The World Deadlift Championships is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, competing exclusively in the strongman deadlift. It was created by Giants Live and the championship focuses mainly on the maximum deadlift in pursuit of the deadlift world record, although in the 2017 edition, the event was changed to a 400kg (900lb) weight for the most repetitions in 60 seconds before reverting to a maximum weight format in 2019 after a one-year hiatus.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Third Place | Host City | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 |  Benedikt Magnússon | Eddie Hall | Laurence Shahlaei Martin Wildauer | ||
| 2015 | Eddie Hall | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson |  Rauno Heinla Jerry Pritchett | ||
| 2016 | Eddie Hall | Benedikt Magnússon Jerry Pritchett | |||
 JF Caron Konstantine Janashia | |||||
| 2019 | Rauno Heinla Jerry Pritchett | Rob Kearney Adam Bishop  Nedzmin Ambeskovic | |||
| 2021 |  Ivan Makarov 1 | Pavlo Nakonechnyy Evan Singleton Adam Bishop Oleksii Novikov Gabriel Peña Nedžmin Ambešković | |||
| 2022 | Rauno Heinla | Graham Hicks Ivan Makarov 2 Pavlo Nakonechnyy Mitchell Hooper | |||
| 2023 (Men) | Graham Hicks | Rauno Heinla Ivan Makarov 2 Evan Singleton | |||
| 2023 (Women) | Lucy Underdown | Rebecca Roberts |
1 While Makarov has declared for Russia, he competed for Ukraine at the 2021 World Deadlift Championships.
2 While Makarov has declared for Russia, he competed for Georgia at the 2022 and 2023 World Deadlift Championships.
| Weight | Competitor | Event location and name | Bar/ standard | World Record? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 501kg (1,105lb) | Reykjavík, Iceland | Standard/ single ply suit | Yes | |
| 2 | 500kg (1,100lb) | Leeds, England | Standard/ multi ply suit | Yes | |
| 3 | 485kg (1,069lb) | Tehran, Iran | Standard/ multi ply suit | No | |
| 4 | 481kg (1,060lb) | Moscow, Russia | Standard/ multi ply suit | No | |
| 5 | 477.5kg (1,052.7lb) | Moscow, Russia | Standard/ multi ply suit | No | |
| 6 | 476kg (1,049lb) | Cardiff, Wales | Standard/ multi ply suit | Yes (Over-40s only) | |
| 7 | 475kg (1,047lb) | Mitchell Hooper | Australia | Standard/ multi ply suit | No |
| Ivan Makarov 1 | Manchester, England | Standard/ multi ply suit | No | ||
| 9 | 474.5kg (1,046.1lb) | Columbus, United States | Elephant/ raw | Yes (Elephant only) | |
| 10 | 472.5kg (1,041.7lb) | Gaborone, Botswana | Standard/ multi ply suit | No | |
| Weight | Competitor | Event location and name | Bar/ standard | World Record? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 318kg (701lb) | Cardiff, Wales | Standard/ single ply suit | Yes | |
| 2 | 315kg (694lb) | Helsinki, Finland | Power/ multi ply suit | Yes | |
| 3 | 305kg (672lb) | Chicago, United States | Power/ multi ply suit | Yes | |
| Cardiff, Wales | Standard/ single ply suit | Yes (Strongwoman only) | |||
| 5 | 302kg (666lb) | Columbus, United States | Elephant/ single ply suit | Yes (Elephant only) | |
| 6 | 300kg (700lb) | Lake Buena Vista, United States | Power/ multi ply suit | No | |
| Milton Keynes, England | Standard/ single ply suit | Yes (Strongwoman only) | |||
| Chicago, United States | Power/ multi ply suit | No | |||
| 9 | 298kg (657lb) | Columbus, United States | Power/ multi ply suit | No | |
| 10 | 295kg (650lb) | Tamara Walcott | Columbus, United States | Elephant/ single ply suit | Yes (Elephant only) |
| Victoria Long | Columbus, United States | Elephant/ single ply suit | Yes (Elephant only) | ||
| Weight | Competitor | Year | Bar | Record Set | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500kg (1,100lb) | 2016 | Standard | World Record | |
| 2 | 476kg (1,049lb) | 2022 | Standard | Estonian Record, World Record (over-40s) | |
| 3 | 475kg (1,047lb) | Ivan Makarov 1 | 2021 | Standard | Ukrainian Record |
| 4 | 470kg (1,040lb) | 2023 | Standard | - | |
| 5 | 465kg (1,025lb) | 2016 | Standard | World Record | |
| 2016 | Standard | World Record | |||
| 2016 | Standard | World Record | |||
| 8 | 463kg (1,021lb) | 2015 | Standard | World Record | |
| 9 | 461kg (1,016lb) | 2014 | Standard | World Record | |
| 10 | 455kg (1,003lb) | 2019 | Standard | Estonian Record | |
| 2019 | Standard | - | |||
| 2023 | Standard | - | |||
| Ivan Makarov 2 | 2023 | Standard | Georgian Record | ||
| 2023 | Standard | - |
| Weight | Competitor | Year | Bar | Record Set | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 318kg (701lb) | 2023 | Standard | World Record | |
