While he’s one of the biggest names in strongman, Stoltman was merely part of an extended list of who’s who from the event. Other noteworthy athletes and famous people involved included two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd, eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, actor Idris Elba, and musician Liam Payne. 

Stoltman’s team won the match 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation. The participants on both squads were largely positionless as scorekeepers also only mainly tracked goals in terms of statistics. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Tom Stoltman (The Albatross) (@tomstoltmanofficial)

[Related: Why You Should Be Greasing The Groove During Your Workouts]

According to UKFundraising, the £15,673,728 million in euros ($18,908,393 million in dollars) raised is a record for the friendly match, which has accumulated a total of roughly £75 million in euros ($80,025, 608 in dollars) to date. The Unicef UK is the United Kingdom’s division of the global organization for children, which aims to improve their access to nutritional food, clean drinking water, quality health care, and a good education. 

Upon the match’s conclusion, Stoltman had appropriate words for his involvement in the event in a post on his Instagram.

“£15-plus million raised for Unicef UK with Soccer Aid, what an amazing total,” Stoltman wrote. “I’m so honoured and proud to be a part of this amazing cause.”

Tom Stoltman’s Future

Judging by his recent exploits, Stoltman appears to be following in a recent line of legendary WSM Champions who find a way to stimulate themselves in other ways aside from showing off their strength.

Among the more notable include 2018 WSM winner Hafthor Björnsson and 2017 WSM winner Eddie Hall, who boxed against one another in March 2022. Not long after, Hall showed off his prowess as a swimmer in May 2022, while Björnsson showed off a remade physique. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Tom Stoltman (The Albatross) (@tomstoltmanofficial)

[Related: The Best Bodyweight Workouts For Muscle, Strength, Conditioning, And More]

At only 28-years-old, Stoltman is likely a long way from hanging up his Weightlifting belt before engaging fully in other athletic pursuits. His participation in the noble 2022 Soccer Aid is nonetheless an excellent example of what the elite strongman is capable of when not slotting Atlas Stones onto podiums. 

Stoltman’s next strongman competition is the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals, which will take place on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. After a second-place finish in 2021, he will try to unseat his brother and the defending Giants Live World Tour Finals winner, Luke Stoltman.

At this rate, a win there might simply be another impressive notch in the belt for one of strongman’s superstars. 

Featured image: @tomstoltmanofficial on Instagram

The post Two-Time Reigning World’s Strongest Man Champion Tom Stoltman Helps Raise $18.8 Million During 2022 Soccer Aid appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Top 10 competitors are a highly competitive field including 2021 champion Tom Stoltman, three former champions — Oleksii Novikov, Martins Licis, and Brian Shaw — Maxime Boudreault, Luke Stoltman, Trey Mitchell, Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted, with Mitchell Hooper and Gabriel Rheaume both making their WSM debuts.

Here’s where the field stands after three big events.

2022 WSM Finals Leaderboard

2022 WSM Day Four Results

Competitors entered the first day of Finals in their chance to secure a grasp on the title. While each Qualifying round tested two events per day, the Finals will push the competitors harder with three events each day, beginning with the KNAACK Giant’s Medley, Deadlift, and Flintstone Barbell.

KNAACK Giant’s Medley Results

The competitors were challenged with carrying two separate KNAACK-sponsored industrial tool storage lockers, each filled with 125 kilograms (276 pounds), on a trip halfway down a 20-meter (66-foot) course and back to the start. Competitors then had to immediately carry a 455kg (1,000-pound) yoke through the full course. As a medley, the entire event was performed to achieve the quickest time.

After the event, Brian Shaw was heard joking that the 1,000-pound yoke was “too light” — something only a four-time WSM champ could say.

1. Mitchell Hooper — 0:21.96s
2. Tom Stoltman — 0:24.75s
3. Oleksii Novikov — 0:24.84s
4. Luke Stoltman — 0:28.72s
5. Martins Licis — 0:30.60s
6. Brian Shaw — 0:30.78s
7. Trey Mitchell — 0:32.54s
8. Gabriel Rheaume — 0:33.87s
9. Maxime Boudreault — 0:34.11s
10. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 0:37.61s

Deadlift

The finalists performed arguably the most relatable event for spectators — a 360kg (794-pound) deadlift for maximum reps in 75 seconds.

Oleksii Novikov put up a commanding performance, ignoring a simple nosebleed, to win the event with a solid 15 reps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1. Oleksii Novikov — 15 reps
2. Tom Stoltman — 13 reps
3. Trey Mitchell — 13 reps 
4. Mitchell Hooper —12 reps
5. Brian Shaw — 12 reps
6. Martins Licis — 12 reps
7. Maxime Boudreault — 10 reps
8. Luke Stoltman — 9 reps
9. Gabriel Rheaume — 8 reps
10. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 8 reps

Flintstone Barbell

For the first time in years, the Flintstone barbell made its return to the WSM contest. Lifters pressed increasingly heavier bars loaded with primitive stones rather than weight plates. The weights progressed 175kg (385 pounds), 190kg (420 pounds), 200kg (440 pounds), 212kg (470 pounds), 221kg (490 pounds), and finally 230kg (510 pounds).

