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The 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic will take place on July 9, 2022, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. On April 28, 2022, the Giants Live organization got ahead of the game and released the schedule of five events for the esteemed strongman competition. Here’s what this year’s one-day fixture will feature:
2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events
- Dumbbell Medley
- The Pillars of Hercules
- Farmer’s Carry for Distance
- Axle Deadlift
- Castle Stones
[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.
Featured image: @novikov_strong_wsm on Instagram