South African Rayno Nel Wins World’s Strongest Man, Tom Stoltman Second

Tom Stoltman narrowly missed winning his fourth World’s Strongest Man title in 2025, finishing second by just half a point to debutant champion Rayno Nel. Despite starting the final day nine points behind, Stoltman made a strong comeback with a top performance in the Flintstone Press and the Atlas Stones, his best event, lifting five stones in 31.76 seconds. Nel secured the title by narrowly outperforming both Stoltman and third-place Mitchell Hooper in the final event. This marked Stoltman's sixth consecutive podium finish, making him the most successful British strongman in the competition’s history, a record he shares with legends like Geoff Capes. His older brother Luke Stoltman also competed, finishing ninth overall. The strong showing of four British athletes in the final highlights a promising future for UK strongman competitions, with Tom expressing optimism about the sport’s growth and congratulating the new champion.