After the doozy of an inaugural edition in 2021, the next edition of the Arnold Strongman Classic UK will soon return. This year’s competition — which will test things like the respective athletes’ strength and conditioning — will take place on September 23-24, 2022, in Birmingham, England.
The official Instagram account of the 2022 Arnold Strongman UK revealed some of the participating athletes like Konstantine Janashia. On July 19, 2022, 11-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competitor (2008-2019) and two-time Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM) champion (2012-2013) Laurence Shahlaei revealed the first 11 of the eventual 12-person lineup, along with the events, over his YouTube channel, Big Loz Official:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9OS–WvzNM
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At the time of this writing, here is the complete roster for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK:
2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK Roster:
- Rauno Heinla
- Konstantine Janashia
- Ervin Toots
- Ben Williams
- Kim Ujarak
- Paul Smith
- Pa O’Dwyer
- Jerry Pritchett
- Ryan Bennett
- Mitchell Hooper
- Gavin Bilton
- Louis Jack (earned spot by winning 2022 Scotland’s Strongest Man)
Notably, the defending champion of the Arnold Strongman Classic UK, Evan Singleton, will not participate in this year’s contest. At the time of this article’s publication, neither Singleton nor the Strongman Classic UK organizers have revealed why.
That fresh-face sentiment also broadly applies to most of the 2022 roster. Pa O’Dwyer is the only returning competitor from the 2021 competition, which had 10 athletes in the lineup. This kind of set-up for competitors who haven’t experienced the Strongman Classic UK could make for a fascinating battle in Birmingham, England, this fall.
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2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Events Breakdown
While Shahlaei diagrammed the expected events for this year’s contest, he did not reveal their precise order over the two September days in England. Those details will be confirmed at a later date.
Here’s a short breakdown of expectations for each of the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK events.
Super Yoke
A strongman staple, the titular “Super Yoke” implement will have a weight of 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds). The athletes will carry it for a current undisclosed distance and time. It has a nickname of “Beast Yoke,” named after 2017 WSM Champion Eddie “The Beast” Hall, for his former record-breaking deadlift of the same weight from the 2016 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) contest.
Rising star Mitchell Hooper might be someone to watch here. The Canadian athlete crushed the somewhat similar Car Walk during the 2022 WSM by walking his 430-kilogram (950-pound) car frame 20 meters (66 feet) in 11.64 seconds.
Deadlift
The deadlift portion of the Strongman Classic UK will task the competitors to perform as many reps as possible with 370 kilograms (815.7 pounds) on their barbells. Rauno Heinla, proficient with many deadlift variations, could be the favorite during this leg of the competition.
Sandbag Toss
Shahlaei did not disclose the weight of the sandbags for this event. That said, the general format will have the elite strongmen throwing a series of sandbags over some elevated bar or implement as fast as they can. Without knowing the precise standards, the Sandbag Toss currently likely sits as a free-for-all.
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Dumbbell For Reps
The dumbbell for this portion of the contest will weigh 100 kilograms (220.5 pounds). The competitors will try to lock out a complete one-hand overhead rep as many times as possible in a time frame. Once again, there might not be a true favorite with any dumbbell for reps specialists, but Bobby Thompson has shown excellent overall overhead strength in the past.
A 217-kilogram (478-pound) Log Lift (albeit two-handed) from the 2021 American Log Press Record Breaker is an example of what Thompson brings to the overhead table.
Arnold Stone Carry
The Arnold Stone Carry somewhat resembles the traditional and famous Dinnie Stones. The athletes will utilize two differently weighted Atlas Stones with handles attached. They will attempt to carry the respective 160-kilogram (353-pound) and 130-kilogram (286.5-pound) stones as far as possible — grip strength will be paramount.
Atlas Stones
As is often the case, the Atlas Stones are once again the final event of a strongman competition. There will be five stones ranging from 120 to 200 kilograms (264.5 to 440.9 pounds) that the athletes must place onto their corresponding pedestals. Those pedestals will start with a height of five feet before gradually decreasing to four feet.
In this event that could decide the eventual winner, Gavin Bilton could be someone to keep an eye on. The strongman lifted five stones in 27.3 seconds during the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic. That was enough to give him a fourth-place finish to noteworthy peers Maxime Boudreault, Oleksii Novikov, and Evan Singleton — none of whom will participate in this contest.
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A Worthy Prize
Whoever wins this year’s Arnold Strongman Classic UK will earn £30,000 ($30,580.56). Then, the rest of the athletes will split the remainder of £32,000 ($32,619.26), as everyone leaves with some reward. With the defending champion not a part of this edition, and an almost entirely new roster, it could be anyone’s competition to win.
The 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK will take place on September 23-24 in Birmingham, England.
Featured image: @arnoldsportsuk on Instagram
