
- Bobby Thompson (USA)
Tom Stoltman is the biggest contender for Hooper’s throne. Stoltmann, a former two-time WSM champion, has been running well through the Qualifying Stage and is untouchable at 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, whoever makes it to the Stone-Off can have a legitimate shot at the goal to reach the final.
Early money is likely for Bobby Thompson and Schoonwinkel in this Stone-Off position as the other three athletes are untested on the WSM stage.
[Read More: Rob Kearney Will Retire From Competitive Strongman After 2024 World’s Strongest Man]
Events and schedule for 2024 for the strongest man in the world
The importance of teams cannot be understated. An athlete’s chance of reaching the Final Stage can be largely made or broken by who they face in their groups during the Qualifying Stage.
Another huge component of an athlete’s journey through WSM? Which events do the athletes take on and in what order? Here are the feats of strength these teams will take during the prestigious week of grit and exhibition.
Below are the events for both the heats and finals, along with their day and time at EST.
Qualifying Stage — Day One (Wednesday, May 1)
- Qualifying Event 1: Webster Stones — 9:00 A.M
- Qualifying Event 2: Deadlift Ladder — 1:00 p.m
- Qualifying Event 3: Sandbag Steeplechase — 4 p.m
Qualifying Stage — Day Two (Thursday 2 May)
- Qualifying Event 4: Globe Viking Press — 9:00 A.M
- Qualifying Event 5: Car Walk — 1:00 p.m
- Qualifying Event 6: Stone-Off — 5 p.m
Final Stage — Day One (Saturday 4 May)
- Final Event 1: KNAACK Giant’s Medley — 10:00 A.M
- Final Event 2: Max Axle Press — 11:30 a.m
- Final Event 3: Keg Toss — 3:00 p.m
Final Stage — Day Two (Sunday 5 May)
- Final Event 4: Reign Total Body Fuel Conan’s Wheel — 10:00 A.M
- Final Event 5: BFGoodrich Tires HD Terrain Deadlift — 12:00 p.m
- Final Event 6: Atlas Stones — 3:00 p.m
[Read More: The 2024 World’s Strongest Man Events Revealed]
Stay tuned
Fans won’t be able to watch the 2024 WSM live stream, but you can stay BarBendWSM 2024 results page and updated articles covering each event as soon as they are completed. Our local correspondent Roger Lockridge will bring you all the breaking news, event recaps and analysis direct from Myrtle Beach.
With the groups finally announced, the 2024 WSM is set for a spectacular ride.
Featured image courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
