The two athletes who joined Hooper on the podium were Aivars Šmaukstelis of Latvia (second place) and the United States’ Kevin Faires (third). According to Strongman Archives, with his runner-up finish at the 2022 GLWTF, Šmaukstelis has now stood on a podium in his last four official competitive appearances. Meanwhile, Faires can now boast his first top-three placing since the 2019 Giants Live North American Open.

Here are the final standings from the 2022 GLWTF:

2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals Standings

1. Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — 52 points
2. Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia) — 47.5 points
3. Kevin Faires (United States) — 46 points
4. Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine) — 40 points
5. Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine) — 38 points
6. Rauno Heinla (Estonia) — 29 points
7. Paul Smith (United Kingdom) — 28.5 points
8. Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland) — 27 points
9. Eddie Williams (Australia) — 23 points
10. Mark Felix (United Kingdom) — 19 points
11. Andy Black (United Kingdom) — 19 points
12. Louis Jack (United Kingdom) — 18 points

 

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Event Breakdown

Here’s an event-by-event breakdown of the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals.

Nicol Stones

During the Nicol Stones segment, the athletes had to walk the two unevenly weighted stones of 114 kilograms (251.3 pounds) and 139 kilograms (306.4 pounds) for a max distance. Current Nicol Stones World Record holder Kevin Faires took the event victory with a distance of 24.61 meters.

1. Kevin Faires — 24.61 meters
2. Mitchell Hooper —  24.14 meters
3. Andy Black — 24.08 meters
4. Paul Smith — 23.1 meters
5. Aivars Šmaukstelis — 20 meters
6. Louis Jack — 19.75 meters
7. Eddie Williams — 16.58 meters
8. Mark Felix — 16.37 meters
9. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 15.91 meters
10. Rauno Heinla — 12.75 meters
11. Pavlo Kordiyaka — 9.4 meters
12. Pa O’Dwyer — 8.58 meters

Carry & Drag

During the Carry & Drag, the competitors had the task of carrying a 125-kilogram anchor and dragging a 350-kilogram over a 40-meter course. They had a time limit of one minute. Using the athleticism that’s helped him blitz professional strongman lately, Hooper captured his first event win of the contest with a time of 22.16 seconds.

1. Mitchell Hooper — 22.16 seconds
2. Pavlo Kordiyaka — 22.96 seconds
3. Kevin Faires — 23.41 seconds
4. Pa O’Dwyer — 25.35 seconds
5. Aivars Šmaukstelis — 26.45 seconds
6. Paul Smith — 27.30 seconds
7. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 27.78 seconds
8. Rauno Heinla — 28.57 seconds
9. Louis Jack — 28.84 seconds
10. Eddie Williams — 30.65 seconds
11. Andy Black — 37.37 seconds
12. Mark Felix — 40.40 seconds

Axle Deadlift

The 2022 GLWTF’s Axle Deadlift was about pulling 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) for a max amount of reps with a one-minute time limit. Pavlo Nakonechnyy came out on top when he successfully finished 11 reps. Nakonechnyy was the only athlete to finish with double-digit reps.

1. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 11 reps
2. Rauno Heinla — Nine reps
3. Mitchell Hooper — Seven reps
4. Kevin Faires — Six reps (Tied for fourth)
5. Aivars Šmaukstelis — Six reps (Tied for fourth)
6. Mark Felix — Six reps (Tied for fourth)
7. Pavlo Kordiyaka — Five reps (Tied for seventh)
8. Pa O’Dwyer — Five reps (Tied for seventh)
9. Paul Smith — Four reps (Tied for ninth)
10. Eddie Williams — Four reps (Tied for ninth)
11. Andy Black — Four reps (Tied for ninth)
12. Louis Jack — Two reps

 

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Dumbbell Press

This contest’s iteration of the Dumbbell Press featured a 100-kilogram (220.5-pound) dumbbell. Whoever could clean and press said dumbbell as many times as possible within a minute would win. After a few solid results on earlier events, Šmaukstelis and Pavlo Kordiyaka tied for first in the event with seven reps. 

1. Aivars Šmaukstelis — Seven reps (Tied for first)
2. Pavlo Kordiyaka — Seven reps (Tied for first)
3. Mitchell Hooper — Six reps
4. Pa O’Dwyer — Five reps (Tied for fourth)
5. Paul Smith — Five reps (Tied for fourth)
6. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — Four reps
7. Kevin Faires — Three reps
8. Rauno Heinla — Two reps (Tied for eighth)
9. Eddie Williams — Two reps (Tied for eighth)
10. Louis Jack — Two reps (Tied for eighth)
11. Mark Felix — No reps
12. Andy Black — No reps

Power Stairs

To close the contest, the athletes had to load five implements with weights ranging from 200 to 250 kilograms (440.9 to 551.1 pounds) up three respective stairs. Their final scores were determined by how many of the total 15 steps they climbed within a minute. While he didn’t win the overall competition, Šmaukstelis closed with another event victory (15 steps in 33.02 seconds).

