O’Dwyer gets another crack at strongman’s top competition.
Some of the final touches are being implemented with the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) just around the corner. The contest has officially added one of the globe’s more powerful Irishmen to its roster of stars.
On Apr. 3, 2023, the WSM organization’s Instagram page announced that Pa O’Dwyer was joining the 2023 competition’s roster. O’Dwyer does not appear to be replacing anyone. He is merely another confirmed addition in the aftermath of the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM). The athlete might be best known for winning the 2018 UK’s Strongest Man. In 2020, O’Dwyer’s only other WSM appearance, he failed to advance to the Finals.
O’Dwyer’s confirmation comes on the heels of the announcement of overhead pressing phenom Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou making his WSM debut and the recent reveal of Thomas Evans and Kane Francis as reserves.
With O’Dwyer’s in the mix, here is where the 28-competitor 2023 WSM roster stands at the time of this article’s publication. If the contest is to follow recent precedent, two more athletes are expected to be added in the coming days to round out this field of 30 strongmen.
2023 World’s Strongest Man Roster
The 2023 WSM will be the last competitive appearance of four-time champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw. It will also be Mark Felix’s last appearance while marking his 18th berth in the competition since 2004.
According to the WSM Instagram page, the official groups for the 2023 competition’s Qualifying Round will be revealed on Tues, Apr. 18, 2023, just one day before the contest begins. While unconfirmed, it is likely there will be five groups of six strongmen per recent iterations of the WSM.
2023 World’s Strongest Man Events
Here are the events for 2023 WSM, taking place over five days, with a one-day break between the Qualifying Round and Final on Fri, Apr. 21, 2023:
Qualifying Stage — Wednesday, April 19
Qualifying Stage — Thursday, April 20
Final — Saturday, April 22
- Event One — Fingal’s Fingers
- Event Two — KNAACK Deadlift
- Event Three — Reign Shield Carry
Final — Sunday, April 23
The WSM organization has not released details for the weight of implements or the precise format of each event. Though, spectators can probably expect familiar events like the Stone Off to stay aligned with previous years. In the past, this concluding event has featured second and third-place finishers from each Qualifying Round group squaring off in an Atlas Stones battle to vie for a Final berth.
The 2023 WSM might be less than three weeks away, but there’s a lot of business to take care of before the South Carolina proceedings. O’Dwyer’s addition surely won’t be the last bit of important news to come to light near the finish line.
Featured image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram
