Former World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion Eddie Hall (2017) will captain Team UK, while eight-time WSM competitor Robert Oberst will captain Team USA.

 

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The 2022 World’s Strongest Nation will have both strongmen and strongwomen as competitors, with six men and three women in both lineups. Both squads are stacked with various accomplished champions and victors in other notable contests. At the time of this writing, the Giants Live organization has not clarified specifics like the events and different weights.

Here are the full rosters at the time of this writing:

2022 World’s Strongest Nation Team Rosters

Team UK

• Eddie Hall (Captain)
• Tom Stoltman
• Luke Stoltman
• Adam Bishop
• Mark Felix
• Gavin Bilton
• Andrea Thompson
• Donna Moore
• Rebecca Roberts

Team USA

• Robert Oberst (Captain)
• Rob Kearney
• Trey Mitchell
• Evan Singleton
• Bobby Thompson
• Kevin Faires
• Inez Carrasquillo
• Gabi Dixson
• Nadia Stowers

 

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[Related: 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals Lineup Revealed]

A Heated Field

While the legendary Hall might be the headliner and captain for Team UK, that doesn’t mean his teammates are slouches by any means.

For example, Tom Stoltman is the reigning two-time WSM Champion (2021-2022), fresh off a victory in Sacramento, CA, in late May. Meanwhile, each of the UK women have all won the World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) contest in the past. There’s Donna Moore (2016-2017, 2019), Andrea Thompson (2018), and Rebecca Roberts (2021).

On the Americans’ side, the captain in Oberst has plenty of hungry athletes alongside him.

There’s Nadia Stowers, the 2021 Static Monsters World Champion. Then, Inez Carrasquillo enters the fray. The athlete unofficially broke the log press World Record during a February 2022 training session. A dual-sport, versatile competitor as both a strongwoman and powerlifter, Gabi Dixson won the 2021 International Powerlifting League (IPL) World Championship.

As for the American strongmen, a former WSM contender Rob Kearney is in the mix, and potential future stars Evan Singleton and Bobby Thompson flank him. In addition, the 28-year-old Trey Mitchell — winner of the 2021 Shaw Classic and sixth-place finisher at the 2022 WSM — could be the catalyst behind a Team USA victory.

 

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With the athletes that will participate, whatever does occur in Liverpool in late November is likely to be a tense back and forth between some of the strongest people in the world. The 2022 Giants Live World’s Strongest Nation will occur on November 26, 2022, in Liverpool, England.

Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram

The post Eddie Hall and Robert Oberst Named Team Captains for the 2022 Giants Live World’s Strongest Nation appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The strongman competition will take place on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. From two-time reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Tom Stoltman and former WSM Champion (2020) Oleksii Novikov, to rising stars like Charles “Trey” Mitchell, it’s a stacked field with some of the strongest people on the planet.

Here is the current lineup as it stands: 

2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals Roster

• Luke Stoltman — Defending Champion
• Tom Stoltman — 2021 second place 
• Evan Singleton — 2021 third place
• Chieck “Iron Biby” Sanou
• Maxime Boudreault
• Pavlo Kordiyaka
• Oleksii Novikov
• Andy Black
• Tyler Cotton
• Kevin Faires
• Graham Hicks
• Trey Mitchell
• Pa O’Dwyer

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Strongman Mitchell Hooper Announced As Final Addition To 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Lineup]

Luke Stoltman is the defending champion of this competition. He captured the top spot in 2021 after Evan Singleton and his brother, Tom Stoltman, moved so fast during a head-to-head Atlas Stones event that they both mishandled a stone and threw off their times. A single point separated the Stoltman brothers between first and second place, while Singleton finished a mere four points behind. 

After just narrowly missing out on a victory, both athletes will assuredly be looking for redemption and a chance to unseat Luke Stoltman in Scotland this October. 

What to Expect

The Giants Live organization has yet to announce the events for the 2022 World Tour Finals.

Given that the competition is in Scotland, some have speculated that the Nicol Stones — functionally similar to the Scottish tradition of the famed Dinnie Stones — will likely be featured. The Nicol Stones weigh 114 kilograms (251 pounds) and 138 kilograms (304.2 pounds), respectively, while the Dinnie Stones weigh 144.5 kilograms (318.5 pounds) and 188 kilograms (414.5 pounds)

Kevin Faires might particularly excel during this event. Faires owns the Nicol Stones World Record of 22.2 meters from the 2021 World Tour Finals. He also possesses the Dinnie Stones World Record of 25 feet, which he achieved at the 2022 Rogue Record Breakers.

