Latest news with #strongman
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Weymouth dad goes from ruptured bicep to World's Strongest Man
"I'm proud of myself but the work's not done", says Shane Flowers who has recovered from injury to become one of the world's strongest father from Weymouth ruptured his bicep and needed to have the muscle surgically 13 months on, he said he "couldn't believe it" after he came 7th in the 2025 World's Strongest Man competition, held in the US last 31-year-old told the BBC he had been inspired to be a "role model" to his new son. Twenty-five of the world's top athletes gathered in Sacramento, California, for the annual showcase of strength which first took place in 6ft 5in, 24-stone giant from Dorset admitted it was "a huge mental game", taking more than just his physical strength to succeed."When it's going on, there's this atmosphere, it's like a do or die type thing, it's pretty intense," Flowers said."At times I thought I was being over ambitious." He suffered food poisoning during the contest but managed to make his way to the final, performing well in events like sandbag throwing, the Hercules hold and the Atlas his top 10 finish, he said, with a smile on his face, "the competitor in me thinks I could have been 5th".But he admitted he was "buzzing" with his success and said: "To be a competitor at that stage already puts you in the upper echelons of the sport."Flowers added becoming a father for the first time also gave him "a different perspective"."I don't care if my son Ronny wants to become a strongman when he's older, I just want him to witness his old man really work hard towards what he's passionate about, and then he witnesses that and use that blueprint in his own journey," he African Rayno Nel became the first African to win the historic contest, narrowly beating last year's winner Scotland's Luke Stoltman by 0.5 points. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Washington Post
01-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
How kind can a leader be? Jacinda Ardern makes the case for compassion.
Against the backdrop of the braggadocio and threats that permeate today's political discourse, former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern uses her new memoir to make a clear and compelling case for compassion. 'A Different Kind of Power' is the story of an accidental leader, a woman who overcame persistent self-doubt to become her country's 40th prime minister, committed herself above all to caring for her fellow citizens, and then chose to quit when she felt her resilience wane. While Ardern rejects the 'anti-Trump' label, her new book is an implicit repudiation of the strongman style of leadership that has taken hold around the world.
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.
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.'
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Little-known former rugby star Rayno Nel, 30, makes history as he wins World's Strongest Man in FIRST YEAR competing
FORMER rugby player Rayno Nel won World's Strongest Man on his debut in the competition. Nel, 30, managed to get the job done despite a slow start on Sunday in Sacramento, California. 3 3 The strongman made history as he became the first contestant from Africa to win in his first year. The South African maintained his supremacy in the final after winning his group in the Qualifying Stage. Nel prevailed in the Knaack Carry & Hoist as he finished first in the division. He also finished second in the 18th Max Deadlift and Hercules Hold. Nel snatched third place in the Atlas Stone and finished fifth in the Flintstone Press Max. His performance led to immense praise from fans worldwide on social media. One supporter tweeted: "What a performance." A third wrote: "Well done Rayno." This fan said: "Awesome job."
