“The Moose” is the champion once again.
By Roger “Rock” Lockridge, Managing Editor
Mitchell Hooper sought redemption at the World’s Strongest Man and achieved it after entering the contest as a favorite, as outlined in our 2026 World’s Strongest Man preview. Hooper, who is considered by many to be the number one strongman in the sport, has won numerous titles since his first WSM win in 2023 but was unable to earn that second championship since. That changed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina when he held off a strong challenge from 2025 champion Rayno Nel to secure the gold trophy in what turned out to be a two-point victory.
Nel finished in the runner-up position, and American Trey Mitchell took bronze. The final standings for the top ten finalists are as follows.
- Mitchell Hooper – 54 points
- Rayno Nel – 52 points
- Trey Mitchell – 36 points
- Pavlo Kordiyaka – 5 points
- Ondre Fojtu – 5 points
- Martins Licis – 5 points
- Matthew Ragg – 29 points
- Eddie Williams – 26 points
- Nick Guardione – 21 points
- Austin Andrade – 5 points (withdrawn)
How Hooper Won the 2026 World’s Strongest Man Title
The field was narrowed from 25 to 10 through two days of qualifying heats. The top ten were then given scores based on their performance over those two days to start the finals. Hooper started the finals with a one-point lead over Nel. The first event on the first day of finals was the Flip and Carry, which called for the men to flip a 520-kilogram (1,146-pound) box four times, followed by a 454-kilogram (1,000-pound) yoke carrry for 20 meters. Nel and Hooper finished one, two in that event, which gave Nel the overall lead.
Next up was the Deadlift for Reps event. Each man lifted 400 kilograms (881-pounds) for as many reps as possible in 75 seconds. Nel bested Hooper by one rep to earn top points in event as well.
The Titan’s Toss was the final event of the first day and included 10 implements that had to be tossed over increasing heights for time. Once again, Nel and Hooper were the top two, with Nel sweeping the day and taking the overall lead into the finals.
Sunday, April 26 was championship day and began with the Max Log Lift. This was a simple power event with the heaviest weight determining the winner. American Trey Mitchell took first with a lift of 213 kilograms (470 pounds). Nel tied for second with Ondre Fojtu, which meant Hooper took fourth overall. That meant Hooper needed to do well on the final event with Nel struggling in order to clinch the title.
The Atlas Stones event required the men to lift five stones ranging from 140-210 kilograms (308-462 pounds) onto podiums in 60 seconds or less. Mitchell was the only man to complete all five stones, but his struggles early in the finals kept him in third place. That meant Hooper and Nel were facing off for the title. Both men got only four of the five stones, but Hooper finished in 28.67 seconds while Nel needed 35 seconds. That was good enough for fifth place in that event. Hooper’s effort was second best of the group and gave him the points he needed to secure the victory.
Hooper’s Dominance and Legacy Are Firmly in Place
Hooper’s family, friends, and even representatives from his sponsors at MUTANT were on hand to see him clinch the victory. With the Rogue Invitational from 2025, his four consecutive Arnold Classic titles (including his 2026 Arnold Strongman Classic win), and World’s Strongest Man titles now in his possession, Hooper now holds all three of the sport’s top titles at the same time.
Apart from a dip in performance at a couple of contests, Hooper has been considered the number one man in the sport since 2023. He called the Rogue Invitational win a reminder that he was still in the sport and had no intentions of letting any personal or professional struggle stop him from cementing his legacy. Now with the Arnold and WSM titles secured, he felt he could put the sport on notice in another way.
“I think we should call this the cementing of a legacy,” Hooper said to Muscle Insider. He also made it a point to thank MUTANT for being on-hand to support him on this quest. “It’s an honor to be the only Canadian that has won it, and when I went through a rough patch last year, and the owner of MUTANT (Jim McMahon), a massive company, was one of the only people that checked in on me to make sure I was okay. I will always value that, and there’s a lot of great people and products with that company.”
The WSM will be featured on television throughout the world later this year. Dates and networks will be announced in the near future. To see highlights of the competition and stay updated on those broadcasts, follow @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram.
A more in-depth interview with Hooper for Muscle Insider will be secured at a later date. Subscribe to the Muscle Insider YouTube channel so you can see that in its entirety when it takes place. And be sure to follow us on Instagram @muscleinsider to see more updates from the World’s Strongest Man and IFBB Pro League contests.
Muscle Insider’s coverage of the 2026 SBD World’s Strongest Man is proudly sponsored by MUTANT. Check out their full lineup of high-performance supplements at mutantnation.com and on Instagram @mutantnation.
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