[Related: 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Reveals Lineup]

If the Log Lift makes a comeback, expect the Stoltman brothers to duke it out for top status. Both Luke and Tom managed to press a 150-kilogram (330.7-pound) log overhead for nine reps in 2021. Maxime Boudreault wasn’t far behind with eight presses. Chieck Sanou is the current Log Lift World Record holder with a press of 229 kilograms (504 pounds) from the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals. 

Finally, as a staple of many strongman contests, the trademark Atlas Stones will probably make a return. Boudrealt is the reigning winner of this event after he loaded five stones in 19.55 seconds during the last iteration of the World Tour Finals. However, watch out for Tom “King of the Stones” Stoltman. 

Once Giants Live announces the events, there will be a clearer idea of expected contenders for the competition. For now, with multiple WSM champions and a variety of different top-notch skill sets, it seems like anyone could win this contest. It’ll be a tall order for anyone to separate themselves — even for defending champion Luke Stoltman.

The 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals will take place on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. 

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The post 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals Lineup Revealed appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On June 3, 2022, the Giants Live organization announced that Mitchell Hooper would take the final slot in the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic. The announcement of Hooper’s addition might not be a surprise with recent developments. Once Hooper made the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Finals in his debut, it’s reasonable to assume his star would rise soon after. His Cinderella story of sorts in winning Group 1 of the Qualifying Round was one of the more noteworthy moments during the competition.

Hooper’s spot in this upcoming competition is now a natural step forward.

Here is where the 12-person roster now stands:

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Roster

• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Defending Champion
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
• Chieck Sanou (Burkina Faso)
• Ken McClelland (United States)
• Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
• Rob Kearney (United States)
• Andy Black (United Kingdom)
• Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
• Spenser Remick (United States)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After the news of his addition was made official, Hooper took to Instagram to explain his potential approach. As a newcomer, he seems to think this competition might be an uphill battle worth the challenge anyway. 

“This will be a fun show,” Hooper wrote. “The events aren’t great for me. It’ll expose some of my weaknesses and set a great benchmark to improve upon. The goal — win despite a tough set of events.”

Here are the events that Hooper notes will present an obstacle for him and the other athletes:

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events

• Dumbbell Medley
• The Pillars of Hercules
• Farmer’s Carry for Distance
• Axle Deadlift
• Castle Stones

Notably, while the format is different, Hooper might not have too much trouble with some of the events.

For example, the Farmer’s Carry for Distance could bear some functional similarities to the 2022 WSM Car Walk — which Hooper crushed at 11.64 seconds. If the event turns out to be centered on speed — one of Hooper’s strengths — he could be in great shape. Meanwhile, the Axle Deadlift will again be for reps. That could also play into Hooper’s favor, who did well with the somewhat similar WSM Deadlift Ladder while pulling five reps in 31.21 seconds. 

Hooper might not be entirely confident now, but a victory definitely isn’t out of the realm of possibility. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How To Do The Deadlift For Strength And Muscle]

A Rising Star 

Whatever result Hooper enjoys in the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic, it assuredly won’t be the end of his strongman ambitions.

Hooper has previously said he’d like to break the deadlift world record of 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds) during the 2022 World Deadlift Championships (WDC) on August 6, 2022. At the time of this writing, Hooper does not yet have an invitation to the competition. If Hooper does eventually get an invite — as someone who once deadlifted 475 kilograms (1047.2 pounds) while weighing under 140 kilograms (308.6 pounds) — his goal doesn’t seem outlandish. 

Only time will tell what the summer holds for Hooper. If his recent burst onto the professional scene is any indication, he’ll likely have no issues securing invites wherever he wants to compete. 

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The post Strongman Mitchell Hooper Announced as Final Addition to 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Lineup appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On May 5, 2022, the Giants Live organization revealed the 12-person lineup for this summer’s competition over their Instagram page. From the defending champion to more than a few worthy comers, here’s the current lineup as it stands.

2022 Giants Live Open & World Deadlift Championships Lineup

Here’s who will make their way to Wales in early August:

• Evan Singleton (United States) — Defending Champion
• Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — 2021 Third place
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
• Ivan Makarov (Russia) — 2021 WDC Champion
• Andy Black (United Kingdom)
• Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
• Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
• Shane Flowers (England)
• Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
• Peiman Maheripourehir (Iran)
• Wild card — Announced at a later date

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Reveals Lineup]

What to Expect

At the time of this writing, there is no confirmation of the format for this year’s competition. That said, the Giants Live World Open usually tasks the athletes to compete in five separate events.

