Who is the strongest man in the world? Top 10 Strongmen including Scotland’s Stoltman Brothers
Strongmen are pushed to their limits in the World’s Strongest Man competition as it tests not only physical strength but agility and mental fortitude as well.
Established in 1977, the World’s Strongest Man was created to answer the question: “who is the strongest man in the world?” Almost half a century later, the competition has seen champions from all over the world take the crown including Scotland’s own Tom Stoltman who won in 2021 and 2022.
Born in Invergordon, a town in the Scottish Highlands, the Scot along with his fellow strongman brother Luke Stoltman have recently released their first book that “details their rise to become the world’s strongest brothers.”
In celebration of their new publication and performance in strongmen contests over the years, here are the results of the World’s Strongest Man 2023 so we can answer who the strongest men in the world are.
1. Mitchell Hooper
Born in Barrie (Ontario), Hooper is the first winner of the World’s Strongest Man to come from Canada. Known as a “Humble Hercules” for his brain and brawn, his website explains that he is a “Physical Therapist with a Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology from the University of Sydney and a Bachelors in Human Kinetics from the University of Guelph.”
2. Tom Stoltman
In second place for this year’s competition, Tom Stoltman from the eastern Highlands of Scotland boasts the title of two-time champion of the World’s Strongest Man. According to Luxury London, his morning routine consists of a “breakfast of eight eggs, a large bowl of porridge and a loaf of bread before deadlifting 400 kg…”
3. Oleksii Novikov
Coming in third is Oleksii Novikov who was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. He proudly holds the title of the World’s Strongest Man winner from the 2020 competition. The Guardian wrote: “At 6ft 1in and 300lb of solid muscle, Novikov has shoulders that are three and a half feet wide. His hands, permanently curled from years of lifting really heavy stuff, are like bear paws, his wrists as thick as some people’s biceps.”
4. Trey Mitchell
Also affectionately known as “Big Tex”, Trey Mitchell is a strongman from Lumberton; a city in Texas. The American had his first debut in the World’s Strongest Man finals back in 2019 and since then has emerged as one of the sport’s top athletes in recent years. He has also gained respect for winning the Shaw Classic strongman championship in 2021 and 2022.