Injury forces Jaco Schoonwinkel out of 2023 World’s Strongest Man on final day

The 2023 World's Strongest Man (WSM) competition has been largely free of injuries and withdrawals, with the exception of Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou's Day One withdrawal. However, on the final day of the competition, Jaco Schoonwinkel was unable to complete his second attempt at the Max Dumbbell event, collapsing to the ground while trying to lift 125 kilograms (276 pounds). Schoonwinkel was officially withdrawn from the competition and his name was removed from the WSM leaderboard.

Schoonwinkel's injury seems to have occurred during his first unsuccessful attempt at 125 kilograms (254 pounds), as he collapsed and required medical assistance during his second attempt. The WSM site quickly announced his withdrawal, which was later shared on their Instagram page. The announcement can be found below:

2023 World’s Strongest Man Finals Roster

No replacement will be made for Schoonwinkel as reserves are only used before the start of the contest. The final day of the competition will feature a field of nine athletes:

• Mitchell Hooper
• Oleksii Novikov
• Tom Stoltman
• Trey Mitchell
• Evan Singleton
• Brian Shaw
• Pavlo Kordiyaka
• Mathew Ragg
• Luke Stoltman
• Jaco Schoonwinkel — withdrawn

Jaco Schoonwinkel’s Strongman Career

Strongman Archives reports that Schoonwinkel has competed in only three professional contests, in which he has performed admirably. He placed second out of 10 competitors at both the 2022 Official Strongman Games and the 2021 Africa's Strongest Man. In the previous year, he finished fourth out of six competitors in his international debut at Africa's Strongest Man.

Schoonwinkel made his first appearance on the World's Strongest Man stage, and he began impressively with a group victory in Event One, "Loading Race," and Event Four, "Conan's Wheel."

2023 WSM Final Day

After only one event on the final day of the competition, Schoonwinkel withdrew from the contest. The remaining events of the day include the Vehicle Pull and Atlas Stones. The winner of the 2023 WSM will be announced later today.