Patacca and Genrich can officially call themselves the strongest “Down Under.”
Nicole Genrich and Josh Patacca are the respective champions of the 2023 Australia’s Strongest Woman (ASW) and Australia’s Strongest Man (ASM) contests. The strongperson competitions took place in Melbourne, Australia, on Mar. 18-19, 2023. It featured nine strongwoman athletes and 11 strongmen duking it out for the two strength titles on the line.
The athletes were asked to compete in eight distinct events over the course of the two-day competition. They occurred were, as follows, in this order: Yoke Race, Max Axle Clean and Press, Tire Flip, Frame Hold, Max Deadlift, Qest Stone Carry for Distance, Overhead Dumbbell Press for Reps, and Atlas Stone-to-Shoulder.
Here’s an overview of the respective final standings for the 2023 ASW and the 2023 ASM:
2023 Australia’s Strongest Woman Final Standings
Nicole Genrich — 62.5 points | 2023 ASW Champion
Megan Clark — 51.5 points
Nichole Wight — 45.5 points
Rebekah Chessum — 43 points
Katie Blunden — 39.5 points
Ari Mann — 34.5 points
Camilla Fogagnolo — 29.5 points
Joe Kimitaunga — 29 points
Elly Smith — 21 points
2023 Australia’s Strongest Man Final Standings
Josh Patacca — 76.5 points | 2023 ASM Champion
Ryan Rullis — 67 points
Macauley Tinker — 59 points
Jordan Osborne — 57.5 points
Sean Gillen — 51.5 points
Aidan Canini — 46.5 points
Hank Theunissen — 46 points
Dylan Lockard — 36.5 points
Jihad El Masri — 35 points
Maximus McCall — 21.5 points
Nathan Woods — Nine points
Both Genrich and Patacca enjoyed relatively assertive wins, as both athletes had a margin of victory of at least 9.5 points.
According to Strongman Archives, the 2023 ASM was the first major competition of Patacca’s strongman career. Meanwhile, Genrich has previously featured in the 2023 Australia’s Strongest International (ASI) and the 2020 Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championships (AASWC). The athlete finished in fifth and seventh place, respectively.
On Instagram, Genrich reflected on her journey to this ASW title and all the trials and tribulations she had to overcome in her preparation.
“As I look back on my preparation for this competition,” Genrich started. “I am in awe of how I juggled motherhood, postpartum, work, training, and everything in between to be able to get to this point and I couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of those closest to me!”
Neither athlete has announced plans for the next step in their respective careers, but with such a notable contest title as their first taste of victory, some could wonder if their competitive fires are only just beginning.
Featured image: @big_g_strongwoman on Instagram