Only 4 men left to qualify for the WSM Final, and two of them will go through today!
- Evan Singleton – USA – 5th at World’s Strongest Man 2023
- Pavlo Kordiyaka – Ukraine – 6th at World’s Strongest Man 2023 & Europe’s Strongest Man 2023
- Marcus Crowder – USA
- Rauno Heinla – Estonia
- Kane Francis – England
- Evans Nana – Ghana
After years of bad luck, Singleton finally made it to a WSM Final last year and placed in the top 5. He will be looking to improve on that this year, and if he can remain injury free, I don’t see how anyone can stop him getting to the final. Pavlo had a fantastic 2023, but his 2024 hasn’t been nearly as good. However, he should still be a favourite for the finals along with Evan. Evans Nana could be a threat though!
Event 1 – Webster Stones
The Webster Stones are starting things off again; 1 stone is 136kg, and the other is 113kg, and they must be carried as far as the athletes possibly can! Kane and Evans will be the first to take on this brutal event in Heat 4. Both men drop just before the 20m turn, but are able to recover and get past it, but not too far. Francis just ahead of Nana at 21.38m. Heinla against Crowder time. Heinla drops first, but is well ahead of the previous two, with Crowder getting pretty close to the 40m mark. Evan against Pavlo time, and I’d expect them both to beat the previous 4 men. Surprisingly, Kordiyaka isn’t able to get as far as others, leaving him in 4th place, while Singleton gets 40m for the win!
Event 2 – Deadlift Ladder
5 bars ranging from 300kg to 380kg must be lifted in the quickest time. Rauno is one of the top deadlifters on the planet right now, but he’s not exactly the fastest athlete, so he could still be beaten on a quick 5. Not the best event for Pavlo, which isn’t going to help him after a 4th place in event 1. First up were Kane and Evans, both getting quick times for 4 reps, putting the pressure on everyone else. Now for Heinla and Kordiyaka. Heinla gets 5 as expected, while Pavlo gets 3 which was also expected tbh. Can Crowder or Singleton beat the 40 second time of Heinla though? Crowder is the faster of the two here, but Singleton catches him up on the 4th, getting his 5th rep at the same time Crowder gets 4. Not as fast as Heinla though!
Event 3 – Sandbag Steeplechase
3 120kg sandbags of different shapes must be loaded onto a platform at the end of a 20m course. However, at the 10m mark, they have to throw the bags over a bar as well! This is the kind of event where Kordiyaka can really make up some points. He and Crowder will be the first men to take on the challenge. Pavlo is going really well, while Crowder really slows down on the last bag. So much so he doesn’t get the bag over the bar before the time limit. Nana and Francis go head to head next. They both go well, but that final bag just saps them of their energy. Kane is unable to get it over the bar, while Nana manages it but cannot get it loaded. Singleton against Heinla, where I don’t see Heinla doing particularly great. Statically he’s a monster, but given his age, he’s not the fittest or fastest. Singleton on the other hand will be expected to get all 6 done. Singleton the first athlete to go around the bar rather than under it, but it seems to work for him. Rauno almost messes up on the second bag, throwing it at the bar rather than over it, but he was close enough to catch it and still get it over. 4 was it for him though, in the slowest time. Singleton just manages all 6, but not as fast as Pavlo.
Singleton the only man to be consistent so far, meaning the rest of the leaderboard is anyone’s guess. Or not, as we’re about to take a look!
Singleton on top as expected, and while Heinla is currently in 2nd place, Pavlo is creeping up on him, and the rest of the athletes are all within range as well. The next two events are going to be very interesting for sure!
Event 4 – Viking Press
150kg to be pressed overhead as many times in 1 minute! Aside from Singleton, nobody stands out to me in this group as a big presser, so I have no clue how anyone else might perform! Heinla and Crowder have been and gone, with Heinla reaching 9 reps, and Crowder managing a big 12. Can Kane and Evans do better? Kane looked good up to 8 reps, then had a rest and was able to get a couple more out to overtake Heinla. Another rest and he matches 12 too! Nana unfortunately only manages 8. Evan and Pavlo have a target to reach now, and its crucial Pavlo does well. 10 reps from him is probably his goal to ensure good points. Well, Pavlo did considerably better than I expected, getting a FAST 12 reps out, before taking a break for around 15 seconds and finishing on 14! Singleton takes first place though with 16 reps. Looking more and more likely that these two will be heading to the finals, but anything can happen in the stone off.
Event 5 – Car Walk
A 454kg car needs to be lifted and walked down the 20m course in the quickest time! Another good event for Pavlo here, so really it all comes down to what everyone else does as to who will meet him in the stone off. Singleton has already qualified, and he’s looking good going into his second final! Nana and Crowder go first, and while Crowder gets off to a faster start, its Nana that just edges him out after both of them drop the car a couple of times. Just over 18 seconds is the time to beat for the next 2 men, Kane and Rauno! Heinla struggles, while Francis is slow and steady, dropping only once but not finishing faster than the previous two. Appears that the result for Kane here puts him out of contention in the stone off. Pavlo is out last on his own, since Evan has already qualified. As long as he doesn’t screw up massively or get injured, he will be cruising into the stone off. A slow time, but it was enough to confirm his place.
Lets confirm those stone off places then:
So there it is confirmed. Evan in the final, and Pavlo Vs Marcus in the stone off to join him! Poor Kane misses out by a single point, while Nana and Heinla were also extremely close. Outside of Singleton, this was a very tight group!
Event 6 – Stone Off
6 stones to be passed over a bar to each other, all increasing in weight. Once they get to the final stone, they keep passing that until one person is unable to do so. Kordiyaka was here in 2022 and lost out on a place in the final, something he won’t want to repeat. Both men look strong, but the 5th stone seems to give Marcus a little trouble, and the 6th stone is just too much for him. Pavlo makes another final!
Well the two favourites for the final were able to do it, with Evan doing it in style. This also makes him the first American into the final for 2024!
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