Andrew Burton is the winner of the 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter (WSF) contest. The contest took place as a part of the 2023 Arnold Sports Festival (ASF) in Columbus, OH, on Mar. 3-4, 2023. The festival also featured the 2023 Arnold Classic and the 2023 Arnold Strongman and Arnold Strongwoman Classic contests.
Burton’s victory stood tall in a group of more than 120 athletes and three divisions in the Men’s Open, Men’s U105KG, and Women’s Open. Initial events during the competition whittled the field down to 18 athletes — defending champion Daniel Camacho, 12 Open Men, two U105KG Men, two women, and another competitor. By the contest’s end, Burton, who competed in the Open, emerged as the victor.
Here are the results from the 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter competition:
2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter Results
- Andrew Burton
- Brooks Larkin
- Nathan Warfel
- Idelfonso Nieves
- Cameron St. Amand
- Peter Juhasz
- Zack Hash
- Casey Shoe
- Olivier de Launiere
- Harry Walker
Coefficient percentages were used to balance appropriate scoring and weights for the athletes in the different divisions. The now-former reigning champion in Camacho would take home 13th place. Laura Moran was the highest-finishing woman, while Julianne Durante had won the Women’s category in the pre-Finals round. Harry Walker came in first in the U105KG category. Both Durante and Walker received prizes for their efforts.
As for Burton, his victory should probably be no surprise considering his ledger at the competition. Of the four events — the Ambulance Tire Deadlift, Sandbag Carry, Axe Hold, and Fire Hydrant Load — Burton recorded at least a top-five finish in each instance. He was in the top three in three of four slated events. Burton would win the Fire Hydrant Load outright with a time of 17.17 seconds, helping to cement his overall WSF triumph.
Here is how Burton fared on each event. Note: The Women’s Open, U105, and Men’s Open divisions used varying weights throughout the contest. Burton competed under the mandates of the Men’s Open division accordingly:
Andrew Burton | 2023 World’s Strongest Firefighter Event Results
- Ambulance Tire Deadlift (272.1 kilograms/600 pounds, for maximum reps) — 16 reps (Tied for second)
- Sandbag Carry (136 kilograms/300 pounds, for time) — 43.33 seconds
- Axe Hold (11.3 kilograms/25 pounds, in each arm at shoulder-height for max time) — 59.7 seconds
- Fire Hydrant Load (79.3, 90.7, 102.5, 113.7 kilograms/175, 200, 225, 250 pounds, as quickly as possible) — 17.17 seconds
On his Instagram, Burton, a native of Texas, appreciated his moment while living an apparent dream. Part of said dream was getting to meet the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Well … what a week,” Burton started. “I’ve spent the day recovering and reminiscing. My legs are bruised, my traps are sore, but my heart is full. I have always wanted to be identified as an athlete. It’s one of the reasons I joined the fire service. And here I am pictured with [Schwarzenegger] after winning the title of [2023] World’s Strongest Firefighter, living my wildest dreams to the fullest!
Burton has previously competed in amateur strongman contests and is now the second WSF champion in the contest’s two-year history. Should he return to defend his title in 2024, he could potentially look forward to repeated success on the platform and renewed prestige for an already respected career.
Featured image: @aburton428 on Instagram