| 2 | 305kg (672lb) | 2023 | Standard | English Record, World Record (standard bar only) | |
| 3 | 280kg (620lb) | Rebecca Roberts | 2023 | Standard | Welsh Record |
| Lucy Underdown | 2023 | Standard | - | ||
| Region | Weight | Athlete | Nation | Year set | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 501kg (1,105lb) | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 2020 | |
| Asia | 485kg (1,069lb) | Peiman Maheripour | Iran | 2024 | |
| Oceania | 460kg (1,010lb) | Mathew Ragg |  New Zealand | 2024 | |
| North, Central America and Caribbean | 475kg (1,047lb) | Mitchell Hooper | Canada | 2021 | |
| Africa | 455kg (1,003lb) | Chris van der Linde |  South Africa | 2022 | |
| South America | 402.5kg (887.4lb) | Rafa Crestani |  Brazil | 2014 |
| Lift details | Weight | Athlete | Nation | Year set | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Dollar (Elevated 18" height) | 580kg (1,280lb) | Rauno Heinla | Estonia | 2022 | |
| Hummer tyre (Elevated 15" height) | 549kg (1,210lb) | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 2022 | |
| Axle bar (Elevated 18" height) | 499kg (1,100lb) | Gabriel Peña | Mexico | 2021 | |
| Elephant bar (Standard 9" height) | 474.5kg (1,046.1lb) | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 2019 | |
| Power bar - Conventional (Standard 9" height) | 460.4kg (1,015lb) | Iceland | 2011 | ||
| Power bar - Sumo (Standard 9" height) 3 | 487.5kg (1,074.8lb) | Danny Grigsby | United States | 2022 |
3 This lift has been included as a reference - sumo deadlifts are classified as illegal in strongman competitions.
The 2014 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England on 9 August 2014 during the 2014 Europe's Strongest Man. Magnússon set a new world record with a lift of 461kg (1,016lb).[1]
| Name | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benedikt Magnússon | 461kg (1,016lb) | |
| 2 | Eddie Hall | 446kg (983lb) | |
| 3 | Martin Wildauer | 435kg (959lb) | |
| Laurence Shahlaei | |||
| 5 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | 420kg (930lb) | |
| Mark Felix | |||
 Johannes Årsjö | |||
| 8 | Graham Hicks | 400kg (900lb) | |
| Vytautas Lalas | |||
 Krzysztof Radzikowski | |||
| Andy Bolton | |||
| 12 |  Mikhail Koklyaev | No lift | |
| X | Brian Shaw | Withdrew |
| Nation | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| World | Benedikt Magnússon | 461kg (1,016lb) | |
| Icelandic | Benedikt Magnússon | 461kg (1,016lb) | |
| English | Eddie Hall | 446kg (983lb) | |
| Austrian | Martin Wildauer | 435kg (959lb) | |
| Swedish | Johannes Årsjö | 420kg (930lb) |
The 2015 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England on July 11, 2015. Hall set a new world record with a lift of 463kg (1,021lb).[2]
| Name | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddie Hall | 463kg (1,021lb) | |
| 2 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | 450kg (990lb) | |
| 3 | Rauno Heinla | 435kg (959lb) | |
| Jerry Pritchett | |||
| 5 | Andy Bolton | 430kg (950lb) | |
| 6 | Mark Felix | 400kg (900lb) | |
| Krzysztof Radzikowski | |||
| Terry Hollands | |||
| Dainis Zageris | |||
| Matjaz Belsak | |||
| 11 | Dimitar Savatinov | 360kg (790lb) | |
| 12 | Luke Stoltman | No lift |
| Nation | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| World | Eddie Hall | 463kg (1,021lb) | |
| English | Eddie Hall | 463kg (1,021lb) | |
| Estonian | Rauno Heinla | 435kg (959lb) | |
| Slovenian | Matjaz Belsak | 400kg (900lb) |
The 2016 World Deadlift Championships were held at the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man event at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. Hall set a new world record, becoming the first person in history to deadlift 500kg (1,100lb).[3]
| Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddie Hall | 500kg (1,100lb) |
| 2 | Benedikt Magnússon | 465kg (1,025lb) |
| Jerry Pritchett | ||
| 4 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | 440kg (970lb) |
| 5 | Laurence Shahlaei | 420kg (930lb) |
| Terry Hollands | ||
| Mark Felix | ||
| Marius Lalas | ||
| 9 | Johannes Årsjö | 400kg (900lb) |
| Dimitar Savatinov | ||
| Adam Bishop | ||
| 12 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | No lift |
| Stefan Solvi Petursson |
| Nation | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| World | Eddie Hall | 500kg (1,100lb) | |
| English | Eddie Hall | 500kg (1,100lb) | |
| Icelandic | Benedikt Magnússon | 465kg (1,025lb) | |
