A complete breakdown of the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Day One
The 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic is here and 10 of the best strongmen took to the stage and showed off what they could do. Held in the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, this event was thrilling as always and proved why Strongman is a sport growing more and more popular every single day. Day one of the epic event has just come to a close. Below are the results and standings so far at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic.
When we think of Strongman, many of us revert back to watching it on television, watching these monsters, these specimens of strength and sheer will lifting incredible, and at times what seem like immovable objects, with ease. This is event was no different and an impressive set of strongmen showed up and proved why they are the best in the world.
This is your one stop shop for all things Arnold Strongman Classic 2022. We have who competed, a breakdown of how each event went, what events occurred, the total payout, and of course, the results of this amazing event.
Arnold Classic Strongman Standings (Day 1)
For this event, there were 10 impressive and well-known strongmen competing for that top prize. You recognize the names and can easily see why this event was so great.
Below are the current standings for the Arnold Strongman Classic 2022:
- Rob Kearney — 18 points
- Oleksii Novikov — 16 points
- Martins Licis — 15 points
- JF Caron — 12.5 points
- Maxime Boudreault — 9.5 points
- Bobby Thompson — 9.5 points
- Evgeny Markov — 9 points
- Luke Stoltman — 8 points
- Tom Stoltman — 7 points
- Trey Mitchell — 5.5 points
Top Competitors Coming In
With an impressive field of dedicated and accomplished strongmen, there were a few to note coming into this event. Tom Stoltman is the current holder of the World’s Strongest Man title and came in as a real force. Martins Licis just had an impressive win at the first ever Rogue Invitational and also came into the event as a top competitor.
But with guys like Oleksii Novikov, the 2020 World’s Strongest Man winner, this event was wide open for the taking. Bobby Thompson stepped in at the last minute to replace Mateusz Kieliszkowski, who withdrew his name with an injury.
Currently Rob Kearney is leading the pack after two intense lifting events. He is followed closely by Oleksii Novikov in second – who also has been open about representing Ukraine during this very catastrophic time for the country. Currently only two events have been completed, the Max Squat and the Monster Dumbbell Press. The Max Squat in particular contained strategy as well as strength – as the athletes could decide which weight to enter into the competition and have a max of three attempts to earn the heaviest lift.
In an interesting turn of events – Rob Kearney is in first place despite not nabbing a number one spot in either of the two events. But due to a solid second place victory in both events and two different winners across the two as well, he statistically lands in the number one spot overall in the leaderboard in Day 1.
Event Breakdown
For the Arnold Strongman Classic 2022, there were 5 events that competitors trained for and studied in efforts to be as prepared as possible. These events have been seen before, but with this cast of strongmen, the battle for first was fierce and one you didn’t want to miss.
Spread out over two days, two events were held on Friday and three events on Saturday, so both strength and conditioning were imperative for the success of each athlete.
Event #1: Max Squat
Each competitor had three attempts to hit their max weight. This was a new event for the Arnold Strongman Classic and a very entertaining one to watch.
This event came right down to the wire between J.F. Caron, Rob Kearney, and Martins Licis. The bar was set close to 1,000 pounds and it was Caron who took home first place. After Licis squatted 956 pounds, Kearney raised him five pounds. This is when Caron decided to take it up even higher and completed a 966-pound squat on the final attempt of the event.
- First Place: J.F. Caron – 966 lbs
- Second Place: Rob Kearney – 961 lbs
- Third Place: Martins Licis – 956 lbs
- Fourth Place: Bobby Thompson – 946 lbs
- Fifth Place: Oleksii Novikov – 906 lbs
- T-Sixth Place: Maxime Boudreault – 861 lbs
- T-Sixth Place: Tom Stoltman – 861 lbs
- Eighth Place: Trey Mitchell – 856 lbs
- Ninth Place: Evgeny Markov – 821 lbs
- Tenth Place: Luke Stoltman – 816 lbs
Event #2: Monster Dumbbell Press
This event was performed for reps at 275 lbs. Athletes were required to take the dumbbell off the ground and lift overhead as many reps as possible in a time frame of 90 seconds.
In a difficult event, Novikov made it look easy. The Ukrainian strongman stepped up to the 275-pound dumbbell and dominated with seven reps. This was more than enough to clinch first place in the event. Kearney was able to claim the second spot by himself with a late rep to get to four, besting three other competitors.
- First Place: Oleksii Novikov – 7 reps
- Second Place: Rob Kearney – 4 reps
- T-Third Place: Luke Stoltman – 3 reps
- T-Third Place: Evgeny Markov – 3 reps
- T-Third Place: Martins Licis – 3 reps
- Sixth Place: Maxime Boudreault – 1 rep
- T-Seventh Place: Trey Mitchell – 0 reps
- T-Seventh Place: Tom Stoltman – 0 reps
- T-Seventh Place: Bobby Thompson – 0 reps
- T-Seventh Place: J.F Caron – 0 reps
Event #3: Austrian Oak
These athletes were required to lift the log for a max rep with three attempts each. The name alone indicates the real test of strength these athletes had to endure for the third event.
Results coming soon
Event #4: Timber Carry
With a time cap of 30 seconds, athletes were required to carry an 880 lbs. timber frame up a 35-foot ramp.
Results coming soon
Event #5: Stone To Shoulder
This event saw the famous Odd Haugen tombstone come out and athletes were required to lift this from the ground to their shoulder in a stationary position for max reps. The time cap for this 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Results coming soon
Prize Money Payout For Arnold Strongman Classic 2022
The prize money has hit a record number $182,000, ensuring all athletes get paid.
Top three places are as follows:
- 1st Place: $80,000
- 2nd Place: $25,000
- 3rd Place: $20,000
The rest of the finishers receive prize money given the payout scale proposed by organizers.
Wrap Up
In what was an exciting event at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2022, this event has come to a close for this year. With 10 athletes competing for that top spot, it has been an epic showdown and one that will be remembered alongside others in the history of this event. For fans, it has been exhilarating. For competitors, it has been grueling. And for the sport of Strongman, it has been another testament to these athletes and what they do to compete and promote a sport they love.
With only half of the overall event completed – we are excited to see what Day 2 brings on Saturday, March 5th, 2022.
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