In a stacked SC field featuring Mitchell and various World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champions like Mitchell Hooper (reigning, 2023), Tom Stoltman (2021-2022), Oleksii Novikov (2020), and the contest’s eponymous competitor, Brian Shaw (2011, 2013, 2015-2016), the 26-year-old Nakonechnyy still figures to be a dark horse contender for the title. Winning an event like the Bench Press — its presence in the 2023 SC event catalog is why Nakonechnyy is polishing it up — would go a long way toward his chances.

As an athlete still relatively young in a strongman context, Nakonechnyy put himself on the map when he won the 2022 Giants Live World Open (GLWO) title. Nakonechnyy’s triumph was notable given that he beat other notable strongman superstars like Hooper, Novikov, and 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic (GLSC) champion Evan Singleton. However, a knee injury suffered at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) robbed Nakonechnyy of the opportunity to build on his success with two major contests from the 2023 strongman season. At the time of this writing, it is still unclear what the extent and nature of Nakonechnyy’s injury was.

Rather than make his respective debuts at the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) and the 2023 WSM, Nakonechnyy was forced to withdraw from both competitions and take the time to recuperate to full strength. After a recent third-place podium appearance at the 2023 Pahlavon Mahmud Strongman Grand Prix (PMSGP), it seems Nakonechnyy is prepared to raise his profile again in a contest with a bigger reputation like the 2023 SC.

Here’s an overview of the current 2023 SC roster and the complete list of competitors Nakonechnyy will have to overcome in his debut at the contest:

2023 Shaw Classic Roster

• Trey Mitchell (United States) — Reigning two-time Champion
• Brian Shaw (United States) — 2022 runner-up
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — 2022 third place
• Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
• Bobby Thompson (United States)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
• Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
• Thomas Evans (United States)
• Maxime Boudreault (Canada)
• Kevin Faires (United States)
• Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• *Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom) | *Replaces Mateusz Kieliszkowski

According to his resume on Strongman Archives, Nakonechnyy has typically fared well in competition debuts during his young career. In seven first-time appearances at respective strongman contests, including his win at the 2022 GLWO, Nakonechnyy can boast six top-five finishes. Such a precedent could bode well for the athlete at the 2023 SC.

In a competition loaded with superstars like the 2023 SC, Nakonechnyy faces a tall order to make a mark. If he is indeed back to all cylinders firing, a Colorado success story for this youthful Ukrainian dynamo probably shouldn’t be viewed as a surprise.

Featured image: @pavlo_nakonechnyy on Instagram

The post Pavlo Nakonechnyy Bench Presses 200 Kilograms (440.9 Pounds) for 7 Reps in Shaw Classic Prep appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The World’s Strongest Man promoters shared the news on Instagram on Saturday, Apr. 8. Nakonechnyy later posted comments on his own Instagram page regarding his absence.

“I [will] miss WSM 2023. I wish all athletes success and see you next year at WSM 2024.”

On the same day as the withdrawal announcement, WSM organizers also shared that American competitor Thomas Evans will replace Nakonechnyy in the lineup.

Evans is coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic in early March 2023. Mitchell Hooper won that contest, but Evans finished one spot ahead of two-time World’s Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman. This will be Evans’ first WSM appearance.

Prior to the 2023 season, Evans was the 2022 Arnold Amateur Strongman winner and he won the 2022 Shaw Classic open contest. He also competed in the 2022 Official Strongman Games, where he placed eighth out of ten men. The 28-year-old be one of seven Americans on the roster to compete at the WSM. The others are Kevin Faires, Trey Mitchell, Spenser Remick, Evan Singleton, Bobby Thompson, and four-time World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw, who will be competing in the contest for the final time.

With this change in the lineup, the complete 30-man WSM roster is now as follows:

• Tom Stoltman (UK) — Defending two-time WSM champion
• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
• Brian Shaw (USA)
• Trey Mitchell (USA)
• Luke Stoltman (UK)
• Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
• Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
• Evan Singleton (USA)
• Adam Bishop (UK)
• Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
• Kevin Faires (USA)
• Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted (Iceland)
• Paul Smith (UK)
• Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
• Bobby Thompson (USA)
• Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
• Gavin Bilton (UK)
• Spenser Remick (USA)
• Eddie Williams (Australia)
• Thomas Evans (USA)
• Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
• Graham Hicks (UK)
• Mathew Ragg (New Zealand)
• Gabriel Rhéaume (Canada)
• Fadi El Masri (Lebanon)
• Jaco Schoonwinkel (South Africa)
• Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (France)
• Mark Felix (UK)
• Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
• Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)

Featured Image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram

The post Injury Forces Pavlo Nakonechnyy to Withdraw From 2023 World’s Strongest Man, Tom Evans Added to Roster appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Nakonechnyy suffered his knee injury on March 4, during the deadlift event at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC). The strongman tied with two-time WSM champion (2021-2022) Tom Stoltman for sixth place during the contest, while fellow young star Mitchell Hooper was the eventual ASC winner. The ESM roster, featuring Ukrainian countryman and defending champion Oleksii Novikov, will now soldier on without Nakonechnyy.

