Celtic Strength Championships Results

Copy of Celtic Strength World Championships 2026 - 1.PNG

2026 Results

Listed here are the results from the four different Celtic sports that were contested on the day. These Celtic strength traditions included:

1. Scottish Highland Games Heavy Events - Open Format Championship

2. North American Scottish Backhold Wrestling Championships *

3. Northeast Irish Collar and Elbow Championships **

4. Team Highlander / Strongman Championships

Scottish Heavy Events Championship

Male Overall

Winner: Burger Lambrechts, Jr.

Second Place: Graham Hawthorne

Third Place: Spencer Tyler

Fourth Place: Scott Farr

Female Overall

Winner: Taylor Doxey

Second Place: Hannah Linzay

Third Place: Daniella Johnson

Fourth Place: Dee McGillivray

North American Scottish Backhold Wrestling Championship

Male Results

175# Champion: Max Freyne of Scotland

217# Champion: John Taylor

Open Champion: John Taylor

Northeast Irish Collar & Elbow Wrestling Championship

Female Results

Open Champion: Mariel Cabot

Male Results

-80kg Champion: Brett Pastore

-90kg Champion: Andrew Swank

-99kg Champion: Cory Hardesty

+99 Champion: Gary Hedberg

Open Champion: Gary Hedberg

Team Highlander Championship

Overall Results***

Winner: Team Top Strength Project - Providence, RI

Second Place: Team Evolve - Worcester, MA

Third Place: Team TPS Malden - Malden, MA

Fourth Place: Team METfit - Natick, MA

Fifth Place: Team 802 Strong - Burlington, VT

Sixth Place: Team CambiDude - Boston South Shore, MA

*First in history and in partnership with The Scottish Wrestling Bond, the governing body of Scottish Backhold Wrestling in Scotland. This was also in collaboration with Hipe Scotland, a renowned Wrestling Gym in Edinburgh operated by Scottish Backhold Champion Max Freyne.

** This was the first Irish Collar and Elbow Tournament held in the United States in 100years. We partnered with the Irish Collar and Elbow Federation to bring this Irish Martial Art and strength tradition back to life. Tournaments and Championships have since spread, and returned to it's homeland of Ireland.

*** The Overall Winner takes the Lundstrom Highlander Traveling Trophy home with them to their gym to display, and must return to defend their title the following year!

Heavy Events Records

Scottish Heavy Events Records

Listed here are the current Pro World Records in the Heavy Events, as they are thrown in the Scottish tradition. Both female and male records are recorded below:

Braemar Stone Put:

Male 26.6# Pleasanton Highland Games Braemar Stone*:

Burger Lambrechts, Jr.: 45' 8" at Pleasanton Highland Games 2026

+Honorable mention: Geoff Capes - 40' 10" with the 28# Stone at The Braemar Gathering in Scotland, 1981.

Female 12-14# Stone:

Shannon Hartnett: 44' 2" in Scotland 2000

Open Stone Put:

Male 16# Stone:

Burger Lambrechts, Jr.: 64' .5" at Celtic Strength Championships 2026**

Female 8-9" Stone:

Connie Price-Smith: 55' 9.5" in Las Vegas 1998

Heavy Weight For Distance:

Male 56# Weight:

Spencer Tyler: 51' 3" at Backyard Rebellion Games 2021

Female 28# Weight:

Jessica Bridenthal: 55' 1.5" in Victoria, Canada 2017

Light Weight For Distance:

Male 28# Weight:

Spencer Tyler: 97' 7.25" at Pleasanton Highland Games 2019

Female 14# Weight:

Jamesia Sanou: 100' 2" in Denton, TX 2019

Heavy Hammer:

Male 22# Hammer Head:

Dan McKim: 132' 2.75" in Utah 2014***

Female 16# Hammer Head:

Meagan McKee: 101' 11" at Pleasanton Highland Games 2023

Light Hammer:

Male 16# Hammer Head:

Dan McKim: 157' 7.25" in Utah 2014***

Female 12# Hammer Head:

Shannon Hartnett: 120' 1" in Fresno, CA 1998

Sheaf Toss:

Male 20# Sheaf Bag:

Spencer Tyler: 37' 6" at Backyard Rebellion Games 2021

Female 12# Sheaf Bag:

Emily Adams: 32' 8" in Chatham, IL 2024

Weight For Height - Knock Off Bar:

Male 56# Weight:

Vladislav Tuláček: 18' 3" at Mallaig & Morar Highland Games, Scotland 2026

Female 28# Weight:

Research Pending

Weight For Height - Fixed Bar:

Male 56# Weight:

Vladislav Tuláček: 19' 8" in Czech Republic 2026

Female 28# Weight:

Denise Green: 21' 2" in Denton, OH 2018

*Pleasanton's Braemar Stone of 26.6# is chosen here as the World Record because of it's history, size, shape, and difficulty to throw.

** Burger Lambrechts competed at the Aboyne Highland Games in Scotland in 2026 and is reported to have further broken his own Open Stone record. This was verified by the RSHGA in Scotland, yet photo verification of that stone's weight is pending.

***As amazing as these distances are, no matter the specs, it is noted that the implement used in Utah was a half moon weight with a 3/4" pvc pipe shaft.

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