Tag: 2023 strongman classic
Pavlo Nakonechnyy Withdraws From 2023 Strongman Classic; Gavin Bilton Fills The Spot
The 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic will take place just one week from now, on July 8th, in London, England. So, it is the next big show of the season, with 12 of the world’s greatest Strongmen taking part. However, one exciting participant will not be making it to the competition, despite initially confirming his presence. The man in question is Pavlo Nakonechnyy, as the Ukrainian has announced that he is withdrawing from the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic. The news was revealed by the organizers of the competition on Instagram.
To understand the reason for Pavlo Nakonechnyy’s withdrawal, we have to go back to March of this year, when he competed at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. At this competition, Pavlo took part in a deadlift attempt and ended up injuring his knee.
Although it seemed to be something mild at first, this injury forced Pavlo Nakonechnyy to withdraw from the 2023 World’s and Europe’s Strongest Man competitions. Unfortunately, he has still not recovered properly, so he has to withdraw from the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic as well.
Related: 2022 Giants Live World Open & World Deadlift Championships Results — Pavlo Nakonechnyy Wins
Pavlo Nakonechnyy still remains in the lineups for the 2023 Giants Live World Open and 2023 Shaw Classic, both of which will take place in a few months. So, there is still hope that Pavlo can salvage his season, despite missing a lot of major competitions already.
Pavlo Nakonechnyy’s Replacement
From the day that Giants Live revealed the lineup for the 2023 Strongman Classic, they also had a reserve ready for something like this. The man they chose for this role was Gavin Bilton. So, he will now take part instead of Pavlo Nakonechnyy.
Also known as the Welsh Bull, Gavin Bilton is a humongous man, standing at 6’6” tall and weighing over 400 pounds. In addition, Gavin is currently in the best shape of his life so far, especially after winning his first International competition at the 2023 SCL Serbia.
Gavin Bilton was also announced as a replacement for Mateusz Kieliszkowski at the 2023 Shaw Classic. So, his schedule for this season has suddenly become very busy.
At this point in his career, Gavin Bilton has made 23 appearances in International and National competitions. He has won three competitions, but all of them came in the last two years. So, it is obvious that Gavin is just now reaching his peak shape.
Related: Gavin Bilton Victorious At 2021 UK’s Strongest Man, Lucy Underdown Sets New World Record
Although Pavlo Nakonechnyy has shared some impressive lifts on Instagram recently, including a 400-kilogram (880.8-pound) deadlift, he is obviously not ready to perform a full competition. Still, optimism remains that he can get back to his best by August, when the 2023 Shaw Classic is set to take place. On the other hand, Gavin Bilton will try to fill Pavlo’s shoes at the 2023 Strongman Classic and improve his status on the big scene.
Published: 30 June, 2023 | 5:07 PM EDT
2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events Revealed
The 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic is the next major Strongman competition, as it will take place on July 8th, 2023, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. The one day competition is set to be one of the most entertaining shows of the year as the competitors are preparing to battle in front of the sold out arena. It was already revealed that this year will feature the greatest roster of athletes so far, but now the five events for the competition have been announced on Giants Live’s Instagram.
The 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic will only last one day, so having to perform five events in a row will be brutal for the competitors. Nonetheless, one-day competitions are known to be the most exciting, as athletes do not approach the competition with too much calculation. Instead, they may go all out and give everything they have from the beginning to the end.
The Strongman Classic’s five events have now been revealed. Athletes can begin preparing to give it all they’ve got.
2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events
Nicol Stone Carry
Super Yoke
Axle Deadlift
Viking Press
Castle Stones
Related: Eddie Hall & Martins Licis Revealed as Captains for 2023 World’s Strongest Nation
Event One — Nicol Stone Carry
The 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic will open up with one of the most painstaking events in the sport, the Nicol Stone Carry. The athletes will be tasked with picking up and carrying two stones for the maximum distance possible. The heavier stone will weigh 138 kilograms (304 pounds), and the lighter stone will weigh 114 kilograms (251 pounds). So, the total will come out to 252 kilograms (555.5 pounds).
Kevin Faires is without a doubt the main favorite for this event, as he holds the World Record of 24 meters. However, Mitchell Hooper has also proved quite good in events similar to this one. So, surprises may happen.
Event Two — Super Yoke
Moving onto the second event, the athletes will find themselves under the Super Yoke, which will most likely weigh in excess of 400 kilograms (881 pounds). They will pick up the Super Yoke and once again carry it for distance. This will be especially hard after the Nicol Stone Carry, since both are based on endurance.
There is a plethora of quick athletes in the lineup, but the most notable ones are Mitchell Hooper, Oleksii Novikov, and Evan Singleton. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if someone else takes the win.
Event Three — Axle Deadlift
Marking the midway point of the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic will be the Axle Deadlift. Although the weight for the deadlift has not been specified, it is likely that Giants Live will load it with a certain weight and task the athletes with performing as many repetitions as possible.
This is another event where there is no clear favorite, as many of the participants are incredible deadlifters.
Event Four — Viking Press
The penultimate event will shift the focus on the upper body strength, as the Viking Press will task the athletes with completing as many reps of an overhead press on a custom built machine. The weight for this event has not been revealed.
There is one clear favorite for this event and it is the Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou. His shoulder strength is unparalleled, as he holds multiple World Records. The next greatest overhead presser in the lineup seems to be Luke Stoltman.
Atlas Stones
As is the case in the majority of Giants Live competitions, the Atlas Stones will be the final event of the 2023 Strongman Classic. It is arguably the most iconic Strongman event in history, featuring a series of progressively heavier stones which have to be lifted onto their platforms as quickly as possible.
Again, Tom Stoltman is the obvious favorite in this event, as it is difficult to imagine him not winning. The rest of the field, however, is similarly strong for this event, which makes it possible for any athlete to claim second place.
Related: Ronnie Coleman Reacts to Brian Shaw’s Most Insane Strongman Lifts: ‘Holy Sh*t’
2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Roster
Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
Luke Stoltman (Scotland)
Eddie Williams (Australia)
Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
Tom Stoltman (Scotland)
Evan Singleton (USA)
Rongo Keene (Australia)
Spenser Remick (USA)
Kevin Faires (USA)
Oleksii Novikov was the champion at the 2022 Strongman Classic, but he will have an extremely difficult task defending his title. He is now accompanied by two more WSM champions, Tom Stoltman and Mitchell Hooper, with a bunch of other pumped up Strongmen. The athletes now know what the events will be. So, it remains to be seen who prepares the best.
Published: 17 May, 2023 | 6:41 PM EDT