During the contest that took place on July 8, 2023, in London, England, Australian athlete Eddie Williams broke the Nicol Stone Carry World Record with a distance of 31.66 meters. The famous stones weighed 114 kilograms (251.3 pounds) and 138 kilograms (304.2 pounds), respectively. Meanwhile, another American competitor, Trey Mitchell, set a new Viking Press World Record by finishing 18 repetitions of the eponymous overhead implement, which weighed 150 kilograms (330.6 pounds). By the competition’s end, Mitchell and Williams finished in fourth and fifth place overall.

The Nicol Stone Carry was the first event of the 2023 GLSC, meaning Williams effectively set the tone for the competition with his World Record. The athlete notably shattered the distance of the previous World Record holder Kevin Faires by over seven meters. Notably, Faires was also competing in the contest. Faires set the past Nicol Stone Carry mark at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals with a carry of 24.61 meters.

Each of Williams, Faires, Singleton, and Mitchell Hooper eclipsed the previous record, but it was Williams who comfortably notched the farthest distance.

Given that the Castle Stones (or Atlas Stones) are a usual closer at strongman events, the Viking Press served as the climactic penultimate event of the 2023 GLSC. A battle that Mitchell shined in with his World Record. Mitchell’s record of 18 reps surpasses Paul Smith, who locked out 13 reps at the 2023 Giants Live Britain’s Strongest Man (GLBSM) for the past top number. Once again, several strongmen at the 2023 GLSC outperformed the previous Viking Press record, but Mitchell stood tallest in the showcase of overhead pressing endurance.

Mitchell will likely move forward by diving back into his training for the 2023 Shaw Classic (SC) in August. The athlete is the two-time defending champion and could be the competitor who keeps the legendary Brian Shaw from winning his last-ever professional strongman contest. On the flip side, Williams is a former two-time Australia’s Strongest Man (ASM) champion (2017-2018) and figures to be someone to watch after notching his first top-five international finish since 2019.

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Joining Singleton on the 2023 GLSC podium were former two-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion (2021-2022) Tom Stoltman (second place) and the reigning WSM king Mitchell Hooper (third place). Per his page on Strongman Archives, Stoltman has now finished as the runner-up in two of three competitive appearances in 2023. Meanwhile, after his 2022 WSM debut, Hooper has finished on the podium in 10 consecutive competitions. The 2023 GLSC was technically Hooper’s “worst” result after winning three straight contests — the 2023 Australia’s Strongest International (ASI), the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC), and the 2023 WSM — to start the year.

The 2023 GLSC featured five events: the Nicol Stone Carry, Super Yoke, Deadlift (for reps), Viking Press, and Castle Stones (an Atlas Stones variation). Here are the final standings and respective points for each participating strongman competitor from the 2023 GLSC:

2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Final Standings

1. Evan Singleton (United States) — 47 points
2. Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom) — 46.5 points
3. Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — 43 points
4. Trey Mitchell (United States) — 33.5 points
5. Eddie Williams (Australia) — 32 points
6. Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom) — 28 points
7. Spenser Remick (United States) — 27 points
8. Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine) — 22.5 points
9. Kevin Faires (United States) — 22 points
10. Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso) — 19 points
11. Rongo Keene (Australia) — 5.5 points

Singleton won his first-ever GLSC with consistency. The athlete finished in at least the top three of each event, peaking with a runner-up performance on the Super Yoke and the Castle Stones while tying for second place in the Viking Press.

Here’s an overview of Singleton’s individual performance that led to his win:

Evan Singleton | 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Event Overview

• Nicol Stone Carry (for distance) — 25.25 meters | Third place
• Super Yoke (for time) — 12.19 seconds | Second place
• Deadlift (for reps) — Five | Third place
• Viking Press (for reps) — 17 | Tied for second place
• Castle Stones (for time) — Five in 25.18 seconds | Second place

The most surprising aspect of Singleton’s win might have been his output on the Castle Stones. Aside from Stoltman, Singelton was the only other athlete to lift all five Stones, culminating in a narrow 0.5-point margin of victory over his peer.

