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eNCA
25-05-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
Rayno Nel becomes first African to win title of World Strongest Man
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's Rayno Nel caused one of the biggest upsets in World's Strongest Man History as he clinched a 0.5-point victory to become the first African to win the World's Strongest Man. Coming into day two 9-points adrift, defending champion, Tom Stoltman, claimed victories in both of Sunday's events, but ultimately fell just half a point short of taking a fourth title. With the destination of Strongman's biggest prize coming down to the final pairing in the Atlas Stones, former rugby player and engineer, Nel, took the win by less than a second.
The South African
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Rayno Nel wins World's Strongest Man title: The dawn of the athletic era is HERE
History was made this weekend at the 2025 World's Strongest Man competition as South Africa's Rayno Nel, a former rugby player turned strongman, claimed the coveted title in his debut appearance. Nel became the first-ever winner from South Africa, the African continent, and the entire southern hemisphere – but more significantly, his victory could mark the dawn of a new athletic era in strongman competition. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 148kg, the 30-year-old Nel powered through a stacked field featuring legends such as 3-time winner Tom Stoltman and pre-competition favourite, Mitchell Hooper. But it was Nel's speed, grip, and endurance that separated him from the pack. With fellow finalist Paddy Haynes, another debutant, also turning heads with his athleticism, 2025 may be remembered as the moment the sport pivoted toward function over brute strength. Nel's path to the title was anything but conventional. With only two years of strongman experience, he secured wildcard entry to the finals following dominant performances across the 2024 Strongman Champions League, including wins in Holland, Africa, and the World Finals. But even with his growing reputation, few expected him to dethrone the world's best at his first attempt. In the opening Carry and Hoist event – a combination of zercher carries and a heavy rope hoist – Nel completed the gruelling test in just 30 seconds. The top five finishers in the event included not only previous champions like Stoltman and Hooper, but also relative lightweights Haynes and Pavlo Kordiyaka, highlighting a clear edge for those with superior movement and speed. The second event, the 18-inch deadlift, provided a reminder that brute force still matters. American strongman Trey Mitchell set a new personal best with a monstrous 500kg pull – the heaviest lift of the competition. Nel followed closely with 490kg, and five more athletes topped 465kg. While mass remains a decisive factor in these static tests, Nel's ability to stay competitive despite a more mobile frame proved his versatility. Grip strength and grit: Williams stuns, Nel maintains In the third event – the Hercules Hold – Australia's Eddie Williams stunned the crowd by holding on for an eye-watering 82 seconds, a new world record. Studies have linked grip strength to the longevity of life, and if that's true, Williams may live forever! Nel again placed in the top tier, proving his resilience and consistency across contrasting disciplines. The only sign of vulnerability in Nel's campaign came in the Flintstone barbell overhead press, where Trey Mitchell and Tom Stoltman launched 241kg overhead with relative ease. Nel managed 188kg – well short of the leaders – but still enough to keep him in the running. It was a critical moment in the standings, and one that tested Nel's mental resilience as much as his physical strength. Heading into the final event, the iconic Atlas Stones, the standings were tight. Three-time champion Tom Stoltman, known globally as the 'King of the Stones', delivered a blistering performance, completing all five stones in just 31 seconds. Nel, under pressure, managed four stones in 30 seconds – not enough to win the event, but just enough to retain his lead and take the overall title by half a point. While Nel's win is a personal triumph, it also represents something larger: A shift in what it takes to win in modern strongman competition. With faster, more dynamic events making up the majority of the finals, athletes like Nel, Haynes, and Kordiyaka – who blend agility with power – are thriving. Paddy Haynes, a former runner from the UK, placed high across multiple events and was notably effective in disciplines requiring speed and conditioning. Despite lacking some of the top-end pressing power, he remained in contention throughout and now looks set to become a mainstay on the global circuit. With event design increasingly favouring mobility, athletic backgrounds like rugby, CrossFit, and track and field could become more common among future competitors. Nel, with his engineering mindset and rugby roots, exemplifies the evolving athlete profile. That said, traditional strength is far from obsolete. The likes of Mitchell Hooper, Tom Stoltman, and Trey Mitchell continue to dominate heavy lifts – and will remain title threats in years to come. But to win, future champions may need more than size. They'll need strategy, agility, and endurance too. Rayno Nel (South Africa) Tom Stoltman (Scotland) Michell Hooper (Canada) Trey Michell (USA) Paddy Haynes (England) For the first time in World's Strongest Man history, the 2025 competition introduced a controversial new scoring system where points from the heats carried over into the finals. Traditionally, all finalists start from zero, but this year, the top two from each group entered the final with a head start based on their heat performance – meaning Mitchell Hooper began with a commanding 10 points, while Eddie Williams started with just one. Rayno Nel, who would ultimately win, began with eight points, already two behind Hooper. While the final outcome remained the same – Nel took the title – the adjusted scoring significantly shifted the rest of the leaderboard. Under the old format, Paddy Haynes would have finished second overall and Tom Stoltman fourth. Though the system rewards consistency, critics argue it undermines the purity of the final showdown, where the best athlete over the final five events should emerge on top. While rolling points may encourage full effort in the heats, it also introduces an uneven playing field – one that second-placed Stoltman may support, and fifth-placed Haynes would surely challenge. Rayno Nel's win marks not just a historic moment for South Africa, but a potential turning point for the entire sport of World's Strongest Man. In a final packed with legends and newcomers, it was the blend of brains, brawn and balance that won out. Whether this signals a true changing of the guard remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the age of the athletic strongman is well and truly here. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Tom Stoltman misses out on World's Strongest Man title by just 0.48 seconds with own BROTHER wrecking dream