In the wake of Nakonechnyy’s withdrawal, the Giants Live organization revealed that 2022 England’s Strongest Man Paul Smith would take the athlete’s vacated spot. Shane Flowers will round out the ESM roster as the 14th athlete. The international competition features nine different countries in representation.

At the time of this article’s publication, here is the complete 2023 ESM roster as it stands:

2023 Europe’s Strongest Man Roster

• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Reigning Champion
• Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
• Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
• Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
• Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
• Eythór Ingólfsson Melsted (Iceland)
• Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (France)
• Dennis Kohlruss (Germany)
• Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
• Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
• Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
• Shane Flowers (United Kingdom)

Here is an overview of the events confirmed for the 2023 ESM:

2023 Europe’s Strongest Man Events

• Log Press Ladder
• Load and Push Race
• Deadlift for Reps
• Conan’s Wheel
• Castle Stones

The 2023 ESM will be a single-day competition comprised of five different events. At the time of this writing, specifics have not been clarified on each event’s details. Information involving exact implements, weights, and potential formats could be disclosed in the near future.

At age 25, per Strongman Archives, Nakonechnyy is still relatively new to the strongman scene. While he’s been competing since September 2019, the strongman may have officially broken out with his first victory in the 2022 Giants Live World Open. He followed that performance up with a fourth-place result at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals, a fifth-place finish at the 2022 Strongman Rogue Invitational, and his sixth-place ranking at the 2023 ASC.

As Nakonechnyy’s first WSM appearance nears, only time will tell how the ascending strongman heals and potentially shines in South Carolina.

Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram

The post Pavlo Nakonechnyy Withdraws From 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man to Recover from Knee Injury appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Joining Nakonechnyy on the podium were Canada’s Mitchell Hooper and another Ukrainian competitor, Oleksii Novikov, in second and third place, respectively. This was Hooper’s second consecutive podium finish after a strong showing at the Giants Live Strongman Classic in early July. Novikov won that contest. According to Strongman Archives, with his third-place result at the World Open, Novikov has now stood on a podium in 11 straight competitions dating back to July 2021. 

Here are the final standings from the 2022 Giants Live World Open:

1. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 49 points | 2022 Giants Live World Open Champion
2. Mitchell Hooper — 47 points
3. Oleksii Novikov — 39.5 points
4. Graham Hicks — 37.5 points
5. Gavin Bilton — 34 points
6. Rauno Heinla — 33 points | 
7. Andy Black — 20 points
8. Shane Flowers — 18 points
9. Evan Singleton — 14 points (Withdrew after Medley)
10. Ivan Makarov — Eight points (Withdrew after Max Deadlift)
11. Pa O’Dwyer — Six points (Withdrew after Medley)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The competition consisted of five events in one day, including the Max Deadlift, Medley, Log Lift for Reps, Front Hold, and Atlas Stones. Here’s a short rundown of how each competitor fared in the individual events. 

Max Deadlift 

The Max Deadlift, which doubled as the 2022 World Deadlift Championships (WDC), started the contest. The set-up was straightforward — deadlift as much weight as possible. The athletes began with 400 kilograms (938.1 pounds) and slowly increased the load on their barbells. 

While five athletes made valiant attempts at pulling 453.6 kilograms (1,000 pounds), Rauno Heinla was the only competitor to successfully pull at least that much weight. The Estonian strongman eventually deadlifted 476 kilograms (1,049.4 pounds) for a new Master’s World Record and the event win. 