Lifters had the option of pressing behind the neck or from the front rack position. Luke Stoltman set a world record as the first lifter to perform a 212kg (470 pound) Flintstone barbell press, breaking the 210kg (463 pound) record set by Gary Taylor in the 1995 WSM contest. Records continued to fall as the event proceeded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In an unexpected turn of events, organizers needed to add extra rounds to continue testing competitors. A 240kg (530-pound) bar was added , followed by a 245kg (540 pound) bar to determine the winner. Oleksii Novikov put up another dominant performance for the day, showing his determination to drive towards the title.

1. Oleksii Novikov — 8 stones
2. Tom Stoltman — 7 stones
3. Martins Licis — 6 stones
4. Luke Stoltman — 4 stones
5. Brian Shaw — 4 stones
6. Trey Mitchell — 4 stones
7. Maxime Boudreault — 4 stones
8. Mitchell Hooper — 3 stones
9. Gabriel Rheaume — 2 stones
10. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 2 stones

The Finals Proceed

With only one day remaining, the competitors’ opportunities to push forward are narrowing. Tomorrow’s events are WSM staples — the Bus Pull, the Reign Total Body Fuel Stairs, and the epic Atlas stones. Once they’re completed, the World’s Strongest Man will take the title.

Featured image: Joe Martinez/World’s Strongest Man

The post 2022 World’s Strongest Man Day Four Recap and Results appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Entering Thursday, May 26, 2022, some of the respective top contenders, like defending champion Tom Stoltman and former WSM Champion Oleksii Novikov (2020), already had a spot in the Finals. The debut of the Wrecking Ball Hold and the intense Stone Off would determine the other half of the remaining field on Day Three. 

Here’s where the overall leaderboard stands after the conclusion of the Qualifying Round, a short recap of Thursday’s events, and an overview of the 10 finalists for the 2022 WSM Finals this weekend. 

2022 WSM Leaderboard — Day Three/End of Qualifying

2022 WSM Day Three Results

As noted, some of the competitors entered the third day of the competition already having locked up a spot in the Finals. That meant Day Three’s events were more about the rest of the field trying to find points to secure their spots. The Wrecking Ball Hold and Stone Off stood in their way. 

Wrecking Ball Hold

This static strength event made its first appearance in a WSM competition. It’s a test of grip strength, as well as total-body endurance. The athletes had to hold a 228-kilogram (500-pound) bare wrecking ball for as long as they could. 

Group 1

1. Kevin Faires — 1:35.18s
2. Andy Black — 1:26.92s
3. Gabriel Rhéaume — 1:24.10s
4. Manuel Angulo — 1:11.66s
5. Aivars Šmaukstelis — 0:57.44s
6. Tom Stoltman — 0:04.63s

Group 2

1. Mark Felix — 2:20.49s
2. Bobby Thompson — 1:21.33s
3. Brian Shaw — 1:06.13s
4. Konstantine Janashia — 1:01.38s
5. Gabriel Peña — 0:48.27s
6. Mitchell Hooper — 0:06.40s

Group 3

1. Trey Mitchell — 2:06.46s
2. Mika Törrö — 1:53.17s
3. Grzegorz Szymanski — 1:46.49s
4. Oleksii Novikov — 1:38.63s
5. Adam Bishop — 1:31.35s
6. Rob Kearney — 1:01.95s

Group 4

1. Maxime Boudreault — 1:33.93s
2. Pavlo Kordiyaka — 1:31.33s
3. Martins Licis — 1:25.63s
4. Nedžmin Ambešković — 1:12.47s
5. Gavin Bilton — 1:07.15s
6. Shane Flowers — Withdrawn

Group 5

1. Kelvin De Ruiter — 1:45.65s
2. Evan Singleton — 1:40.34s
3. Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted — 1:03.42s
4. Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf — 1:00.70s
5. Kim Ujarak — 0:36.24s
6. Luke Stoltman — No time completed

Notably, Mark Felix set a world record when he held the ball for 2:20.49. Trey Mitchell pitched in a more-than-solid 2:06.46.

Stone Off

In their last chance to clinch a spot in the Finals, the competitors went head-to-head with someone from their Qualifying Group in the Stone Off. They lifted six stones — 150 kilograms (330 pounds), two stones at 160 kilograms (353 pounds), two stones at 180 kilograms (397 pounds), and ended with 200 kilograms (440 pounds). To complete the challenge, the last stone was lifted for as many reps as possible until one competitor failed.

