World Strongman Open 2025
Last year this event had the world LOG LIFT championships. This year… the world DEADLIFT championships! Will someone FINALLY get past that magic 501kg?
Raul Flores – Mexico – Giants Live debut (Deadlift World Championship Guest Lifter)
Bryce Johnson – USA – Giants Live debut
Tristain Hoath – Canada – 5th at World’s Strongest Man 2024
Eddie Williams – Australia – 2x Australia’s Strongest Man
Austin Andrade – Mexico – 7th at World’s Strongest Man 2024
Rauno Heinla – Estonia – 2022 Deadlift World Champion (Deadlift World Championship Guest Lifter)
Mat Ragg – New Zealand – 4th at World’s Strongest Man 2024
Gavin Bilton – Wales – 2nd at Britain’s Strongest Man 2024
Adam Bishop – England – 2x Britain’s Strongest Man
Luke Stoltman – Scotland – 2025 Britain’s Strongest Man
Paddy Haynes – England – 2nd at Europe’s Strongest Man 2025
Evan Singleton – USA – Strongman Classic 2025 Winner
Hafthor Julius Bjornsson – 2018 World’s Strongest Man
That’s right, making his big return to Giants Live after issues with organiser Colin Brice and how things went down with Eddie Hall all those years ago, THOR is back! He’s here to try and break his own deadlift world record, and do it in an actual competition too and not just his home gym (happened during covid so he didn’t have a choice at the time) so he can shut people up. But he’s also here to win the entire show as well! He retired for a few years, but has since made his return to events like the Arnold Strongman Classic, Strongest Man on Earth (formally Shaw Classic) and Rogue Invitational. While he hasn’t won any of those shows, he has been doing extremely well, usually landing on the podium. He’s been getting back to his prime strength, and who knows, today might be the day he finally returns to the Thor of old! Of course, he’s not competing alone, and while he is likely to win the deadlift world championships, the rest of the show won’t be so easy. Not with the likes of Evan Singleton, now a 6 time winner of Giants Live shows, Paddy Haynes who continues to get better and better, and a whole handful of other great athletes too!
Event 1 – Deadlift World Championships
The bar simply keeps going up in weight until we have a winner! The world record WAS 501kg, but apparently its currently already 505kg set by Thor? I just don’t know when it happened, as it wasn’t a previous Giant’s Live event, and due to the strange TV schedule of strongman, I’ve avoided any spoilers for shows since just before WSM that happened in.. May or June? So it could have happened at the SMOE or Rogue event, I don’t know. A big shame because I would have loved to have seen that lift! Now I don’t see a new world record happening at all here, but maybe we could get some people matching 505kg? 400kg is where thing started, with everyone either lifting that weight or choosing to skip it. They move on to 420kg and Luke Stoltman is the first man to fail a lift. We still have 2 mne left to lift, but since they are Thor and Singleton, I don’t see any more failures at what is essentially such a low weight given today’s incredible strongmen and what they are capable of. Thor indeed makes it, but Singleton struggles here, and isn’t able to lock out at the top, and that’s it for him. A real shocker as his personal best is over 1000lbs. The weight moves up to 440kg now, and we see Gavin Bilton and Paddy Haynes take a go first. Haynes gets it, and so does Gavin! That’s a Welsh record for Bilton! 453kg is the next weight we shall see men lift, and first up is a former American Football player, Bryce Johnson. Can he make 1000lbs? No, he can’t, but you know who can? PADDY HAYNES! If he can improve at overhead, he will be one of the best all round strongmen on the planet. We get an update as to who has lifted what number. Stoltman, Singleton, Hoath, Williams, Bilton, Johnson, Haynes and Rag are all done, with lifts ranging from 400kg to 453kg. We are now up to 470kg, which Andrade has managed. 2 men skipping it, with 2 men still to lift. They are Bishop and Thor! Bishop lifts it, and it didn’t seem too difficult. How far can he go? To the surprise of nobody, Thor also makes it. He’s still warming up. Next up is 480kg, and first to do this is Raul Flores. He gives it a good try, but he can’t get it over his knees. Heinla is out next, and he too gets it stuck at the knees. Time for a new world record attempt, and its 510kg! Thor looked great at 470kg, and he’s already done 505kg at another show, but is 510kg on this day too much? HE MAKES IT LOOK EASY. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?!
Event 2 – Farmer’s Walk
150kg in each hand to be moved down the 30m course in the fastest time possible! Evan Singleton has withdrawn from competition sadly. Hoath and Stoltman have had their turn at this event, both reaching the end of the course in around 14 seconds each, with Stoltman just slightly faster. Eddie Williams against Gavin Bilton now as we join the action. Bilton is slow, while Williams manages it in just under 12 seconds. 32.69 seconds for Bilton, who is likely exhausted from achieving the Welsh deadlift record! Now its time for Johnson, Haynes and Ragg to go up against each other. Haynes is FAST at this, but he’s actually the slowest here. Another case of the deadlift tiring him out? Johnson looked good but dropped at one point, finishing in just under 15 seconds. Ragg was able to get the win, but still slower than Williams. Andrade, Bishop and Thor are the final trio, and its Bishop who leads, but he drops, and that gives his opponents the chance to beat him. Nobody even close to Eddie Williams though! Luke Stoltman’s time holds up as well!
