The 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic is taking place on the weekend of March 4-5, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. The competition started today, but only two out of five events were completed. Three events will be completed tomorrow, and the winner will be declared. The 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic is one of the most prestigious strongman competitions in the world. As such, it attracts the likes of many elite athletes, but only 10 of the worlds best will get the chance to battle it out for one of the most coveted titles in the sport.
Arnold Strongman Classic is finally back after two years, as it was canceled in 2021 due to Covid-19. Hafthor Björnsson is the previous winner of the competition, as he also won the last three editions. However, we will see a new winner this year because Hafthor retired from the sport.
The rooster is missing out on one of the favorites for the victory in the competition, as Mateusz Kieliszkowski withdrew due to hip issues and a urinary tract infection. However, he is replaced by the American Log Lift record holder, Bobby Thompson. Bobby is definitely on par with the rest of the lineup, and he will put up a great fight.
After a very suspenseful two events, The World’s Strongest Gay, Rob Kearney, takes the lead on day one of the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic. Rob came out on top through two 2nd place finishes, which shows that consistency is key. Oleksii Novikov absolutely dominated the second event, and is now trailing Rob by only two points. Martins Licis rounds up the top 3 on day one.
2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Day 1 Results
- Rob Kearney (USA) – 18 points
- Oleksii Novikov (UKR) – 16 points
- Martins Licis (USA) – 15 points
- JF Caron (CAN) – 12.5 points
- Maxime Boudreault (CAN) – 9.5 points
- Bobby Thompson (USA) – 9.5 points
- Evgeny Markov (RUS) – 9 points
- Luke Stoltman (GBR) – 8 points
- Tom Stoltman (GBR) – 7 points
- Trey Mitchell (USA) – 5.5 points
Related: 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Final Results (Day-2)
2022 Arnold Strongman Day 1 Recap
The Double T Squat
This is a brand-new event to the Arnold Strongman Classic, and one of the more simple ones. Each athlete will have three attempts to squat as much weight as possible. Of all the competitors, Rob Kearney had the heaviest squat in the preparation for 2022 ASC, as he squatted 432 kg (950 lbs) in training.
JF Caron absolutely dominated the first event of the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic. Martins Licis and Rob Kearney put up a great effort, and had a tight race between them, but nobody was beating Caron today. Bobby Thompson also surprised many people and proved that he deserves his place in the competition.
- JF Caron (CAN) – 966 lbs (438.2 kg) / 10 points
- Rob Kearney (USA) – 961 lbs (435.9 kg) / 9 points
- Martins Licis (USA) – 956 lbs (433.6 kg) / 8 points
- Bobby Thompson (USA) – 946 lbs (429.1 kg) / 7 points
- Oleksii Novikov (UKR) – 906 lbs (411 kg) / 6 points
- Tom Stoltman (GBR) – 861 lbs (390.5 kg) / 4.5 points -Tie
- Maxime Boudreault (CAN) – 861 lbs (390.5 kg) / 4.5 points – Tie
- Trey Mitchell (USA) – 856 lbs (388.3 kg) / 3 points
- Evgeny Markov (RUS) – 821 lbs (372.4 kg) / 2 points
- Luke Stoltman (GBR) – 816 lbs (370.1 kg) / 1 point
Monster Dumbbell Press For Reps
Athletes have to overhead press a dumbbell weighing 275 lbs (124.7 lbs). They have 90 seconds to complete as many reps as they can. The heavy favorite leading up to the competition was Oleksii Novikov, as this is one of his greatest strengths.
As expected, Oleksii Novikov won the event with ease, as no one even got close to him. Despite the dumbbell looking easy for Novikov, a lot of other competitors found it too heavy to perform even 1 repetition. Rob Kearney managed to press the dumbbell 4 times, which separated him from a few athletes tied in third place.
- Oleksii Novikov (UKR) – 7 reps / 10 points
- Rob Kearney (USA) – 4 reps / 9 points
- Martins Licis (USA) – 3 repetitions / 7 points
- Evgeny Markov (RUS) – 3 reps / 7 points
- Luke Stoltman (GBR) – 3 reps / 7 points
- Maxime Boudreault (CAN) – 1 rep / 5 points
- Tom Stoltman (GBR) – 0 reps / 2.5 points
- Trey Mitchell (USA) – 0 reps / 2.5 points
- Bobby Thompson (USA) – 0 reps / 2.5 points
- JF Caron (CAN) – 0 reps / 2.5 points
Related: Video: Martins Licis And JF Caron Back Squat Massive 700lbs During Arnold Strongman Classic Prep
Event List
Friday, March 4th: 2 Events
- Event 1 – The Double T Squat (Completed)
- Event 2 – Monster Dumbbell (275 lbs) Press For Reps (Completed)
Saturday, March 5th: 3 Events
- Event 3 – The Austrian Oak For Max
- Event 4 – Timber carry
- Event 5 – Stone to shoulder
Prize Money
- 1st Place: $80,000
- 2nd Place: $25,000
- 3rd Place: $20,000
- 4th Place: $15,000
- 5th Place: $13,000
- 6th Place: $8,000
- 7th Place: $7,000
- 8th Place: $6,000
- 9th Place: $5,000
- 10th Place: $3,000
Total: $182,000
The competition will continue tomorrow, and with three events left, a lot can change. Every position improvement will matter to all competitors, and they will definitely put up a great show once again.
