Rayno Nel eager to keep improving after winning strongman world title

Newly crowned strongman world champion Rayno Nel has warned his opponents that his career is still on an upward trajectory, after stunning a powerful line-up to secure the global title at the weekend, just two years after taking up the sport.

A former Cheetahs rugby player, Nel hung up his boots in 2019 and opted to focus on his career as an electrical engineer.

In 2023, he started training for strongman competitions, and he found immediate success, winning the Africa’s Strongest Man title in 2023 and 2024 before being crowned overall winner of last year’s Strongman Champions League series.

World championship

Gaining a wildcard entry for the World’s Strongest Man championship in California, which ended on Sunday, Nel was spectacular throughout the four-day event.

He won his first-round heat before claiming overall victory in the 10-man final, which consisted of carry and hoist, max deadlift, Hercules hold, Flinstone press max and Atlas stones contests.

Nel became the first African athlete to win the world strongman title in the 48-year history of the competition, and the first South African to step on the podium since Gerrit Badenhorst took third place in 1996.

Raking in 47 points, he edged out three-time champion Tom Stoltman of the UK who grabbed the runner-up spot (46.5 points) and another former champion, Mitchell Hooper of Canada, who was third (43.5).

Golden opportunity

The 30-year-old South African, who stands at 1.91m and weighs 148kg, was pleased to be able to showcase his ability against world-class athletes he had only previously seen competing on TV.

“I watch every Giants Live (global series) competition there is and I’m always sitting on the couch and I just want to compete,” Nel said in an interview with MST Systems.

“So it’s awesome to compete against these guys who I only saw for the last two years since I started strongman. And it’s amazing to be able to compare myself to a guy like Mitch (Hooper), so I’m very excited about that.”

‘I’m still improving’

Nel was delighted with the progress he had shown over the last couple of years, and he was confident he would get even stronger.

“My strength came up really fast, and I’m still improving, which is what’s keeping me excited to be in this sport,” he said.

“In each training block I’ve been better than the previous one.”

Another South African, Jaco Schoonwinkel, ended third in his heat in California and did not progress to the final.