The groups for the qualifiers of the 2026 WSM have been announced.
The 2026 World’s Strongest Man competition is just days away. scheduled for April 23-26 in Myrtle Beach. It will begin with athletes separated into groups to compete during the qualifiers. From there, a group will advance to the final to take part in five more events to crown a champion.
[RELATED: 2026 World’s Strongest Man Full List Of Events]
The World’s Strongest Man competition will be back in Myrtle Beach for the third time in four years. In 2025, the competition took place in Sacramento, which has held the event three times. The qualifying rounds will begin on Thursday and Friday from the Oceanfront Borroughs & Chapin Paviolion Place. A champion will be crowned after the two-day final round taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
Those groups for qualifiers have been shared via the organization’s official Instagram page.
2026 World’s Strongest Man Groups
Group 1
- Ben Glasscock (GBR)
- Nick Guardione (USA)
- Rayno Nel (RSA)
- Tristain Hoath (CAN)
- Luke Richardson (GBR)
Group 2
- Austin Andrade (MEX)
- Mathew Ragg (NZL)
- Jaco Schoonwinkel (RSA)
- Tom Stoltman (GBR)
- Levi Strong (USA)
Group 3
- Matyas Funiok (CZE)
- Lucas Hatton (USA)
- Paddy Haynes (GBR)
- Mitchell Hooper (CAN)
- Eddie Williams (AUS)
Group 4
- Adam Bishop (GBR)
- Ondrej Fojtu (CZE)
- James Jeffers (CAN)
- Bryce Johnson (USA)
- Martins Licis (LVA)
Group 5
- Andrew Flynn (GBR)
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (UKR)
- Trey Mitchell (USA)
- Evans Nana (GHA)
- Evan Singleton (USA)
The lineup is headlined by four former champions. This includes Rayno Nel, who became the first rookie to win the title since 1997. He will be challenged by a loaded lineup with a trio that have hoisted the trophy. Tom Stoltman is a three-time champion and finished as the runner-up to Nel last year. Stoltman is coming off a victory at the Britain’s Strongest Man competition. He is at the top of his game once again. Martins Licis and Mitchell Hooper are also former champions.
2026 World’s Strongest Man Events
There is a total of 10 events that will be spread out across the event:
Qualifiers
- Farmer’s Walk into Power Stairs
- Overhead Circus Medley
- Squat for Reps
- Truck Pull
- Natural Stone Medley
The qualifiers will begin with the Farmer’ Walk into Power Stairs. Athletes will carry heavy implements across the course before entering the stairs. The Overhead Circus Medley will see competitors lift different objects of various weights overhead. This will be followed by the Squat for Reps, which is an exciting event for fans. The Truck Pull is a classic as athletes move a massive vehicle across a course. The final event of the qualifiers will be a stone off.
Finals
- Medley
- Max Log
- Titan’s Toss
- Deadlift for Reps
- Atlas Stones
The finals will begin with a Medley, which is unknown to this point. It will move into the Max Log press and Titan’s Toss, two events that test strength in different ways. The Deadlift for Reps will be next on the list as competitors look to rack up rep with a certain amount of weight. The final event of the competition will be Atlas Stones.
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