The 21st annual Arnold Strongman Classic took place March 3-4, 2023, in Columbus, OH. Ten top-level competitors filled the ranks in both the strongman and strongwoman classes, with world champions and record-breakers among them. Below you’ll find a recap of the events, with both the Strongman and Strongwoman results.
After two days of elite competition, Mitchell Hooper earned the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic title, continuing a meteoric debut year as a professional strongman. Victoria Long won her second Arnold Strongwoman Classic title in as many years, to pair with her two victories as America’s Strongest Woman (2021, 2022).
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Leaderboard
- Mitchell Hooper — 41.5 points
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 37.5 points
- Bobby Thompson — 29.5 points
- Trey Mitchell —29 points
- Tom Evans — 25.5 points
- Tom Stoltman — 24.5 points
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 24.5 points
- Rob Kearney — 21 points
- Kevin Faires —20 points
- Luke Stoltman —20 points
2023 Arnold Strongwoman Classic Leaderboard
- Victoria Long — 40.5 points
- Rebecca Roberts — 38 points
- Andrea Thompson — 36 points
- Olga Liashchuk — 34 points
- Inez Carrasquillo — 31.5 points
- Donna Moore — 21.5 points
- Melissa Peacock — 20 points
- Samantha Belliveau — 20 points
- Hannah Linzay — 19 points
- Tamara Walcott — 13.5 points
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Day One
The first day of competition kicked off with the massive Wheel of Pain, inspired by the torturous device that built Conan’s fictional strength and physique. Competitors had a 60-second time limit to carry a weighted bar around a fixed track for maximum distance.
The final event of the day is a specialized log lift. Competitors had 90 seconds to achieve as many repetitions as possible with either 195 kilograms (430 pounds) or 175 kilograms (385 pounds) — strongwomen lifted 122 kilograms (270 pounds) or 100 kilograms (220 pounds).
Points are adjusted in favor of the heavier weight, though some competitors may strategically use the lighter implement to yield more overall repetitions.
Women’s Wheel of Pain Results
- Rebecca Roberts — 28.27 meters
- Inez Carrasquillo — 19.53 meters
- Donna Moore — 19.02 meters
- Olga Liashchuk — 18.19 meters
- Samantha Belliveau — 15.93 meters
- Andrea Thompson — 15.8 meters
- Victoria Long — 14.33 meters
- Melissa Peacock — 12.04 meters
- Tamara Walcott — 11.48 meters
- Hannah Linzay — 11.2 meters
Men’s Wheel of Pain Results
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski —30.68 meters
- Trey Mitchell — 29.57 meters
- Mitchell Hooper — 28.65 meters
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 28.02 meters
- Tom Stoltman — 27.94 meters
- Luke Stoltman — 25.07 meters
- Tom Evans —24.61 meters
- Kevin Faires — 23.44 meters
- Rob Kearney — 21.31 meters
- Bobby Thompson — 18.11 meters
Women’s Austrian Oak Log Press Results
- Andrea Thompson — 5 reps (122 kilograms)
- Olga Liashchuk — 4 reps (122 kilograms)
- Inez Carrasquillo — 3 reps (122 kilograms)
- Victoria Long — 2 reps (122 kilograms)
- Samantha Belliveau — 7 reps (100 kilograms)
- Rebecca Roberts — 6 reps (100 kilograms)
- Melissa Peacock — 5 reps (100 kilograms)
- Donna Moore — 3 reps (100 kilograms)
- Hannah Linzay — 2 reps (100 kilograms)
- Tamara Walcott — no reps
Men’s Austrian Oak Log Press Results
- Trey Mitchell — 4 reps (195 kilograms)
- Mitchell Hooper — 3 reps (195 kilograms)
- Bobby Thompson — 3 reps (195 kilograms)
- Rob Kearney — 2 reps (195 kilograms)
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 1 rep (195 kilograms)
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 1 rep (195 kilograms)
- Tom Stoltman — 1 rep (195 kilograms)
- Tom Evans — 1 rep (195 kilograms)
- Luke Stoltman — 6 reps (175 kilograms)
- Kevin Faires — 3 reps (175 kilograms)
After two events Carrasquillo went into Day Two with an overall lead of one point. 2023 is Carrasquillo’s debut at the Arnold Pro Strongwoman Classic contest, having won the Arnold Amateur Strongwoman show in 2022. The narrow lead set her in front of Olga Liashchuk, a two-time Arnold Pro Strongwoman Classic winner (2019, 2020) and 2022 World’s Strongest Woman.
Among the Men, two-time Shaw Classic winner (2021, 2022) Trey Mitchell ended Day One two and a half points ahead of Mitchell Hooper. Hooper is the current (2022) Arnold Strongman Classic UK champion.
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Day Two
The contest continued Saturday, March 4. The livestream was provided courtesy of Rogue, below:
Women’s Elephant Bar Deadlift Results
Competitors had three attempts to establish a one-rep maximum deadlift.
