When the 2025 World’s Strongest Man competitors started, all eyes had been on two males; defending champion and three-time winner Tom Stoltman and 2023 champion Mitchell Hooper. Might “The Albatross” go back-to-back and cement his legacy as an all-time nice with a historic fourth title, or would Hooper regain the title which will have actually slipped from his grasp attributable to a hand harm he suffered in the course of the 2024 closing?
The reply was really C: Not one of the Above. That’s as a result of a person from South Africa who was thought-about a darkish horse with potential to make the ultimate pulled off what some consultants felt was the best upset of the century to win the title. Rayno Nel was not a reputation that many exterior the strongman neighborhood knew previous to the competition, however his was the final known as out because the 2025 champion, having secured the title by half a degree over Stoltman. Not even he noticed himself successful the title in his first go.
“I had initially went in with the aim of creating the ultimate and being aggressive,” Nel shared. “I shocked myself a bit.”
From Unknown to Champion: Rayno Nel’s Rise
To know the way Nel turned the primary man since Jouko Ahola to win the title in his debut yr, one should return to how he got here up within the sport. Nel is from Krugersdorp, a mining metropolis within the West Rand of Gauteng Province. He turned an engineer by commerce but in addition performed rugby, which he stated may very well be a faith in his a part of the world. He found the game of strongman through a neighborhood contest that was held yearly.
“It was largely simply native guys doing it, like farmers in the neighborhood,” Nel stated. “Then, they might overlook about it for a yr.”
Nel additionally noticed Gerrit Badenhorst, a powerlifter and strongman that excelled in energy, who would do native demonstrations for colleges and teams. Rugby was Nel’s final dream till round three years in the past whereas having a beer with relations that he had what he known as a lightbulb second.
“Let’s attempt strongman,” he thought to himself. Whereas his nation is an enormous place, he was lucky sufficient to be close to athletes that had expertise, together with males that had positioned within the high two of their nation’s high contests. Nel realized properly and shortly. By 2023, he had not solely entered that yr’s South Africa’s Strongest Man contest, however he gained it. Clearly, he didn’t know that was an indication of issues to return, however he did perceive he had potential.
“I feel I did the game for six or seven months, and I already gained that. So, just a little over a yr later, I did my first Strongman Champions’ League (SCL) competitors.”
SCL is a well-respected group inside the sport, and it serves as a launching pad for a lot of stars of the game. They host many nationwide and worldwide contests, and Nel wasted no time establishing himself in 2024, taking two wins and culminating with their world title by the tip of that yr. He would do the identical in 2025 as properly. These wins did way more than give Nel confidence; they ready him for the final word stage.
“It nearly gave me a way of, if I am going to that subsequent stage, I gained’t be starstruck. I do know I might be aggressive.”
Nel arrived in Sacramento, California for the WSM occasion and was slotted in Group 3. He was joined by established contenders like Shane Flowers, Lucas Hatton, and even former runner-up Mateusz Kieliszkowski. Nel by no means completed beneath second in any occasion by means of the qualifiers, and took the highest spot of his warmth, transferring him on to the finals.
Nel gave the impression to be poised to do the identical within the finals, however the fourth occasion, the Flintstone Press Max, resulted in an eighth-place end. That opened the door for both Stoltman or Hooper to make their transfer. Nel and Hooper had been tied for the general lead going into the ultimate occasion, the Atlas Stones.
The target for the ultimate occasion is to elevate 5 stones, rising in weight, from the bottom to its podium within the quickest time. Stoltman was as soon as known as “King of the Stones”, and Hooper was a technical grasp. Stoltman breezed by means of the occasion in lower than 32 seconds, which gave him the occasion win. Nel completed third with 4 stones in 30.17 seconds. Hooper completed lower than one second behind Nel. By the point factors had been allotted primarily based on end, Nel had clinched the title by lower than one level. He had no concept of the historical past behind the win, however he knew his future was modified eternally.
“So many issues have modified.”
How Rayno Nel Beat Tom Stoltman and Mitchell Hooper
Just like the Mr. Olympia title in bodybuilding, being World’s Strongest Man turns into part of the winner’s legacy. Nel’s title will probably be referenced eternally due to his unimaginable efficiency. There are obligations that include the title equivalent to representing the game and touring the world. Nel is privileged to be in his place however can be obsessed with his full-time engineering profession, and he has no plans to offer that up anytime quickly.
“For me, it’s such a pleasant factor to have one thing to change off the strongman half and deal with a bit that’s fully completely different.”
When he’s in strongman mode, his coaching and prep has been on level, and he’s extra assured this yr than final. Nel cited engaged on his overhead urgent skill in addition to sustaining his energy in areas that he excels in such because the deadlift and carries.
Nel hasn’t been getting ready for this alone, nonetheless. Alongside together with his spouse, Monya, he has been working with coach Terence Bosman and famend nutritionist Nathan Payton to verify he’s at his greatest for this competitors. He had initially deliberate to compete on the 2026 Arnold Strongman Traditional however withdrew attributable to a salmonella an infection and to deal with defending his personal title. Now that he’s the person being hunted, he’s conscious of the 24 different males which can be locked in on dethroning him.
“There are numerous extra guys which can be going to be a menace,” he acknowledged. “That stated, I do know what Tom and Mitchell can do, however that should take up lower than 1% of my power.”
Can Rayno Nel Defend His Title in 2026?
The 25 greatest strongmen on this planet are gathering in Myrtle Seashore, South Carolina from April 23-26 to compete within the 2026 version of the World’s Strongest Man. Clearly, Nel is unable to fly underneath the radar this time round as a result of he’s the defending champion. On high of that, now each Stoltman and Hooper have their sights set on reminding him who the ultimate boss of the game actually is.
Regardless of that, Nel isn’t solely considering of the ultimate anymore. That first trophy is lonely on his mantle, and he absolutely intends to deliver one other one again to South Africa to proceed constructing his personal legacy within the sport. As for Hooper and Stoltman’s intentions, Nel is doing what many champions in his place would do – controlling his personal prep and energy.
“After I get to a contest, I don’t care who the blokes are or what historical past says, I wish to do in addition to I can.”
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