1. Rauno Heinla — 476 kilograms (1,049.4 pounds)
2. Graham Hicks — 453.5 kilograms (999.8 pounds)
3. Mitchell Hooper — 453.5 kilograms (999.8 pounds)
4. Ivan Makarov — 453.5 kilograms (999.8 pounds)
5. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 453.5 kilograms (999.8 pounds)
6. Gavin Bilton — 425.5 kilograms (938.1 pounds)
7. Oleksii Novikov — 425.5 kilograms (938.1 pounds)
8. Evan Singleton — 425.5 kilograms (938.1 pounds)
9. Shane Flowers — 400 Kilograms (881.9 pounds)
10. Andy Black — 400 Kilograms (881.9 pounds)
11. Pa O’Dwyer — 400 Kilograms (881.9 pounds)

Medley

After the Max Deadlift concluded, Ivan Makarov withdrew from the competition; he was only in Wales for that event. During the Medley, the athletes had to perform a Farmer’s Walk with 150-kilogram implements for 10 meters. Then, they had to load a 120-kilogram (264.5-pound) barrel on a podium that was positioned 12 meters from the start of the walk, a 120-kilogram (264.5-pound) sandbag onto a podium 15 meters away, and a 135-kilogram (297.6-pound) tire at 20 meters. 

Nakonechnyy won the Medley and his first event of the contest with a stellar time of 37.11 seconds. Hooper (38.23 seconds) closely followed in second place at a little over a second behind, while defending champion Evan Singleton (38.85 seconds) captured a third-place result.

1. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 37.11 seconds
2. Mitchell Hooper — 38.23 seconds
3. Evan Singleton — 38.85 seconds
4. Oleksii Novikov — 41.75 seconds
5. Graham Hicks — 49.56 seconds
6. Gavin Bilton — 49.9 seconds
7. Andy Black — 51.37 seconds
8. Pa O’Dwyer — 52.39 seconds
9. Shane Flowers — 56.3 seconds
10. Rauno Heinla — Two meters (Farmer’s Walk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: 20-Minute Workouts for Muscle, Fat Loss, Strength, and More]

Log Lift for Reps

During the Log Lift for Reps — the third event of the contest — the competitors had to lift a 150-kilogram (330.7-pound) log overhead as many times as possible within a 75-second time limit. After performing a successful eight reps, Hooper won his first event. Nakonechnyy and Novikov followed in a tie for second place with seven reps each as they evenly split points for their results. 

1. Mitchell Hooper — Eight reps
2. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — Seven reps
3. Oleksii Novikov — Seven reps
4. Rauno Heinla — Five reps
5. Gavin Bilton — Four reps
6. Graham Hicks — Three reps
7. Andy Black — One rep
8. Shane Flowers — Did not participate

Note: Singleton and O’Dwyer withdrew after the Medley, leaving an eight-athlete field through the remainder of the contest. 

Front Hold

As the Giants Live World Open rounded to a close, the Front Hold awaited the remaining field of athletes. Here, they had to hold up a 30-kilogram implement at shoulder height for as long as they could. While every competitor managed to hold it up for at least 30 seconds, Hooper won a second-straight event by maintaining his hold for 54.45 seconds. Graham Hicks (50.82 seconds) was in second while Nakonechnyy (47.38 seconds) tailed just behind him in third. 

1. Mitchell Hooper — 54.45 seconds
2. Graham Hicks — 50.82 seconds
3. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 47.38 seconds
4. Oleksii Novikov — 45.66 seconds
5. Rauno Heinla — 42.62 seconds
6. Gavin Bilton — 38.78 seconds
7. Shane Flowers — 36.17 seconds
8. Andy Black — 35.83 seconds

Atlas Stones

In strongman tradition, the famed Atlas Stones closed this competition. The five Atlas Stones had a weight range of 100 to 180 kilograms (220.4 to 396.8 pounds). Each of the competitors successfully placed all five stones on their respective podiums. With a lightning-quick time of 17 seconds, Pavlo Nakonechnyy won the event and claimed the 2022 Giants Live World Open title. 

1. Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 17.65 seconds
2. Gavin Bilton — 18.54 seconds
3. Oleksii Novikov — 19.57 seconds
4. Shane Flowers — 20.46 seconds
5. Mitchell Hooper — 21.32 seconds
6. Graham Hicks — 21.92 seconds
7. Rauno Heinla — 24.42 seconds
8. Andy Black — 27.63 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Worthy Stakes

Typically, the top-three finishers in Giants Live competitions earn automatic qualification to the following year’s World’s Strongest Man (WSM). After the 22-year-old Nakonechnyy’s win in this contest, he could make his WSM debut next spring if he decides to compete. Hooper already has a place in the 2023 WSM thanks to his solid performance in the Strongman Classic, while Novikov has a lifetime invitation by virtue of winning the 2020 WSM. 

The 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals are next for some of these star strongmen. That contest will occur on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram

The post 2022 Giants Live World Open Results — Pavlo Nakonechnyy Captures First Career Win appeared first on Breaking Muscle.