One of the more unique situations entering the Stone Off was Brian Shaw, who needed to win in order to qualify for a record-setting 14th WSM Finals and reach for a record-setting fifth title. Shaw ended up defeating Bobby Thompson and moved forward to potential history. Gabriel Rheaume, Maxime Boudreault, Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted, and Mitchell rounded out the other winners who qualified for the Finals thanks to their Stone Off performance. 

Group 1

• Kevin Faires
• Gabriel Rheaume — Winner

Group 2

• Bobby Thompson
• Brian Shaw — Winner

Group 3

• Trey Mitchell — Winner
• Adam Bishop

Group 4

• Maxime Boudreault — Winner
• Pavlo Kordiyaka

Group 5

• Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted – Winner
• Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf

The Finals Lie Ahead

Now that the Qualifying Round is over, the complete list of finalists for the 2022 WSM is: 2021 WSM Champion Tom Stoltman, 2020 WSM Champion Oleksii Novikov, 2019 WSM champion Martins Licis, four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw (2011, 2013, 2015-2016), Maxime Boudreault, Mitchell Hooper, Trey Mitchell, Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted, Gabriel Rheaume, and Luke Stoltman.

Friday will present a good break for the competitors before starting the latter half of the competition. The first round of the Finals will take place on Saturday, May 28, 2022. It features the KNAACK Giant’s Medley, which is similar to the Loading Race, the Deadlift, and the Flintstone barbell, where the athletes will press a barbell loaded with giant stones.

Soon enough, the strongest man on the planet will be crowned.

Featured image: Joe Martinez/World’s Strongest Man

The post 2022 World’s Strongest Man Day Three Recap And Results appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On April 16, 2022, Oberst shared his plans for the coming year on his YouTube channel. Amongst a plethora of updates, Oberst announced that he will retire from competitive strongman following the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM).

Off Into the Sunset

Oberst hasn’t competed since he tore a tendon in his shoulder in August 2021. That injury knocked him out for the remainder of last year’s season. It is also why he won’t participate in the 2022 WSM this May. He admits losing this opportunity isn’t easy. 

“It’ll be hard to sit this one out,” Oberst said in the video. “I will be back next year. I will be back competing in the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. Then, after that, I’ll be done.”

Oberst didn’t mince words in explaining why he wanted to walk away. It’s understandably challenging to give up an endeavor from such a sizable portion of his life. At some point, the physical risk outweighs the reward.

“It’s time for me to thank God that I haven’t beaten up and torn up more than I already have,” Oberst says. 

Indeed, while Oberst’s recent shoulder injury is one of the more significant ailments of his career, it doesn’t mean it stands alone. The nature of professional strongman — in lifting variations of incredibly heavy weights, repeatedly — can be demanding on every aspect of the body. That sort of attrition can add up over time.

This’ll be my riding off into the sunset, guys.

While still strong and able-bodied, at the age of 37, Oberst might not want to subject himself to those rigors anymore. Instead, as he discusses, it’s time to look ahead to the next ambitious phase of life. 

“I’m building a ranch I am super excited about,” Oberst says. “I’m basically gonna spend my time out there. We’re gonna have hunting, and training, and courses for kids.”

A Monster Career

Before he was a strongman, Oberst played Division II college football at his alma mater, Western Oregon University. Once he graduated in 2009, he tried his hand at the NFL but couldn’t gain traction with any team. Oberst then shifted to bouncer work at nightclubs in San Francisco. There, one of his friends told him about the merits of strongman competition.

The rest was history. 

Oberst first burst onto the professional scene as a 27-year-old in September 2012. He’s been a regular around the central strongman sphere ever since. Here are some of the more notable results of Oberst’s career to date, according to Strongman Archives:

• 2012 America’s Strongest Man (ASM) — 3rd place
• 2013 All-American Strongman Challenge — 3rd place
• 2013 ASM — 3rd place 
• 2013 WSM (Final) — 9th place
• 2014 ASM — 2nd place 
• 2015 Arnold Australia (AA) — 3rd place
• 2017 International Strongman Federation (ISF) ISF1 — 1st place
• 2017 Giants Live World Tour Finals — 6th place
• 2018 WSM (Final) — 8th place
• 2019 Giants Live World Tour Finals — 9th place

One Last Ride

After sitting out most of the 2022 season, Oberst will likely have to fare well in at least one Giants Live event over the next approximate year to qualify for the 2023 WSM.

Right off the bat, the strongman will compete at the 2022 Giants Live World’s Strongest Nation (WSN) on November 26, 2022, in Liverpool, England. There, Oberst will serve as captain of Team USA. 