1. Aivars Šmaukstelis — 15 in 33.02 seconds
2. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 15 in 38.81 seconds
3. Kevin Faires — 15 in 39.50 seconds
4. Mitchell Hooper — 15 in 42.08 seconds
5. Pavlo Kordiyaka — 15 in 44.52 seconds
6. Eddie Williams — 15 in 46.90 seconds
7. Rauno Heinla — 15 in 51.28 seconds
8. Mark Felix — 13 in 57.78 seconds
9. Andy Black — 12 in 50.78 seconds
10. Pa O’Dwyer — 12 in 59.78 seconds
11. Louis Jack — Nine in 26.64 seconds
12. Paul Smith — Nine in 47.54 seconds

 

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For Hooper, his remarkable debut pro year continues with this victory at the 2022 GLWTF. In addition to his two straight victories and first Giants Live win, Hooper has now finished on the podium in five straight contests dating back to the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic in early July. The superstar kept his reaction short and sweet in a post on his Instagram.

“My first [Giants Live Strongman] win. Surreal. Let’s keep riding the wave.”

Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram

The post 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals Results — Mitchell Hooper Starts a Hot Streak appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Oct. 5, 2022, the Stoltmans uploaded a video to their joint YouTube channel where Tom and Luke take cues about how to swim from extreme adventurer and ultra-marathon swimmer Ross Edgley. Edgley is notably the first known person in history to swim around Great Britain’s length of 1,780 miles (2,864 kilometers). The trio decided to conduct the swimming lesson in an undisclosed portion of the North Sea somewhere in the United Kingdom.

[Related: Strongman Legend Eddie Hall Swims a 50-Meter Freestyle in 27.06 Seconds]

Given that temperatures in the North Sea are a “little chilly” for swimming in early October — roughly 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) — it might have been safe to assume the group would outfit themselves in heating gear.

Instead, the Stoltmans elect to jump into the water while wearing just swim trunks with swim goggles for their vision. Once they’re in the water, Edgley relays his personal process for swimming, especially when he’s in the middle of an ultra-marathon.

Edgley details something he calls the “catch-up stroke,” where one arm doesn’t make its own individual stroke through the water until it “catches up” with the other arm. The objective behind the technique seems to be about efficiency and saving energy while in the water, given the apparent shorter strokes.

For the Stoltmans, two elite strongmen who each weigh 350-plus pounds, this technique is a means of “slowing down” their strong arms to focus their power and channel it into a quality swim.

The group seemingly puts Edgley’s technique into successful practice as the camera pans over them swimming through a current in the North Sea. To close their day, the Stoltmans and Edgley spend some time relaxing in the sauna and a small cold pool.

 

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After their short foray into autumn swimming lessons in the North Sea, the Stoltmans have a stocked strongman slate ahead of them.

The brothers will compete at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals on Oct. 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. Luke is the contest’s defending champion, while Tom was last year’s runner-up. Both Stoltmans will then team up as members of Team United Kingdom at the 2022 Giants Live World’s Strongest Nation on Nov. 26, 2022, in Liverpool, England. Strongman legend and 2017 WSM champ Eddie Hall will be their team captain.

Even after swimming with an extreme adventurer, the grinding strongman mentality seemingly never stops for these two elite competitors.

Featured image: Stoltman Brothers on YouTube

The post Tom and Luke Stoltman Take Swimming Lessons from Ross Edgley appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In a Sept. 28, 2022, Instagram update, Singleton announced that he underwent successful surgery to reattach his biceps tendon. The athlete did not offer a concrete timetable for a full recovery from his injury but alluded to plans to try and compete in the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Before his surgery, in one of his apparent last heavy lifting sessions for a while, Singleton shared a Sept. 25 Instagram clip of himself powering through some heavy box squats. The athlete completed a 340-kilogram (751-pound) set for three reps.

To outline his future plans in the YouTube video, Singleton maintained that the 2023 WSM will be his “first stop.” Following that, he will intend to get back onto the Giants Live circuit and the 2023 Rogue Invitational. In 2021, he notably won the 2021 Giants Live World Open and the 2021 Arnold Strongman Classic UK — the inaugural edition of the contest.

Depending on Singleton’s recovery and training, he may well return to that high standard of performance come next year. 

Featured image: @evan_trex_strongman on Instagram

The post Strongman Evan Singleton’s 2022 Season is Over After Successful Bicep Surgery appeared first on Breaking Muscle.