The Arnold Strongman Classic 2022 will be held on March 4th and 5th at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Due to the pandemic, the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic will be different from years past. THERE WERE NO QUALIFIER EVENTS with COVID canceling event in 2021. So this year, the contest is invitational, and only the top 10 elite strongmen were invited back in December to battle in next month's competition that features 5 strength events.
2022 ARNOLD STRONGMAN CLASSIC LINEUP
The complete list of the 10 competitors that will be attending can be found down below:
Evgeny Markov
A newcomer to the professional strongman scene, the six-time Russia's Strongest Man, is eager to compete against some of the strongest men in the World.
JF Caron
Despite being one of the oldest athletes at 39 years old, he is still a formidable force in the competition. He is still someone to watch this year as a serious contender with top 5 finishes in 2021 at two World's Ultimate Strongman events, the Shaw Classic, Worlds Strongest Man, and Rogue Invitational.
Luke Stoltman
Luke Stoltman is the five-time winner of Scotland's Strongest Man and won Europe's Strongest Man in 2021. Expect him to challenge his younger brother for bragging rights.
Martins Licis
Licis only competed in one competition in 2021, but he made it count. Martins took home first place at the Rogue Invitational, scoring himself a Thor's Hammer world record the same weekend.
Mateusz Kieliszkowski
Despite a triceps injury, in 2021, he managed to finish second at the World Ultimate Strongman and fourth at the Rogue Invitational. In addition, he is incredibly fast and excels in medley events.
Maxime Boudreault
Maxime has a legitimate shot at taking a podium spot this year. After a killer performance at the 2021 WSM contest, he landed a podium spot in his debut finals appearance.
Oleksii Novikov
Oleksii was the 2020 Worlds Strongest Man. In 2021 he had a busy year, scoring wins at the WUS Strength Island, the Strongman Classic, and WUS Dubai. Keep an eye on him as a serious contender for the title.
Rob Kearney
After recovering from a ruptured triceps injury, he returned to the 2021 Rogue Invitational and placed sixth overall. It will be interesting to see if he can continue improve in the rankings as one of the smaller competitors.
Tom Stoltman
Tom is the current World's Strongest Man after his win in 2021. After a strong 2021, he will be eager to prove himself as one of the best in the world again.
Trey Mitchell
Don't forget about Trey, who earned himself a fourth-place finish at the 2021 WSM contest and a win at the 2021 Shaw Classic, edging out Brian Shaw at his own competition.
2022 ARNOLD STRONGMAN CLASSIC EVENTS
Here are the events for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic as published on the official website of the Arnold Sports Festival:
Max Barbell Squats
A classic Strongman event, competing athletes will attempt three reps of the barbell squat, and the person who lifts the heaviest weights emerges as the winner of this event.
275 lbs Monster Dumbbell Press
Competing athletes will attempt to get a maximum number of reps with 275lbs (124.7kg) dumbbells within the 90 second time limit. Athletes are expected to lift the dumbbells off the floor and bring them overhead for each rep to count.
Max Austrian Oak Log Press
Athletes are expected to attempt three lifts of the log off the floor and take it overhead to establish the maximum load. The athlete who lifts the heaviest Austrian Oak will win this event.
Timber Framer Carry
The athletes will carry an 880lbs (399kg) timber frame up a 35-feet long ramp in a span of 30 seconds. The athlete covering the distance in the fastest time is the winner of this event.
Stone to Shoulder for Reps
Competing athletes will lift the stone off the ground and bring it to a stationary position on the shoulder for as many reps as possible (AMRAP) within two-and-a-half minutes.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
In just a few weeks the strongest men in the world will come face to face to battle it out for the title. We're looking forward to this year's events that's sure to be one to remember.
Who do you think will win this year? Let us know in the comments below!
Andrew Lenau
Author