The 2021 competition featured the Carry & Drag, Viking Press, Hammer Hold, Castle Stones, and of course — the Max Deadlift. The top-three finishers also typically earn automatic qualification for the following year’s World’s Strongest Man (WSM). In this case, that would be the 2023 WSM.

Evan “T-Rex” Singleton is the reigning champion of the Giants Live World Open. Powered by first-place performances in the Carry & Drag, where Singleton dragged 160-kilogram anchors in each hand in 27.38 seconds, along with the Viking Press, where he pressed 160 kilograms for 12 reps — the American athlete clinched the victory.

However, Adam Bishop and Oleksii Novikov were not far behind in second and third place, respectively. Bishop won the famed Castle Stones when he loaded five stones ranging from 100 to 180 kilograms in 18.81 seconds. He also garnered at least a top-three finish in four of the five events. Meanwhile, Novikov finished in the top three in three of the five events, most notably tying for second on the Max Deadlift with a pull of 453.5 kilograms (999.8 pounds)

With better results and strokes of luck this year, perhaps either of the two men can supplant Singleton.

As for the Max Deadlift — which again doubles as the WDC — Ivan Makarov returns to defend his title. The Russian athlete pulled 475 kilograms (1047.2 pounds) during the 2021 WDC — almost 10 kilograms more than the next best competitors. He will undoubtedly be a favorite to take home the title of top deadlifter again. The second-place deadlift featured a six-way tie with six successive pulls of 453.5 kilograms (999.8 pounds). Five of those athletes — Singleton, Bishop, Novikov, Gabriel Peña, and Pavlo Nakonechnyy — return this year.

One of them could end up closing the gap on Makarov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A High Bar

The Giants Live organization has issued a wager to the athletes.

If anyone manages to deadlift the world record of 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds) during the WDC, they will receive $55,000. 2018 WSM champion Hafthor Björnsson holds the current world record with a pull of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) from the 2020 World’s Ultimate Strongman “Feats of Strength” series.

Krzysztof Wierzbicki (110KG) did pull 502.5 kilograms (1,107 pounds) in April 2022 — the heaviest filmed deadlift in history. Though, even if the pull occurred during a sanctioned competition, that deadlift would not count in strongman because Wierzbicki used a sumo stance. It also wouldn’t count in powerlifting because he used straps.

As far as other potential competitors for the WDC, Nick Best has petitioned Giants Live to let powerlifter Jamal Browner (110KG) participate. At the time of publishing, there is no word on the status of that request.

Whether anyone can break the top deadlift mark with a referee watching in early August is up in the air, but it certainly isn’t impossible.

The 2022 Giants Live World Open and World Deadlift Championships will take place on August 6, 2022, in Cardiff, Wales.

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The post 2022 Giants Live World Open & World Deadlift Championships Reveals 12-Person Lineup appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events

• Dumbbell Medley
• The Pillars of Hercules
• Farmer’s Carry for Distance
• Axle Deadlift
• Castle Stones

 

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[Related: 2022 World’s Strongest Man Events Released — Car Walk, Flintstone Barbell Return]

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Lineup

The 2020 World Strongest’s Man Champion (WSM) and 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) Champion, Oleksii Novikov, enters the 2022 Strongman Classic as the reigning winner. Evan Singleton, Chieck “Iron Biby” Sanou, and a host of other contenders will try to supplant Novikov in London.

Here’s the full list of expected athletes for the competition:

• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Defending Champion
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
• Chieck Sanou (Burkina Faso)
• Ken McClelland (United States)
• Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
• Rob Kearney (United States)
• Andy Black (United Kingdom)
• Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
• Spenser Remick (United States)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Unannounced wild card

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Event Rundown

Below is a preview of each event for the competition and what the respective athletes can expect.

Dumbbell Medley

The Dumbbell Medley was not an event at the 2021 Strongman Classic. That said, as much as the other strongman will assuredly put their best foot forward, the event should favor Novikov. The Ukrainian athlete possesses the heavy dumbbell press for reps world record. With 100-kilogram (220-pound) dumbbells, he notched a staggering 11 reps in 75 seconds at the 2020 World Ultimate Strongman “Feats of Strength” series.

Novikov was also the only competitor to successfully lift all five dumbbells during the Cyr Dumbbell Ladder at the 2021 Rogue Invitational. While there could always be a surprise from some of the world’s top strength sports athletes, he’s the likely leading contender for the opening event.

The Pillars of Hercules

A classic strongman event, the Pillars of Hercules — or the Hercules Hold — asks the athletes to hold a massive pillar in each hand for as long as possible. Usually, the competing athlete does not know how long they have held the pillars until the final result. Though, later athletes do benefit from knowing the time they have to beat before they’re up.

