The Ultimate Roster of WSM Champions

The World’s Strongest Man (WSM) is a premier strongman event conducted yearly, showcasing some of the mightiest individuals on the planet. A mere 24 champions have earned the esteemed title of WSM victor. This compendium commemorates the World’s Strongest Man champions up to 2023.

As the strongman community gears up for the 2024 World’s Strongest Man competition, set for the first week of May in Myrtle Beach, S.C., it’s essential to remember the legends of the sport. Below, we’ve compiled the winners, runner-ups, and third-place finishers of every WSM contest to date.

All World’s Strongest Man Champions:

The World’s Strongest Man is a competition crafted to push the absolute boundaries of athletes. It challenges not just their physical prowess, but also their mental resilience and dexterity. Only those who excel in all these domains can emerge as the winner of this revered sport contest.

For Strongman athletes, it’s akin to the Olympia, Super Bowl, or WrestleMania. The 24 men highlighted below achieved the highest honor in almost five decades of strongman history. Let’s delve into the roll of honor for the World’s Strongest Man event thus far.

1. Bruce Wilhelm (1977-1978):

Bruce Wilhelm secured his place in history by winning the first-ever World’s Strongest Man competition at Universal Studios, California in 1977, triumphing over famed athletes like Ken Patera, Bob Young, Franco Columbu, Lou Ferrigno, and others.

The American Olympic weightlifter and shot putter Wilhelm bested his own achievement the following year, claiming victory for a second consecutive year. Thus, Bruce Wilhelm became the inaugural winner of the World’s Strongest Man contest.

• Country: USA
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches
• Weight: 326 lbs

2. Don Reinhoudt (1979):

After finishing as the runner-up in the 1978 World’s Strongest Man competition, Don Reinhoudt clinched victory the following year. He won the 1979 WSM, in an event that marked the debut of strongman legend Bill Kazmaier, who secured third place while Reinhoudt took the title.

• Country: USA
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches
• Weight: 380 lbs

3. Bill Kazmaier (1980-1982):

Just a year after his debut, Bill Kazmaier dominated the World’s Strongest Man contest for three consecutive years from 1980 to 1982. He rose as the sport’s first significant superstar, aiding in its global recognition. Kazmaier took a break after 1982, later returning to WSM in 1988.

• Country: USA
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches
• Weight: 326 lbs

4. Geoff Capes (1983, 1985):

With Bill Kazmaier absent, Geoff Capes won the World’s Strongest Man title in 1983. The British powerlifter became the first non-American to conquer the WSM. He reclaimed the title in 1985 by narrowly defeating Jón Páll Sigmarsson by 1.5 points.

• Country: England
• Height: 6 feet 5 inches
• Weight: 375 lbs

5. Jón Páll Sigmarsson (1984, 1986, 1988, 1990):

Hailing from Iceland, Jón Páll Sigmarsson came close to securing the WSM title multiple times before finally clinching it in 1984. He seized the title again in 1986 and won twice more in 1988 and 1990, besting the returning Kazmaier in 1988.

Tragically, Sigmarsson passed away in 1993 at just 32 years old due to an aortic rupture while deadlifting at his gym. It was speculated that a congenital heart defect, possibly exacerbated by anabolic steroid use, led to his premature death.

• Country: Iceland
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches
• Weight: 295 lbs

6. Jamie Reeves (1989):

Jamie Reeves became the second British man to win the World’s Strongest Man title when he earned the trophy in 1989, defeating stalwarts like Sigmarsson and Kazmaier, who finished third and fourth respectively in the contest.

• Country: England
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches
• Weight: 322 lbs

7. Magnús Ver Magnússon (1991, 1994-1996):

Magnus Ver Magnusson

was the second Icelandic strongman to excel in the WSM. He claimed his inaugural title in 1991, followed by two runner-up finishes in the subsequent years. Magnusson then reclaimed his title, clinching three consecutive WSM victories from 1994 to 1996.

• Country: Iceland
• Height: 6 feet 3
• Weight: 362 lbs

8. Ted van der Parre (1992):

Ted van der Parre is the first and only individual from the Netherlands to secure the World’s Strongest Man competition. He captured the title in 1992 and was also a three-time champion of the Strongest Man of the Netherlands contest. Additionally, he holds the record as the tallest man to win the WSM.

• Country: Iceland
• Height: 6 feet 10
• Weight: 350 lbs

9. Gary Taylor (1993):

Gary Taylor won the World’s Strongest Man title in 1993, making him the shortest man ever to claim the championship, a year after Parre’s record as the tallest. However, Taylor’s career was brief as he did not advance past the qualifying rounds the following year.

