If you were watching the sand and salt air of Myrtle Beach back in April 2023, you knew you were witnessing something that felt like a changing of the guard. It wasn't just the humidity or the weird South Carolina rain that made the 2023 World's Strongest Man feel different. It was the "Moose." Mitchell Hooper, a guy who basically appeared out of thin air in the professional strongman circuit only a year prior, didn't just win. He dominated.
He became the first Canadian to ever hoist that iconic trophy. Honestly, the way he did it was almost surgical. While the veterans were huffing and trying to keep their grip in the wet conditions, Hooper looked like he was just having a particularly intense day at the office.
The Canadian Takeover: Mitchell Hooper's Path to Gold
Hooper didn't just stumble into the title. He came in hot, having already won the Arnold Strongman Classic earlier that year. Most people thought the "drive for five" was the main storyline—referring to the legendary Brian Shaw trying to get one last title before retiring. But Hooper had other plans.
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The final leaderboard for the 2023 World's Strongest Man tells a story of a guy who simply refused to have a "bad" event. Here is how the top of the pack shook out after two grueling days of the finals:
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada): 53.5 points
- Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom): 49 points
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine): 41 points
- Trey Mitchell (USA): 39.5 points
- Evan Singleton (USA): 39.5 points
Tom Stoltman, "The Albatross," was the reigning two-time champ. He's a mountain of a man and usually the favorite when stones are involved. But Hooper caught him off guard early. In the Shield Carry—the very first event of the finals—Hooper actually stayed behind Tom on purpose. He watched Tom set the mark at 63.15 meters. Then, with a grit that sorta defined his whole weekend, Hooper just kept walking until he hit 64.8 meters.
One point up. Just like that.
That Weird Weather and the Schedule Flip
Strongman is usually outdoor theater, and Myrtle Beach decided to play difficult. On the first day of the finals, the rain was coming down so hard that the organizers had to scrap the original plan. They were supposed to start with Fingal’s Fingers, but those giant poles get incredibly dangerous when they're slick.
Instead, they moved to the KNAACK Deadlift.
Imagine trying to pull 353 kilograms (roughly 778 pounds) while rain is actively hitting the bar. Mitchell Hooper didn't seem to care. He ripped through 8 reps. Meanwhile, a four-way tie for second place at 7 reps (Novikov, Trey Mitchell, Brian Shaw, and Mathew Ragg) meant the point spread started working in Hooper's favor early.
The Controversy: Pavlo Kordiyaka’s Costly Mistake
You can't talk about the 2023 World's Strongest Man without mentioning Pavlo Kordiyaka. The Ukrainian powerhouse was moving like a freight train. In the Shield Carry, he actually covered the most distance of anyone. He should have won the event.
But he didn't.
The judges hit him with a massive 19.8-meter penalty. Why? Because he didn't quite cross the line properly before turning around for his next length. It was a brutal call. It dropped him from 1st in the event to 6th. In a sport where titles are decided by half-points, that was a death blow to his podium chances. Kordiyaka eventually finished 6th overall, but fans still argue about whether that penalty was too harsh for the "crime."
Brian Shaw's Final Bow
It was also the end of an era. Brian Shaw, a man who basically carried the sport on his back for a decade, confirmed this was his final WSM. He finished 7th. You could see the toll the years had taken, especially when he struggled with the final "Finger" in the Fingal's Fingers event.
Watching the "Colorado Colossus" walk off the field for the last time was emotional. He wasn't the same guy who could out-squat a small house anymore, but the respect from the other athletes was palpable.
How Hooper Won It (The Max Dumbbell)
The turning point was arguably the Max Dumbbell. This is usually where the "pure" overhead pressers shine. Hooper’s personal best going into the show was 125kg.
He ended up hitting 140kg.
He tied for first in the event with Evan "T-Rex" Singleton. By the time they got to the Bus Pull, Hooper was in a position where he just had to not mess up. Instead of playing it safe, he won the Bus Pull too, clocking in at 30.24 seconds.
By the time the Atlas Stones—the traditional final event—rolled around, the math was heavily in his favor. Tom Stoltman did what Tom Stoltman does; he won the stones with a blistering 33.26 seconds. But Hooper took second in the event (36.96 seconds), which was more than enough to secure the overall gold.
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What You Can Learn from the 2023 WSM
If you're a fan or an aspiring strength athlete, the 2023 World's Strongest Man provided some pretty clear takeaways. Strength isn't just about the peak number on a barbell.
- Versatility Trumps Specialization: Hooper wasn't the best deadlifter in the world, nor the best stone lifter. But he was top-two in almost everything. In a points-based system, being "pretty good" at everything beats being "the best" at one thing and "average" at the rest.
- The Mental Game of Pacing: Hooper’s strategy in the Shield Carry—pacing himself against Stoltman—showed that strongman is a thinking man's sport.
- Conditioning is King: The move toward more "athletic" events like the Bus Pull and Loading Races favors the lighter, more mobile giants. Hooper weighs around 320 lbs—which is small compared to the 400-lb titans of the past.
If you're looking to improve your own strength, don't just focus on the big three lifts. Incorporate carries, odd-object lifting, and high-intensity conditioning. The 2023 season proved that the modern strongman needs to be an athlete, not just a stationary crane.
For those wanting to dive deeper into the specific training styles that allowed Mitchell Hooper to rise so fast, check out his "scientific" approach to lifting. He often discusses biomechanics and recovery in ways that most old-school lifters ignored. You can find a lot of his breakdown videos on his personal social channels where he explains why he chose certain techniques over others during that 2023 run.
Finalize your own training plan by focusing on your weakest event first—that’s exactly how Hooper turned his "bad" overhead press into a contest-winning Max Dumbbell.