Since it is an event with an upper-body strength and grip focus, Sanou could be the big winner here.

The current owner of the world log lift record with a 229-kilogram press (504.8-pound) from the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals, Sanou also won last year’s Hercules Hold when he held the pillars for over 75 seconds.

Mark Felix — who owns the Hercules Hold world record from the 2019 Giants Live World Tour Finals — might be the athlete to overtake Sanou.

Farmer’s Carry for Distance

The Farmer’s Carry centers around movement and speed in carrying staggering weight across the finish line. Notably, Novikov won the 2021 Frame Carry, which is a somewhat close model of the Farmer’s Carry.

Axle Deadlift

Last year’s fourth-place finisher, Adam Bishop, will likely be the favorite on the Axle Deadlift. The 2020 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM) winner locked out seven reps at 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) during the 2021 competition. Novikov was not far behind (six reps) and could notch the respective victory on this occasion.

Castle Stones

It wouldn’t be a strongman event if it didn’t feature some variation of the famed Atlas Stones. Last year’s Castle Stones winner, Tom “King of the Stones” Stoltman (five in 16.97 seconds), is not participating in this year’s competition.

Stoltman’s absence should leave the door open for the final event. Novikov, Bishop, and Singleton — who all finished five reps within a second of each other in 2021 — could find themselves on the podium thanks to a great Stones performance.

On to London

Given the rigors of the one-day competition, a repeat won’t be easy for Novikov. Come early July in London, with a roster of stellar strongman talents across the board, who the ultimate winner will be is anyone’s best guess.

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The post 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events Released appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This year’s event has locked in 11 of its 12 competitors, while a still-undetermined “wild card” holds the final slot. Giants Live will reveal the wild card at a later date. 

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Lineup

Here are the confirmed competitors for London in early July:

• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Defending Champion
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
• Chieck Sanou (Burkina Faso)
• Ken McClelland (United States)
• Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
• Rob Kearney (United States)
• Andy Black (United Kingdom)
• Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
• Spenser Remick (United States)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Unannounced wild card 

The 2021 Giants Live Strongman Classic Champion, Oleksii Novikov, is back to defend his title. After a disappointing finish at the 2021 World’s Strongest Man (WSM), the Ukrainian athlete came in strong and beat Evan Singleton by a 1.5-point margin. Chieck “Iron Biby” Sanou rounded out the podium with a third-place result.

Of the five events — including the Axle Press, Hercules Hold, Axle Deadlift, Frame Carry, and Castle Stones — Novikov was only the athlete to notch a top-three finish in four of the five events, helping him to his eventual victory. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: 2022 World’s Strongest Man Reveals 30-Person Lineup]

Potential Contenders

There are two notable absences from this year’s competition — the Stoltman Brothers.

The 2021 WSM reigning champion, Tom Stoltman, also didn’t participate in the 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM). He appears to be focusing his current energy on defending his title at the 2022 WSM, which will take place on May 24-29, 2022, in Sacramento, CA.

Meanwhile, Luke Stoltman tried to defend his 2021 ESM championship at the 2022 ESM before coming in second place to Novikov. 

Even without these two elite athletes in the fold, here are a few names to watch — outside of Novikov — for this year’s competition. Note: Giants Live has not confirmed the 2022 Strongman Classic events. 

Chieck Sanou

While he didn’t win, Sanou’s overall performance at the 2021 Strongman Classic was still noteworthy. He won two of the five events outright — the Hercules Hold and Axle Press. On the latter, Sanou notched the current axle press world record of 217 kilograms (478.4 pounds). He also possesses the current log lift world record with a 229-kilogram press (504 pounds) set at the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals.

Sanou does not typically compete in full competitions, usually opting for singular world-record lifts. If anyone can capture first place and break a record along the way, it might be him. 

Evan Singleton

The 2021 Arnold UK was Singleton’s last formal competition. A victory there bookended a successful late 2021 run where Singleton had at least a podium finish in four of his final five competitions — including the 2021 Strongman Classic. Seeing as how Singleton fell short by the slimmest of margins last time around, look for him to try and fill in the gap with another opportunity. 

Adam Bishop

Bishop might be more of a dark horse, but his competitors shouldn’t take him lightly. In late February 2022, the British athlete most recently finished in third place in the 2022 Britain’s Strongest Man (BSM). An overall fourth-place result at last year’s Strongman Classic — where Bishop won the Axle Deadlift event and came in second on the Frame Carry — might be a harbinger of things to come. 

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