Rayno Nel Wins World’s Strongest Man 2025 in Historic Debut

Rayno Nel has won the 48th edition of the World’s Strongest Man competition. The four-day competition was held in Sacramento, CA, from May 15-18, and it started with 25 of the world’s greatest strongmen battling it out for 10 final positions. The finals were held over two days, and Nel was dominant from start to finish to win his first WSM championship.

Nel had to overcome three-time and defending champion Tom Stoltman as well as the dominant Mitchell Hooper, who won this title in 2023 and was seen as the favorite to reclaim the title this year. Stoltman and Hooper took silver and bronze on the podium.

Nel not only won this title but made significant history as the first man to win the title in his WSM debut since 1997 when Jouko Ahola shocked the world by winning the contest. He’s also the first man from South Africa to earn this title. The final standings for all ten finalists are below.

1. Rayno Nel

2. Tom Stoltman

3. Mitchell Hooper

4. Trey Mitchell

5. Paddy Haynes

6. Ondrej Fojtu

7. Shane Flowers

8. Pavlo Kordiyaka

9. Luke Stoltman

10. Eddie Williams

Rayno Nel Unexpected Weekend Winning Performance

The full field of 25 had to compete over two days to determine the finalists. Nel was in Group Three with Shane Flowers, Lucas Hatton, Evans Nana Aryee, and Mateusz Kieliszkowski. Kieliszkowski was the favorite out of this group, but was forced to withdraw by the final event due to what he described as flu-like symptoms.  Nel is still relatively new to the sport, and very few saw him as a threat to advance. However, he marched through each of the five events to win the group. Flowers finished in second and joined Nel in the finals.

The road for Nel to win the finals was not as easy as he made it look. The competitors had to face new changes for this year’s contest, including no rest day for the finalists between the qualifying heats and the finals. There was also a new scoring system instituted for the finals based on how the athletes performed in the first round of competition.

Hooper started the finals with the lead with Stoltman in second, and Nel in third. Nel changed his fortunes by winning the opening event of the finals, the KNAACK Carry and Hoist by nearly four seconds over Stoltman. Hooper ended the event in third place. That resulted in a three-way tie for the overall lead.

Next up was the 18-inch Max Deadlift, which was a basic power event. The man who lifted the most won. Trey Mitchell managed to pull 500 kilograms, or 1,102 pounds, to win that event, but Nel placed second by only 10 kilograms, which helped give him the lead over the two former champions. He also took second in the iconic Hercules Hold to help him end the first day of the finals in the lead.

Championship day began with the Flintstone Press Max, another single-rep power event. Nel’s only flawed performance was on this event, where he finished in eighth place. Stoltman took the win, but Nel’s overall lead was still intact going into the final event, the Atlas Stones.

The WSM title would be determined by who could lift the five stones, weighing in a range of 140 to 210 kilograms, up to their platforms in the quickest time possible. Nel completed four lifts in just over 30 seconds, but it was enough to secure him the title. Stoltman, who is known for his prowess in this seven, won the event by lifting all five stones up in 31 seconds. That helped him secure second, relegating Hooper to third overall.

While Nel’s victory is seen as not only an upset but a welcome addition to the top ranks of the sport, some fans wonder what may have been had American Evan Singleton been in the mix. Singleton finished the 2024 WSM in third, but he suffered a biceps tear on the opening event of the qualifying heat, resulting in him having to bow out. The hope is that Singleton will be able to return in 2026 and see how he can match up against this new champion.