| American | Jerry Pritchett | 465kg (1,025lb) |
The 2017 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Giants Live Finals event in Manchester, England. In this edition, the championships were changed to a deadlift for the most repetitions in 60 seconds format with a fixed weight of 400kg (900lb) .[4]
| Name | Repetitions | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JF Caron | 5 |
| Konstantine Janashia | ||
| 3 | Benedikt Magnússon | 3 |
| 4 | Žydrūnas Savickas | 2 |
| 5 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | 1 |
| 6 | Laurence Shahlaei | 0 |
| Nick Best | ||
| Terry Hollands | ||
| Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou |
The 2019 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Wembley Arena in Wembley, England, as the opening event for Giants Live Wembley. In this edition, the championships returned to the max weight deadlift format.[5]
| Name | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rauno Heinla | 455kg (1,003lb) | |
| Jerry Pritchett | |||
| 3 | Rob Kearney | 440kg (970lb) | |
| Adam Bishop | |||
| Nedžmin Ambešković | |||
| 6 | Martins Licis | 420kg (930lb) | |
| Mikhail Shivlyakov | |||
| Mark Felix | |||
| 9 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | 400kg (900lb) | |
| Tom Stoltman | |||
| 11 | Luke Stoltman | No lift |
| Nation | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonian | Rauno Heinla | 455kg (1,003lb) | |
| Bosnian | Nedžmin Ambešković | 440kg (970lb) |
The 2021 World Deadlift Championships were held at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, as the opening event for Giants Live World Open.
| Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan Makarov 1 | 475kg (1,047lb) |
| 2 | Pavlo Nakonechnyy | 453.5kg (999.8lb) |
| Evan Singleton | ||
| Adam Bishop | ||
| Oleksii Novikov | ||
| Gabriel Peña | ||
| Nedžmin Ambešković | ||
| 8 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | 425kg (937lb) |
| Rauno Heinla | ||
| Gavin Bilton | ||
| Andy Black |
| Nation | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukrainian | Ivan Makarov | 475kg (1,047lb) | |
| Mexican | Gabriel Peña | 453.5kg (999.8lb) | |
| Bosnian | Nedžmin Ambešković | 453.5kg (999.8lb) | |
| Welsh | Gavin Bilton | 425kg (937lb) |
The 2022 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales, as the opening event for Giants Live World Open. During this competition, as a result of another nationality change, Ivan Makarov became the first strongman to hold the national deadlift record for three different countries, having set the new Georgian record at 453.5 kg. Makarov, at the time of the championships also held the Ukrainian (475 kg - set 2021) and the Russian records (470 kg - set 2019).
| Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rauno Heinla | 476kg (1,049lb) |
| 2 | Graham Hicks | 453.5kg (999.8lb) |
| Mitchell Hooper | ||
| Ivan Makarov 2 | ||
| Pavlo Nakonechnyy | ||
| 6 | Gavin Bilton | 425.5kg (938.1lb) |
| Oleksii Novikov | ||
| Evan Singleton | ||
| 9 | Andy Black | 400kg (900lb) |
| Shane Flowers | ||
 Pa O'Dwyer |
| Nation | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| World (over-40s) | Rauno Heinla | 476kg (1,049lb) | |
| Estonian | Rauno Heinla | 476kg (1,049lb) | |
| Georgian | Ivan Makarov | 453.5kg (999.8lb) | |
| Welsh | Gavin Bilton | 425.5kg (938.1lb) |
The 2023 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales, as the opening event for Giants Live World Open. This was the first championships to have female competitors, with Lucy Underdown setting a new undisputed world record of 318kg (701lb).
| Name | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Hicks | 470kg (1,040lb) | |
| 2 | Rauno Heinla | 455kg (1,003lb) | |
| Ivan Makarov 2 | |||
| Evan Singleton | |||
| 5 | Austin Andrade | 430kg (950lb) | |
| Gavin Bilton | |||
| Jamal Browner | |||
| Shane Flowers | |||
| 9 |  Evans Nana | 400kg (900lb) | |
| Rob Kearney | |||
| Oleksii Novikov | |||
| Pa O'Dwyer | |||
| Luke Stoltman | |||
| 14 (1F) | Lucy Underdown | 317.5kg (700lb) | |
| 15 (2F) | Rebecca Roberts | 280kg (620lb) | |
| 16 | Oskar Ziółkowski | No Lift |
| Nation | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgian | Ivan Makarov | 455kg (1,003lb) | |
| Welsh | Gavin Bilton | 430kg (950lb) | |
| Ghanaian | Evans Nana | 400kg (900lb) | |
| World (women) | Lucy Underdown | 318kg (701lb) | |
| English (women) | Lucy Underdown | 318kg (701lb) | |
| Welsh (women) | Rebecca Roberts | 280kg (620lb) |