On September 11, 2022, Canadian strongman Mitchell Hooper shared an Instagram clip where he squatted 315 kilograms (695 pounds), raw, for five reps. According to the caption of the athlete’s post, the feat is a new five-rep personal record (PR) for Hooper, who wore a lifting belt and knee sleeves during the set.
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Hooper’s demonstration of leg power is a part of ongoing preparation for his debut at the upcoming 2022 Rogue Invitational. That contest is scheduled to take place on Oct. 28-30, 2022, at the Dell Diamond Stadium in Austin, TX.
In anticipation of the competition, Hooper recently started filming a series on his YouTube channel entitled “Road to the Rogue Invitational.” The first video — shared on Sept. 7, 2022 — features the athlete practicing various traditional events featured in strongman contests. (Note: At the time of this writing, the organizers of the 2022 Rogue Invitational have not announced the events for the contest.)
Hooper ends up lifting Atlas Stones, working through a respective Farmer’s and Sandbag Carry, and even throws in a one-kilometer run on a treadmill for good measure. All in all, Hooper calls his diligent training in the first episode “a good place to start.”
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Here’s the current roster of athletes slated to compete in Austin at the end of October:
2022 Rogue Invitational Roster
- Martins Licis — Reigning Champion
- Mitchell Hooper
- Trey Mitchell
- Oleksii Novikov
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy
- Rob Kearney
- Bobby Thompson
- Kevin Faires
- Maxime Boudreault
- Evan Singleton
Notably, while defending champion Martin Licis returns to defend his title, two-time reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Tom Stoltman, 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Luke Stoltman, and four-time WSM champ Brian Shaw each declined their invitations after competing in last year’s edition. Tom Stoltman finished second behind Licis in 2021.
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Three such noteworthy absences mean the 2022 Rogue Invitational field could be wide open for an up-and-comer like Hooper. After a 2022 WSM Qualifying Round blitz and three consecutive podium finishes in this year’s Giants Live Strongman Classic, Giants Live World Open, and Shaw Classic — Hooper may very well be in line to capture his first major international strongman victory.
The 2022 Rogue Invitational is set to occur on Oct. 28-30 in Austin, TX.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
