John Haack Strongman - Image credit @kaos_strength_promotions Instagram
John Haack is regarded as potentially the greatest pound-for-pound powerlifter in history, since he set multiple World Records. John is incredibly strong, but he decided to test his skills in Strongman, which involves a bit more unconventional events. After some training, John took part in the 2023 U90KG Kaos Classic, which took place on July 23rd, in the UK. Despite it being his Strongman debut, John managed to finish in third place, which is beyond impressive.
2023 Kaos Classic Point Standings
Dan Benson – 117.5 points
Nick O’Hare – 102 points
John Haack – 102 points
Benjamin Donin – 100 points
Jim Mitchell – 98.5 points
Mike Deli – 98 points
Tyler Davis – 91 points
CJ Krause – 89 points
Leigh Shaw -87.5 points
Tyler Young – 83 points
John Haack’s Performance
The lineup for the 2023 U90KG Kaos Classic was huge, having featured 23 athletes. So, John Haack managed to outperform 20 of his rivals. In fact, he almost finished in second place, but John and Nick O’Hare had the same points in the end. Unfortunately, John lost the tie-breaker and dropped down to third place.
Event One — Max Log Press
The first event of the competition was the Log Press for max weight. John Haack managed to lock out 130 kilograms (286.6 pounds) and tie for 11th place. The Log Press is a very technical event. So, Haack’s adaptation to it in a short time is praiseworthy.
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Event Two — Axle Deadlift
The second event was more up John Haack’s alley, as the deadlift is one of the three events in powerlifting as well. So, with the task being to perform as many reps with 290 kilograms (639.3 pounds), John managed to finish second. His final score was 10 repetitions, just one less than the winner of the event, Dan Benson.
However, Dan Benson and other athletes put on a deadlift suit for this event, while John Haack completed it with just a lifting belt and lifting straps.
The third event tasked the athletes with picking up and carrying a 150-kilogram (330.7-pound) Sandbag Husafell and carrying it for max distance. John was surprisingly good in this event, finishing in third place with a distance of 65.90 meters.
Event Four — Farmer’s Carry
For the fourth event, the athletes had to pick up a 135-kilogram (297.6-pound) Farmer’s Carry implement in each hand and carry it for three lengths of 10 meters as quickly as possible. John Haack’s grip strength from raw deadlifts transferred well to this event, securing him a fourth-place finish with a time of 27.09 seconds.
Event Five — Yoke Into Sandbag Load
The fifth event was devastating for John Haack since he finished in 15th place and lost a lot of points. He was able to complete the 340-kilogram Yoke carry and one of the 120-kilogram Sandbag loads in a time of 21.26 seconds. Had he performed better in this event, John would have had a legitimate chance at winning the competition.
Event Six — Power Stairs
The final event of the competition was the Power Stairs, and John Haack spent some time preparing for them in training. So, it is no surprise that he won the event and took max points. In fact, it only took him 27.92 seconds to carry 160-kg / 170-kg / 180-kg implements up a flight of three stairs.
However, he then had to perform a Husafell Hold tiebreaker for second place against Nick O’Hare, but lost as he was the first man to drop the implement.
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: August 17, 2023
It is not clear if John Haack plans on continuing his journey in Strongman, but he definitely has loads of talent for it. Powerlifting, however, remains his first love and he is also the undisputed champion of his weight class. There are numerous possibilities, so it remains to be seen what John thinks is best for him.
If you have questions or need clarifications, please leave a comment below, and Vedad will respond promptly.
Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness enthusiast, passionate about all aspects of strength training. Vedad's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies and dedication to constant research fuel his insightful and engaging reporting. He works hard to deliver accurate content while continuously seeking to improve his craft.
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