- Victoria Long — 651 pounds
- Tamara Walcott — 651 pounds
- Andrea Thompson — 646 pounds
- Olga Liashchuck — 636 pounds
- Rebecca Roberts — 601 pounds
- Melissa Peacock — 581 pounds
- Inez Carrasquillo — 576 pounds
- Donna Moore — 541 pounds
- Hannah Linzay — 541 pounds
- Samantha Belliveau — 506 pounds
Men’s Elephant Bar Deadlift Results
Competitors had three attempts to establish a one-rep maximum deadlift. This was considered a “record breaker” event and offered a $5,000 bonus prize should any lifter break the current elephant bar record of 1,046 pounds.
- Bobby Thompson — 986 pounds
- Mitchell Hooper — 981 pounds
- Rob Kearney — 961 pounds
- Trey Mitchell — 941 pounds
- Kevin Faires — 901 pounds
- Thomas Evans — 856 pounds
- Luke Stoltman — 851 pounds
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 811 pounds
- Tom Stoltman — 801 pounds
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy — no rep
Women’s Unspunnen Stone Throw Results
Competitors had three attempts to lift a 50-kilogram (110-pound) stone and throw it for maximum distance.
- Victoria Long — 3.31 meters
- Olga Liashchuck — 2.79 meters
- Rebecca Roberts — 2.72 meters
- Inez Carrasquillo — 2.68 meters
- Hannah Linzay — 2.68 meters
- Andrea Thompson — 2.51 meters
- Samantha Belliveau — 2.35 meters
- Melissa Peacock — 2.34 meters
- Donna Moore — 2.31 meters
- Tamara Walcott — 2.03 meters
Men’s Unspunnen Stone Throw Results
Competitors had three attempts to lift an 84-kilogram (185-pound) stone and throw it for maximum distance.
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 3.47 meters
- Thomas Evans — 3.23 meters
- Mitchell Hooper — 3.19
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 3.15 meters
- Bobby Thompson — 3.04 meters
- Tom Stoltman — 2.96 meters
- Luke Stoltman — 2.81 meters
- Trey Mitchell — 2.71 meters
- Rob Kearney — 2.46 meters
- Kevin Faires — 2.07 meters
Women’s Frame Carry Results
The frame carry is a farmer’s walk variation, challenging competitors to lift a 230-kilogram (530-pound) wooden frame and proceed up an 11-meter long, inclined ramp as quickly as possible with a 30-second time limit. Adding to the difficulty, lifting straps (which aid grip strength) are not allowed.
- Victoria Long — 6.36 seconds
- Rebecca Roberts — 6.83 seconds
- Andrea Thompson — 7.93 seconds
- Hannah Linzay — 8.00 seconds
- Donna Moore — 8.78 seconds
- Melissa Peacock — 9.06 seconds
- Inez Carrasquillo — 9.18 seconds
- Samantha Belliveau — 12.35 seconds
- Olga Liashchuck — 12.77 seconds
- Tamara Walcott —10.46 meters
Men’s Frame Carry Results
The frame carry is a farmer’s walk variation, challenging competitors to lift a 400-kilogram (882-pound) wooden frame and proceed up an 11-meter long, inclined ramp as quickly as possible. Adding to the difficulty, lifting straps (which aid grip strength) are not allowed.
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 8.35 seconds
- Kevin Faires — 13.31 seconds
- Mitchell Hooper — 14.61 seconds
- Tom Stoltman — 5.97 meters
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 5.33 meters
- Luke Stoltman — 4.98 meters
- Bobby Thompson — 4.55 meters
- Thomas Evans — 4.14 meters
- Rob Kearney — 1.56 meters
- Trey Mitchell — No lift
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Roster | Men
- Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
- Trey Mitchell (United States)
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
- Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Rob Kearney (United States)
- Kevin Faires (United States)
- Tom Evans (United States)
- Bobby Thompson (United States)
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Roster | Women
- Tamara Walcott (United States)
- Andrea Thompson (United Kingdom)
- Olga Liashchuk (Ukraine)
- Inez Carrasquillo (United States)
- Melissa Peacock (Canada)
- Hannah Linzay (United States)
- Rebecca Roberts (United Kingdom)
- Victoria Long (United States)
- Samantha Belliveau (Canada)
- Donna Moore (United Kingdom)
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Events
Here’s the complete event schedule for both days of the competition.
Day One
- Wheel of Pain
- Austrian Oak Log Press
Day Two
- Elephant Bar Deadlift
- Unspunnen Stone Throw
- Frame Carry
How Strongman is Scored
Scoring points in competitive strongman events relates to the overall field of competitors. First place can earn as many points as there are competitors, and points descend accordingly.
For example, with 10 competitors in total, first place earns 10 points; second place receives nine; third receives eight; and so on.
In the event of any tied scores, points are split evenly. If two athletes tie for a position, add up the respective placing points and divide by two. For example, if two athletes tie for second place, they would each earn 8.5 points (nine [second place] plus eight [third place] divided by two).
Watch More as The Contest Continues
After one day of intense competition, the elite athletes will have less than a day’s rest before returning for more bone-stressing, mind-bending feats of strength.
It’s not too late to tune in and watch the competitors in action. To watch the strongman competitions, head to Rogue Fitness’ YouTube channel. For the bodybuilding events, fans can visit FanMio to purchase the pay-per-view for $59.99. It can be played on any Apple device, as well as on an Android TV, Google TV, and Amazon’s Fire TV.
Featured Image: big_zesty_strongman / Instagram