• Country: England
• Height: 6 feet
• Weight: 295 lbs

10. Jouko Ahola (1997, 1999):

Jouko Ahola ended Magnusson’s impressive domination by winning the 1997 World’s Strongest Man. He then secured a runner-up spot before claiming the title again in 1999. In addition to his WSM victories, he also won the Europe’s Strongest Man twice during this period.

• Country: Finland
• Height: 6 feet 1
• Weight: 275 lbs

11. Magnus Samuelsson (1998):

Magnus Samuelsson took the World’s Strongest Man title in 1998 on his fourth attempt. The renowned second-generation arm wrestler from Sweden consistently competed in the WSM over the next nine years but failed to clinch another title. Samuelsson retired from the sport in 2008.

• Country: Sweden
• Height: 6 feet 7
• Weight: 344 lbs

12. Janne Virtanen (2000):

Janne Virtanen was the runner-up at the 1999 World’s Strongest Man and won the title a year later. He succeeded his compatriot Ahola, who did not defend his title in 2000. This year’s event also marked the debut of Mariusz Pudzianowski, who later became one of the sport’s legendary figures.

• Country: Finland
• Height: 6 feet 5
• Weight: 287 lbs

13. Svend Karlsen (2001):

Svend Karlsen emerged as the first and only Norwegian to win the World’s Strongest Man in 2001. He also triumphed in the Europe’s Strongest Man in the same year. Karlsen is a three-time runner-up at the Arnold Strongman Classic and a three-time champion of Norway’s Strongest Man in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

• Country: Norway
• Height: 6 feet 2
• Weight: 282 lbs

14. Mariusz Pudzianowski (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008):

Mariusz Pudzianowski holds the record for the most World’s Strongest Man titles. He first won in 2002 and 2003, followed by another victory in 2005. He then clinched two more titles in 2007 and 2008. The Polish strongman also won six Europe’s Strongest Man titles before retiring in 2009.

• Country: Poland
• Height: 6 feet 1
• Weight: 313 lbs

15. Vasyl Virastyuk (2004):

Vasyl Virastyuk claimed the World’s Strongest Man title in 2004. He is one of only two men to defeat the legendary Mariusz Pudzianowski during the latter’s pursuit of five titles. Though Pudzianowski finished third this year, he was later disqualified due to a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.

• Country: Ukraine
• Height: 6 feet 3
• Weight: 320 lbs

16. Phil Pfister (2006):

Phil Pfister is another strongman who bested Pudzianowski during his prime. He also broke the American drought, becoming the first to lift the World’s Strongest Man trophy since Kazmaier’s 1982 win. Beyond this milestone, Pfister achieved four fourth-place finishes at WSM in 1998, 2001, 2007, and 2008.

• Country: America
• Height: 6 feet 6
• Weight: 375 lbs

17. Žydrūnas Savickas (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014):

Žydrūnas Savickas, a celebrated Lithuanian strongman, has four WSM titles to his name. He earned his initial victory in 2009, followed by another in 2010. Savickas then went on to secure wins in 2012 and 2014. Prior to these achievements, he had three consecutive runner-up finishes by 2004.

• Country: Lithuania
• Height:6 feet 3
• Weight: 375 pounds

18. Brian Shaw (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016):

Renowned as one of the legendary strongman competitors, Brian Shaw hails from Colorado and secured the World’s Strongest Man title four times: in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Prior to his victorious streak, Shaw was third in 2009 and narrowly missed first place in 2010, tying with Savickas in points.

• Country: USA
• Height: 6 feet 8 inches
• Weight: 441 pounds

19. Eddie Hall (2017):

In 2017, Eddie Hall achieved the top spot in the World’s Strongest Man contest following a series of near successes in the mid-2010s. Notably, in 2016, he became the first person to deadlift 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds). Despite retiring shortly after his 2017 win, Hall made a brief return to the arena in November 2022.

• Country: UK
• Height: 6 feet 2 inches
• Weight: 434 pounds

20. Hafþór Björnsson (2018):

Icelandic powerhouse Hafþór Björnsson claimed the World’s Strongest Man title in 2018, after narrowly missing it by just one point the previous year. Beginning his strongman journey in 2011, he retired in 2020 but hinted at a possible comeback in 2024, although it remains unclear which competition he will join.