TOM STOLTMAN's dreams of winning a fourth World's Strongest Man trophy were agonisingly dashed by his BROTHER. The 30-year-old Scot missed out on the trophy by a HALF A POINT, with South Africa's Rayno Nel taking home the win in Sacramento, California. 4 4 4 Stoltman put in a Herculean effort to reduce the final day deficit between himself and Nel. But ironically, it was the Hercules hold that cost him the competition. Tom received three points for holding the mammoth 160kg pillars for 31.82 seconds. Stoltman's older brother, Luke, performed better in the gruelling task, receiving the four points for a 32:30-second hold. So that meant Tom's dreams of a fourth title were inadvertently dashed by his older sibling, who held the pillars 0.48 seconds longer than he did. Tom ended the final day with a points tally of 46.5. Competition winner Nel, who won the tournament in his DEBUT, finished with 47 points. Luke, meanwhile, finished with 21.5 points to his name. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Tom's heartache was somewhat soothed by the fact he moved a step closer to making yet more strongman history. His second-placed finish was his sixth podium appearance in the competition. It saw him move level with Brit icon Geoff Capes and Icelandic giant Magnus Ver Magnusson. Tom won the World's Strongest Man in 2021, 2022 and 2024. He regained the title last year from 2023 tournament winner Mitchell Hooper. Five-time finalist Luke, who was competing in the tournament for the tenth time in his career, finished in ninth place.
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Tom Stoltman misses out on World's Strongest Man title by just 0.48 seconds with own BROTHER wrecking dream
Less than half a second cost the Brit an incredible fourth title OH BROTHER Tom Stoltman misses out on World's Strongest Man title by just 0.48 seconds with own BROTHER wrecking dream TOM STOLTMAN's dreams of winning a fourth World's Strongest Man trophy were agonisingly dashed by his BROTHER. The 30-year-old Scot missed out on the trophy by a HALF A POINT, with South Africa's Rayno Nel taking home the win in Sacramento, California. Advertisement 4 Tom Stoltman agonisingly missed out on a fourth World's Strongest Man title Credit: AFP 4 The 30-year-old missed out on the trophy by half a point Credit: AFP 4 His older brother, Luke, inadvertently dashed his dreams of a fourth title Credit: WORLD'S MOST STRONGEST MAN Stoltman put in a Herculean effort to reduce the final day deficit between himself and Nel. But ironically, it was the Hercules hold that cost him the competition. Tom received three points for holding the mammoth 160kg pillars for 31.82 seconds. Stoltman's older brother, Luke, performed better in the gruelling task, receiving the four points for a 32:30-second hold. Advertisement READ MORE IN SPORT SUPER STRONG I wasn't meant to be the World's Strongest Man but autism became my superpower So that meant Tom's dreams of a fourth title were inadvertently dashed by his older sibling, who held the pillars 0.48 seconds longer than he did. Tom ended the final day with a points tally of 46.5. Competition winner Nel, who won the tournament in his DEBUT, finished with 47 points. Luke, meanwhile, finished with 21.5 points to his name. Advertisement JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Tom Stoltman won the World's Strongest Man in 2021, 2022 and 2024 Credit: WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN Tom's heartache was somewhat soothed by the fact he moved a step closer to making yet more strongman history. His second-placed finish was his sixth podium appearance in the competition. Advertisement It saw him move level with Brit icon Geoff Capes and Icelandic giant Magnus Ver Magnusson. Tom Stoltman shows off incredible strength as he trains ahead of World's Strongest Man Tom won the World's Strongest Man in 2021, 2022 and 2024. He regained the title last year from 2023 tournament winner Mitchell Hooper. Five-time finalist Luke, who was competing in the tournament for the tenth time in his career, finished in ninth place.
The Herald
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
From rugby to World's Strongest Man: Rayno Nel lifts a heavy first for Africa
Former Cheetahs and Central University of Technology rugby player Rayno Nel has become the first African to win the World's Strongest Man competition in the US. Nel's triumph by half-a-point over defending champion and three-time winner Tom Stoltman of Britain was the first by a rookie since 1997. Nel amassed 47 points from the five individual competitions in the final, held over the weekend in Sacramento, California. On Saturday he won the opener, the Carry & Hoist, for a full bag of 10 points, and finished second in the deadlift and Hercules holds, earning nine points in each. Nel returned on Sunday for the final two competitions, managing only three points in the Flintstone press, but the eight points he secured in the final Atlas stones competition earned him the narrow victory. He started the final with eight points earned for placing third in the heats stage of the competition. 'To represent [South Africa] in any way whatsoever, it feels surreal,' the 30-year-old electrical engineer was quoted as saying by USA Today . 'We're a small country with a lot of struggles. To have something like this I know means a lot to my people.' He told the publication he wouldn't be able to celebrate by drinking his favourite beer, Black Label. 'I'll try American beer tonight.'
