The 45th rendition of the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) is almost here. It will take place on May 24-29, 2022, at Capitol Mall in Sacramento, CA. Thirty of the world’s top strongmen will vie for the legendary Barry Frank Trophy, and to capture the esteemed honor of calling themselves the best strongman in the world.
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The 2022 WSM roster hosts four previous winners, with several more than worthy up-and-comers trying to notch their first-ever title. There will be three days of Qualifying Round events, determining who competes in the two-day Finals.
Fans who want to view the 2022 WSM in full have two options. They can travel to Sacramento to watch it live or wait until CBS Sports Network broadcasts a television replay of the entire event later this summer in the United States. At the time of this writing, the WSM organization has not announced specific air times and dates.
How to Watch the 2022 WSM
If fans can’t travel to Sacramento and don’t want to wait until CBS airs the full replay, the WSM organization will offer a live show — Backstage Live! Presented by The Beard Struggle — that will air on WSM’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Terry Hollands — who competed in 15 separate WSM competitions — will host the show. Hollands will recap each day’s events while offering inside access to backstage interviews with the athletes and event organizers.
If, by chance, fans can attend in person, the WSM organization will have a first-ever Fan Festival that is free of charge to the public. The festival will feature an assortment of food trucks, giveaways, and other special events.
What to Expect From the 2022 WSM
Tom Stoltman is the defending champion, and he’s looking to become the first repeat winner since Brian Shaw (2015-2016). Meanwhile, Shaw seeks rare status as he’s trying to become the second-ever, five-time WSM champion. Poland’s Mariusz Pudzianowski is the only five-time champion in the competition’s history.
Look for 2020 WSM Champion Oleksii Novikov and 2019 WSM Champion Martin Licis, respectively, to push for status as the 10th strongman to win multiple championships.
At the time of this publishing, here is the roster of 30 athletes for this year’s competition:
2022 WSM Roster
- Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom) — Reigning WSM Champion
- Brian Shaw (United States) — 2021 WSM 2nd place
- Maxime Boudreault (Canada) — 2021 WSM 3rd place
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
- Rob Kearney (United States)
- Gabriel Peña (Mexico)
- Kelvin de Ruiter (Netherlands)
- Kim Ujarak (Greenland)
- Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
- Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
- Shane Flowers (United Kingdom)
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (Australia)
- Bobby Thompson (United States)
- Aivars Smaukstelis (Latvia)
- Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
- Evan Singleton (United States)
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted (Iceland)
- Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
- Charles “Trey” Mitchell (United States)
- Mika Törrö (Finland)
- Manuel Angulo (Chile)
- Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Bobby Thompson (United States)
- Kevin Faires (United States)
- Nedžmin Ambešković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Gabriel Rheaume (Canada)
- Martins Licis (United States)
- Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
From the Qualifying Round to the Finals, here is the order of official 2022 WSM events:
Qualifying Round, Day 1 — Tuesday, May 24th, 2022
- Loading Race
- Deadlift Ladder
Qualifying Round, Day 2 — Wednesday, May 25th, 2022
Qualifying Round, Day 3 — Thursday, May 26th, 2022
- Wrecking Ball Hold
- Stone Off
Final, Day 1 — Saturday, May 28th, 2022
Final, Day 2 — Sunday, May 29th, 2022
- Bus Pull
- Reign Total Body Fuel Power Stairs
- Atlas Stones
Featured image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram