South African Rayno Nel has made history by becoming the first African champion and rookie winner since 1997 at the World’s Strongest Man competition in Sacramento, California. In a dramatic finale, the 30-year-old former rugby player clinched victory by just half a point over three-time champion Tom Stoltman.
Nel, standing 6’3″ and weighing 326 pounds, dominated the first day of finals but faced his biggest challenges in the final events – the 531-pound Flintstone Barbell and the Atlas Stones. Despite these being his weakest events, he secured a crucial third-place finish in the Atlas Stones to claim the title.
The victory marks the first time in the competition’s 48-year history that the title has gone to a competitor from outside Europe or North America. Nel, who only began competing in strongman events three years ago after his rugby career, credited his success to training at Terence Bosman’s facility near his home in South Africa.
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