In a post on his Instagram from the aftermath of the 2023 GLSC, Singleton appeared emotional and appreciative of his achievement. When factoring in the recent adversity concerning his biceps injury that knocked him out of the final leg of 2022, such a reaction seems more than warranted.

Based on the tenor of Singleton’s post, his win could even be seen as a statement.

“No other way to say it,” Singleton started. “I wanted this [a win in the 2023 GLSC] so damn bad. I put everything into this prep and managed to pull out the victory. This win meant alot to me because it’s a good example of why when you talk about the best in the world, you don’t leave me out of the conversation. I had a point to prove this competition and I made my statement. I am one of the best.”

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2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events

• Nicol Stone Carry
• Super Yoke
• Axle Deadlift
• Viking Press
• Castle Stones (Atlas Stones variation)

At the time of this article’s publication, with information on the 2023 GLSC’s events limited to the details provided over Instagram, a precise outline for the lineup is unclear. Specific information regarding exact implements, weight, and format for each event may be provided at a later date.

At the time of this writing, here’s the list of competitors for the 2023 GLSC expected to tackle these five respective events:

2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Roster

• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) | Defending GLSC Champion
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
• Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
• Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
• Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
• Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Kevin Faires (United States)
• Eddie Williams (Australia)
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Rongo Keene (Australia)
• Spenser Remick (United States)

From a glance, it might be easy to ascertain that Novikov, Hooper, and Stoltman are the clear favorites for a victory in the contest. Such a speculative assertion is both based on their WSM success — they are the only athletes on hand with wins in strongman’s biggest contest — and their overall standard as established strongman superstars. That said, depending on the format, some of the events could favor a dark horse or two.

For example, on the Nicol Stone Carry, Kevin Faires is undoubtedly a huge favorite on paper to win the event. The American athlete is the current Nicol Stones Carry World Record holder with a carry of 24.61 meters, beating the previous record of 22.2 meters — which Faires also held. Meanwhile, an overhead press-centered event like the Viking Press might favor Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou, the current owner of the Axle Press and Log Lift World Records. Assuming Tom Stoltman continues his usual proficiency on the Castle Stones (a variation on the traditional strongman Atlas Stones), that leaves a potentially wide-open slate on the Super Yoke and Axle Deadlift.

All of this is to say that even with household names in attendance in London this July, the 2023 GLSC could be anyone’s contest to win when the dust settles.

The 2023 GLSC is but one significant event on the major strongman calendar. With the roster and events for the competition now set in stone, it should still act as a quality notch in the lifting belt of one stellar strongman when this summer rolls around.

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At the time of this article’s publication, here are the confirmed competitors for the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic:

2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Roster

• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) | Defending GLSC Champion
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
• Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
• Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
• Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
• Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Kevin Faires (United States)
• Eddie Williams (Australia)
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Rongo Keene (Australia)
• Spenser Remick (United States)

There is no shortage of worthy contenders for the 2023 GLSC title. Six World’s Strongest Man (WSM) finalists and three WSM champions are littered all over the lineup. Knowing this fact, even without a confirmed events list or schedule at the time of this writing, it might be easy to figure out who should be favored to excel at the London competition.

The biggest name to watch might be Mitchell Hooper, who just won the 2023 WSM for his first victory at strongman’s flagship competition. The Canadian athlete is scorching hot performance-wise. His WSM victory included, Hooper has won five of his last six contests while qualifying for the podium in nine straight competitions.

Then there’s Tom Stoltman, who finished as the runner-up in the 2023 WSM after a status as the former reigning two-time WSM champion (2021-2022). According to Strongman Archives, Stoltman has featured in just two strongman contests over the past approximate calendar year, with the other being a sixth-place result at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC).

Finally, as the last competitor with a WSM title on their resume, the athlete who should probably be a massive favorite based on his rap sheet is Novikov. Besides his status as the only-ever winner of the GLSC, Novikov has only missed the podium on two occasions out of 20 competitions dating back to his WSM championship in November 2020. Novikov is most recently coming off a runner-up finish in the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) and a third-place result at the 2023 WSM.

With a deck featuring so much strongman star power, the outcome of the 2023 GLSC seems to be up in the air. At the very least, it should make for an exhilarating show of power and prowess at the sport’s highest level.

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