While Oberst hasn’t offered any more detail on upcoming competition plans, he does have a bevy of potential options. In addition to the WSN, Oberst could consider The Giants Live Open on August 6, 2022, in Cardiff, Wales. There’s also the Arnold Strongman UK in Birmingham, England, on September 24, 2022, and the Giants Live World Tour Finals on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Whatever path Oberst does end up choosing, this likely won’t be the last time we see the American athlete. Between his upcoming ranch and YouTube channel with over 338,000 subscribers, Oberst will assuredly stay busy and visible in retirement. Before those days arrive, he’ll have to see what his final strongman hurrahs hold in store. 

Featured image: American Monster Productions on YouTube

The post Robert Oberst Opens Up About Retirement Plans After The 2023 World’s Strongest Man appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On March 4, 2022, some of the initial athletes competing in the 2022 WSM were announced. On March 27, 2022, with the event a little under two months away, the entire 30-person lineup was confirmed. Here it is:

2022 World’s Strongest Man Lineup

Here’s who will be making their way to Sacramento in a matter of weeks:

• Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom) — Reigning WSM Champion
• Brian Shaw (United States) — 2021 WSM 2nd place
• Maxime Boudreault (Canada) — 2021 WSM 3rd place
• Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
• Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
• Rob Kearney (United States)
• Gabriel Peña (Mexico)
• Kelvin de Ruiter (Netherlands)
• Kim Ujarak (Greenland)
• Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
• Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
• Shane Flowers (United Kingdom)
• Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (Australia)
• Bobby Thompson (United States)
• Aivars Smaukstelis (Latvia)
• Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
• Evan Singleton (United States)
• Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted (Iceland)
• Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
• Charles “Trey” Mitchell (United States)
• Mika Törrö (Finland)
• Peiman Maheripourehir (Iran)
• Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
• Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
• Kevin Faires (United States)
• Nedžmin Ambešković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Gabriel Rheaume (Canada)
• Martins Licis (United States)
• Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
• Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)

Often, the WSM will pit the athletes against each other in six groups of five people while they tackle different heats consisting of specific events. Seeing as how that group format has not yet been announced, this year could instead be five groups of six people. The only constant is that there are 30 total competitors. Examples of events include the Farmer’s Walk and Stone Carry, among many others.

Only the top-performing strongmen from these respective heats will advance to the 10-person Finals group. During the 2021 WSM, the winner of each initial group advanced to the Finals. According to the event’s history, this setup usually tends to be the case. In typical WSM fashion, each 2021 group’s second and third-place finishers battled in a Stone-Off — where the two competitors lifted the same increasingly larger stones in a sequence until either of them failed the rep. 

2021 WSM reigning champion, Tom Stoltman, had to win a Stone-Off against Mark Felix to advance to last year’s Finals. Suffice to say, Stoltman’s effort more than earned him the title of World’s Strongest Man and the famous Barry Frank Trophy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: Strongman Nick Best Pulls A 755-Pound Deadlift At Age 53, Continues Comeback From Lat Injury]

Potential Contenders

Before each WSM, a few athletes might enter with higher expectations. Here are some of the possible 2022 contenders to keep in mind:

Tom Stoltman 

Best Career WSM Finish — 2021, 1st place

Any 2022 WSM preview should start with the British strongman and reigning WSM Champion. Stoltman enters this year’s competition having recently captured the 2022 British Strongest Man title in late February. It’s the second of back-to-back championships. The 27-year-old will assuredly be on the hunt for another prestigious strongman title repeat in May. 

Martins Licis

Best Career WSM Finish — 2019, 1st place

One of the favorites for this year’s title, Licis has been on a tear of late. The 31-year-old former WSM Champion is coming off wins in the 2022 Arnold Classic and 2021 Rogue Invitational. If he stays true to his recent form, it would not be a surprise to see Licis stand atop the podium when all is said and done. 

Charles “Trey” Mitchell 

Best Career WSM Finish — 2021, 4th place

A former America’s Strongest Man Champion (2018), Mitchell is no stranger to the upper echelons of strongman competition. Last year was the second time the 29-year-old competitor grabbed a spot in the WSM Finals. While he ended up just missing the podium (fourth overall), he could be a good bet to eclipse that performance and surprise some people this May. 

Mateusz Kieliszkowski 

Best Career WSM Finish — 2nd place (2018, 2019)

This year’s WSM marks the return of one of the sport’s brighter stars in Kieliszkowski. After finishing second in two consecutive WSMs, the 28-year-old Polish athlete missed the 2020 event due to a triceps injury and the 2021 competition for undisclosed reasons. Another undisclosed injury also kept him out of the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic in early March 2022.

Notably, in each of Kieliszkowski’s four career WSMs, he qualified for the Finals every time. If he’s closer to full strength, he might, at minimum, achieve the same this spring. 

Featured image: @theworldsstrongestman on Instagram 

The post 2022 World’s Strongest Man Reveals 30-Person Lineup appeared first on Breaking Muscle.