Event 3 – Sandbag Steeplechase
2x 150kg sacks to be lifted and moved down a 15m course, then thrown over a steeple, and then picked back up and carred down 15 more metres to be loaded at the end! This is typically a BRUTAL event, and doing it after the deadlift championships is going to really hurt. At least its only 2 sacks instead of the usual 3! 4 men have been and gone, with Bishop getting 0, Williams getting 3 (they count each sack twice; once for getting over the steeple, once for being loaded), then Stoltman and Ragg getting all 4, with Ragg just ahead on time. We join the action with Bilton, Haynes and Andrade. Haynes looks good, Bilton is going slow but well, and Andrade is having a hard time. Haynes beats the time set by Ragg, while Bilton is able to finish in around 49 seconds, which is good for him given the fact he passed out on this event one time. Andrade is just completely knackered, but at least manages 3. Thor, Johnson and Hoath are our final trio. In the past this would be a brilliant event for Thor, but has retirement and age caught up to him in the speed events? We’ll find out soon! Thor fumbles with the fact on the first pickup, but quickly makes up time and is ahead of everyone else. He won’t beat the time of Haynes, Ragg or Stoltman, but he is able to finish in 47.25! Hoath just ahead of Johnson, with them both finishing in under a minute. A good event win for Haynes!
3 events down, and 3 to go. So lets check on the overall scores!
Ragg tops the table with Thor right behind him, and Haynes looking good in third. Stoltman is hot on his heels, with Williams being in with a shout of a podium finish if the next 2 events go well for him. Can Ragg keep Thor at bay though?
Event 4 – Hammer Hold
A massive 30kg hammer must be held in front of you with straight arms for as long as possible! Eddie Hall has the world record still at 65.55 seconds, can anyone come close to that today? 6 men have taken on the challenge, and its bad news for Haynes who is currently down in 5th place. Bishop last again so far. Seems the deadlift really took it out of him, but he’s continuing on still. Andrade, Bilton, Ragg, and Hoath are all above them, with Hoath leading in a time of 39.56 seconds! First to do it for us on screen are Thor and Stoltman! 38.29 for Stoltman, while the mighty THOR keeps going, managing 50.78 seconds and almost passing out! For a man with such long arms, that was impressive, and more so after the fact he’s lifted FIVE HUNDRED AND TEN KILOGRAMS! Lastly, its Williams against Johnson. Eddie has an incredible grip, but how will that translate to this particular event? 38.84 for him, while Johnson beats him in a time of 43.70 seconds! Nobody challenging the time of Thor!
Event 5 – Viking Press
150kg logs to be pressed overhead in the special viking press machine! This was the event which caused so more controversy back in 2017 between Eddie Hall and Thor. Hopefully there will be no drama this year! After a poor showing on the Hammer Hold, a pressing event is the last thing Paddy Haynes would have wanted, and I think his chances of a podium finish are likely gone unless he has suddenly become an excellent presser. Again, 6 men have been and gone, with Haynes tied for 3rd with 3 other man, getting 10 reps which is a lot more than I expected from him! He is tied with Andrade and Stoltman, and no doubt Stoltman will have expected more reps here. Bishop in last again right now with 7 reps. Bilton on his own in 2nd place after 12 reps, and Eddie Williams continues to do well with 13 for current 1st! We join the action with Ragg against Hoath! 7 is all Hoath can manage, while Ragg only manages 9. This is a bit of a lifeline for Haynes! Finally, its Johnson and Thor. Johnson is new for me, I don’t think I’ve seen him before, but he’s doing extremely well overall. He’s ahead of Thor, and goes into the lead with 15 reps! Thor manages 10 reps to tie with a number of men, but most importantly he’s above Ragg.
One event left, so lets see the scores!!!
Thor is comfortably in 1st now, and with the final event suiting him, I doubt he’ll lose now. Ragg, Johnson and Hoath will be battling for a podium spot, but Stoltman and Haynes COULD sneak in with a good performance if things don’t go well for those 3 men.
Event 6 – Power Stairs
4 massive weights ranging from 200kg to 250kg need to be lifted up 3 steps each in the quickest time possible! This event is exhausting, so finishing a show on it, especially after the deadlift world championships and everything else they have done, will be BRUTAL! Thor being so tall gives him a huge advantage for sure, and unless he gets injured, he’s no doubt going to come away from this event the overall winner. 5 men have attempted this, with Hoath sitting down in last right now, which means his potential podium position has gone. Bilton, Stoltman and Bishop all ahead, with Haynes in current 1st in a time of 30.78. Will that be enough to sneak onto the podium? Guess we’ll have to wait and see what Ragg and Johnson do! Willams and Ragg go head to head first, and its Williams who is looking the best so far. Ragg is having a difficult time getting each weight onto the final step, and he finishes in 39.93 seconds. Williams was outside of Haynes’ time as well, but quicker than a handful of other men. Lastly, its Johnson Vs Thor. Thor looks very good, and while he doesn’t beat Hayne’s time, he comes in second, and that is more than enough to secure the competition win! Johnson gets it done in under 37 seconds and no doubt secures his 2nd place. But is Ragg’s time good enough for 3rd?
Ragg with HALF A POINT, manages to keep his podium position. Impressive from Johnson in his debut, and Thor winning by 8 points shows he is as good as he ever was. A massive deadlift world record and then his 9th giants live competition win!
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