“Please Be Mediocre at Something”: Fans Left Mesmerized as 2023 World’s Strongest Man Winner Tries His Luck in a New Strength Sport

Strongman Mitchell Hooper’s popularity exploded when he won this year’s World’s Strongest Man competition. Hooper stole the thunder of one of the all-time greats, Brian Shaw, who was gunning to win his faith win before retiring. However, the strongman just tried his hand at a different strength sport, Olympic Weightlifting.

The WSM winner uploaded a clip from his training session on Instagram. Hooper mentioned it was his first time trying Olympic Weightlifting. However, despite being a champion strength athlete with prior experience in other sports, Hooper asked for tips in the comments section. The strongman’s fans were in awe of his first-time lift.

The World’s Strongest Man attempts a staple of weightlifting

In the video, the bodybuilding enthusiast filmed himself attempting his first-ever split jerk. While clean and jerk is considered a singular movement in Olympic Weightlifting, athletes often break it into several parts during training. They often train the jerk part of the movement separately by putting the barbell on elevated platforms.

Hooper did the same. However, thanks to the World’s Strongest Man winner’s mind-boggling strength, he jerked 180 kg (397 lbs) in his first attempt. “It felt surprisingly natural. This will definitely turn into another weapon in the arsenal,” explained Mitchell Hooper. The strongman champion’s insane strength impressed fans so much that they only had one question for the WSM winner.

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Excelling on the first attempt

Fans of the World’s Strongest man were in awe of his strength and versatility. Hooper, who has experience playing ice hockey, football, and even golf, excelled at his first jerk. The fans asked if the strongman had any weaknesses. “Sooo… is there any weakness left? Anything?” asked a fan in the comments. One fan had a similar request for the World’s Strongest Man.

“Could you please be mediocre at something??” commented the fan. While Hooper mentioned he lifted 397 lbs, one fan thought he lifted even more. “Why does that look like 210 kg (462 lb) or something? Ain’t the yellow ones 15 kg (33 lbs) each?” asked the fan. One fan was surprised by Hooper’s humility. “Bro just about pulls out a textbook lift and still asks for tips,” the fan wrote.

Another fan explained that the clip only showed the first attempt. However, the World’s Strongest Man lifted the same weight “for 7 other singles in the same session,” wrote one guy. While Hooper’s impressive jerk might’ve floored fans, the strongman aims to use it as a tool to become a better strongman.

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