Rayno Nel wins 2025 World's Strongest Man, becoming first champion from Africa

USA Today

19-05-2025

Rayno Nel wins 2025 World's Strongest Man, becoming first champion from Africa
For the first time, the World's Strongest Man hails from Africa.
Rayno Nel, a South African rugby player turned strongman, held on to win Sunday in his World's Strongest Man debut — becoming the first man from outside Europe or Noth America to take the title in the competition's 48-year history. He is also the first rookie to win since 1997.
"I'm just over the moon," he told USA TODAY Sports shortly after securing the title at the 2025 competition, held in Sacramento, California.
"To represent (South Africa) in any way whatsoever, it feels surreal. I mean, we're a small country with a lot of struggles. To have something like this I know means a lot to my people."
It was a stunning outcome, particularly given the circumstances — and the frantic finale.
After building a sizable lead on the first day of the finals Saturday, Nel woke up Sunday morning knowing that his two worst events — including the storied Atlas Stones — were ahead of him. He also knew that the two men who had won each of the four previous Word's Strongest Man competitions were right behind him.
"I think to have your two worst events coming up, that's one thing. But knowing that Mitch Hooper and Tom Stoltman are chasing you, with your worst events coming up, that's something different," Nel said.
"I just tried to stay focused and do as much damage limitation as possible."
Nel, 30, ultimately won by just half a point over Stoltman.
Not bad for a guy who, at least as of three years ago, had only played rugby.
"Rugby was what I thought I would do for my sport career. I didn't think I'd do any sport ever again," he said. "But I always had this competitive side to me, so when I stopped playing rugby, I knew I needed to do something competitive. That's just who I am."
Nel, who is 6 feet 3 and weighs 326 pounds, has said he realized at one point that he had always had a bit more muscle over even larger opponents in rugby matches. So he decided to give strongman a try. He said he lucked out because his coach, Terence Bosman, had a world-class facility just a few miles from his house.
"Although the strongman community is very small in South Africa, of the whole country, I lived 5 kilometers from the best place to train," Nel said.
Though he had won continental strongman competitions before this week, Nel admitted that World's Strongest Man marked a massive step up. Of the 25 strongmen in the field, he had only competed against one of them before. He said it led to some nerves — errors — in the opening events.
"Coming in, I won't say I was starstruck by everything, but World's Strongest Man is just such a big scene and competition," he said.
"Luckily in the sport, I know what the other guys' numbers are. I know, pretty much, what they can do. So deep down, I knew there was a chance."
Asked about how he would celebrate his win — and the history he made for his continent — Nel laughed. His only plan was to have a beer with his family, even if his preferred South African brand, Black Label, would likely be impossible to find.
"I'll try out some American beer tonight," he said.
Contact Tom Schad at [e-mail] or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.