• Country: Iceland
• Height: 6 feet 9 inches
• Weight: 441 pounds

21. Martins Licis (2019):

Martins Licis stunned the strongman world in 2019 by defeating elite competitors like Mateusz Kieliszkowski and Björnsson to win the World’s Strongest Man title. Before his victory, Licis had consistently placed fourth in prior contests and also triumphed in The Squat Lift and Atlas Stones events in 2019.

• Country: Latvia
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches
• Weight: 355 pounds

22. Oleksii Novikov (2020):

In 2020, Oleksii Novikov clinched the World’s Strongest Man title at the competition held in Florida amidst global uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Enabled by the injury of the defending champion Licis, Novikov also has two World’s Ultimate Strongman titles to his name.

• Country: Ukraine
• Height: 6 feet 1 inch
• Weight: 306 pounds

23. Tom Stoltman (2021, 2022):

Tom Stoltman emerged victorious in the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2021 and defended his title successfully in 2022. Known as “The Albatross,” Stoltman had previously secured second place in the 2019 event, becoming the 10th individual to win the WSM title multiple times.

• Country: Scotland
• Height: 6 feet 8 inches
• Weight: 408 pounds

24. Mitchell Hooper (2023):

By lifting the World’s Strongest Man trophy in 2023, Mitchell Hooper became the first Canadian strongman to do so. He aims to hold onto his championship this year in Myrtle Beach while contending with his main competitor, Stoltman, who is determined to claim his third title.

• Country: Canada
• Height: 6 feet 3 inches
• Weight: 320 pounds

These are all the individuals who have claimed the esteemed WSM title to date.

Comprehensive List of World’s Strongest Man Winners by Year:

Presented below is a summary of all the World’s Strongest Man contest winners, runners-up, and third-place finishers from 1997 through 2023:

Note: The World’s Strongest Man contest was not held in 1987 as the organizers did not manage to secure a location or make preparations in time. Instead, the “Pure Strength” competition took place, which saw Jon Pall Sigmarsson defeating Geoff Capes and Bill Kazmaier.

Final Reflections:

The World’s Strongest Man event consistently includes the hardest men from around the world, but only one champion claims the title. So far, 24 men have achieved this outstanding accomplishment, with 10 of them securing the title multiple times. Here’s a brief overview of all the World’s Strongest Man champions till date:

1. Bruce Wilhelm (1977-1978)
2. Don Reinhoudt (1979)
3. Bill Kazmaier (1980-1982)
4. Geoff Capes (1983, 1985)
5. Jón Páll Sigmarsson (1984, 1986, 1988, 1990)
6. Jamie Reeves (1989)
7. Magnús Ver Magnússon (1991, 1994-1996)
8. Ted van der Parre (1992)
9. Gary Taylor (1993)
10. Jouko Ahola (1997, 1999)
11. Magnus Samuelson (1998)
12. Janne Virtanen (2000)
13. Svend Karlsen (2001)
14. Mariusz Pudzianowski (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008)
15. Vasyl Virastyuk (2004)
16. Phil Pfister (2006)
17. Žydrūnas Savickas (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014)
18. Brian Shaw (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016)
19. Eddie Hall (2017)
20. Hafþór Björnsson (2018)
21. Martins Licis (2019)
22. Oleksii Novikov (2020)
23. Tom Stoltman (2021, 2022)
24. Mitchell Hooper (2023)

That’s everything for this post. If you have any doubts or queries about what’s mentioned here, feel free to leave a comment. We’ll be delighted to hear from you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Below are the most common questions regarding the World’s Strongest Man champions:

Who won the first World’s Strongest Man contest?:

The inaugural World’s Strongest Man title was claimed by American weightlifter Bruce Wilhelm in 1977, who bested NFL player-turned-strongman Bob Young and wrestler-turned-strongman Ken Patera, who finished second and third, respectively.

Who has won the most World’s Strongest Man contests?:

Mariusz Pudzianowski holds the record for the most victories in the World’s Strongest Man competition, having won five times between 2002 and 2008. Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Magnús Ver Magnússon, Žydrūnas Savickas, and Brian Shaw each follow closely behind with four titles apiece.

Who is the current World’s Strongest Man?:

Mitchell Hooper from Canada is the reigning World’s Strongest Man, having claimed the 2023 title by outcompeting previous champions Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

How many World’s Strongest Man winners are there?:

Over the 47 years of the World’s Strongest Man competition, there have been 24 unique winners. Ten men have claimed the title more than once, while 14 have won the prestigious title only once.

Do the World’s Strongest Man competitors use performance-enhancing drugs?:

The World’s Strongest Man contest has a strict policy against the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Competitors are frequently tested to ensure compliance, and if found violating, they face disqualification and are barred from future participation for a certain period.