2025 World’s Strongest Man Rogue Overhead Medley Recap

Group Five

To start Group Five, Nick Guardione and Luke Stoltman entered the arena first, facing a 75-second clock. Early on, Stoltman moved smoothly through the dumbbell and log, gaining a full rep lead over Guardione at the circus implement. However, Stoltman’s rhythm broke when he failed his first axle press attempt and didn’t complete it. Meanwhile, Guardione never reached the axle before time expired.

Next, Andrew Flynn and Pavlo Kordiyaka took the stage for the second heat in Group Five. Both athletes had shown impressive agility earlier, and many wondered if they would pick up the pace here. Indeed, Kordiyaka demonstrated stronger fundamentals on the dumbbell and took the lead through the log press. Although he completed a split jerk on the circus, he opted not to attempt the axle, despite having time left. Conversely, Flynn struggled and never moved past the circus. Following the heat, Kordiyaka flagged the officials to inspect the axle bar, concerned the dry heat and knurling might cut his hands. The crew quickly re-chalked the bar to address this.

Group Three

Moving to Group Three, Mateusz Kieliszkowski ran alone in the first heat. He worked slowly through the dumbbells but sped through the logs. Unfortunately, after failing his first circus attempt, he withdrew, ending his chances for the World’s Strongest Man Final.

Then, Shane Flowers and Lucas Hatton faced off. Both carefully chalked their hands before starting. Hatton powered through two dumbbell reps and navigated the logs with ease. Flowers, however, lost valuable time on a shaky circus and failed a second attempt there. Although Hatton made a strong effort on the final axle, he waved off after missing it.

Finally, Rayno Nel and Evans Nana closed Group Three’s session. Nel completed the dumbbells faster, even with a dropped grip. Nana faltered on his second log press but recovered with a clean split jerk on the circus. Nel failed to lock out the circus, while Nana won the heat but did not reach the axle. Notably, Nana was credited with five reps despite appearing to lock out a sixth. Magnus ver Magnusson disagreed with this call, but Nana maintained a positive attitude.

Group Four

In Group Four, Maxime Boudreault and Ondrej Fojtů competed in the first heat. Boudreault’s opening rep was clean, while Fojtů needed to stabilize his lift. However, Fojtů’s urgency paid off as he became the first strongman to lock out the axle.

The second heat featured Trey Mitchell and Tristain Hoath, who had just battled in the deadlift event. Mitchell breezed through the dumbbell, pressing one rep per shoulder. By the time Hoath reached the log, Mitchell had already cleared it. Mitchell completed three circus reps and nailed the axle press, finishing second in the group. After the down command, he dropped the bar safely, narrowly avoiding injury.

Group One

Turning to Group One, Austin Andrade ran solo and needed a strong performance to keep his World’s Strongest Man Final hopes alive. He methodically moved through the event and managed a single axle attempt.

Later, Thomas Evans and Jaco Schoonwinkel competed, with Evans taking the early lead due to Schoonwinkel’s unsteady dumbbell work. Evans locked out the axle but collapsed to his knee after the lift, requiring medical attention for a bleeding nose.

Lastly, Tom Stoltman and Eddie Williams ran together. Stoltman paced himself, aware of Evans’ time to beat. Williams slowed on the log, allowing Stoltman to take the heat win with the fastest time overall. Williams waved off after missing a circus attempt at the whistle.

Group Two

In Group Two, Bryce Johnson ran solo to the cheers of his fans but lifted cautiously, failing to attempt the axle before the whistle.

Wesley Derwinsky and Mathew Ragg then faced off. Derwinsky led early, but Ragg surged ahead with fast log cleans. Both struggled on the circus, with Ragg missing two attempts and Derwinsky locking out only one slow rep before time ran out.

Finally, Mitchell Hooper and Paddy Haynes closed the group. Hooper moved with urgency and precision, locking out the final axle for the day’s second-best time behind Stoltman. Haynes waved off after one circus attempt.

Day Two Preview

Looking ahead, Day Two features two events: the Titan’s Toss at 10 a.m. PST and the Stone Medley at 2 p.m. PST. Following these, the top two athletes from each group will advance to the 2025 World’s Strongest Man Final.