# 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic

The 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic was a strongman contest that took place in Columbus, Ohio from 4–5 March 2022 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The Arnold Strongman Classic is seen as one of the biggest and most prestigious strongmen events on the circuit. This year marked the return of the competition after the 2021 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martins Licis won the competition for the first time, becoming only the fourth man to win the Arnold Strongman Classic and the World's Strongest Man competitions after Zydrunas Savickas, Brian Shaw and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, with Oleksii Novikov finishing in second place, and Bobby Thompson and Luke Stoltman finishing joint third place.

## Qualifying

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing any qualifying event from the Arnold Strongman Tour in 2020 and 2021, this edition had an invitational system where athletes were invited based on past achievements in the sport. Athletes that qualified and their method for qualification are as follows:
| Name | Nationality | Method of Qualification |
| Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 2021 Magnús Ver Magnússon Strongman Classic Champion |
| JF Caron | Canada | 3rd Place, 2021 Shaw Classic; 3rd Place, 2020 World's Strongest Man; 2018 & 2019 Canada's Strongest Man |
| Rob Kearney | United States | 6th Place, 2021 Rogue Invitational; 2019 Arnold Strongman Australia Champion |
| Mateusz Kieliszkowski (withdrew) | Poland | 4th Place, 2021 Rogue Invitational; 2nd Place, 2018 & 2019 World's Strongest Man |
| Martins Licis | United States | 2021 Rogue Invitational Champion; 2019 World's Strongest Man; 3rd Place, 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic; 2nd Place, 2019 Arnold Strongman Classic |
| Evgeny Markov | Russia | 2020 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Champion |
| Trey Mitchell | United States | 2021 Shaw Classic Champion; 4th Place, 2021 World's Strongest Man |
| Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 2020 World's Strongest Man; 3rd Place, 2021 Rogue Invitational |
| Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 2021 Europe's Strongest Man |
| Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 2021 World's Strongest Man; 2nd Place, 2021 Rogue Invitational |
| Bobby Thompson (Reserve) | United States | 2019 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Champion |

## Event results
### Event 1: Double T Squat

* Notes: 3 lifts per athlete, weights to be submitted before each round.
* Special Note: Double T stands for Terry Todd, whom the event is named in honour of.
| # | Name | Nationality | Weight Lifted | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | JF Caron | Canada | 438 kilograms (966 lb) | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | Rob Kearney | United States | 436 kilograms (961 lb) | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | Martins Licis | United States | 433.5 kilograms (956 lb) | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 429 kilograms (946 lb) | 7 | 7 |
| 5 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 411 kilograms (906 lb) | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 390.5 kilograms (861 lb) | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 6 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 390.5 kilograms (861 lb) | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 8 | Trey Mitchell | United States | 388.5 kilograms (856 lb) | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | Evgeny Markov | Russia | 372.5 kilograms (821 lb) | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 370 kilograms (816 lb) | 1 | 1 |

### Event 2: Monster Dumbell Press

* Weight: 125 kilograms (276 lb) for max repetitions.
* Time Limit: 90 seconds
| # | Name | Nationality | Repetitions | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 7 | 10 | 16 |
| 2 | Rob Kearney | United States | 4 | 9 | 18 |
| 3 | Martins Licis | United States | 3 | 7 | 15 |
| 3 | Evgeny Markov | Russia | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| 3 | Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 3 | 7 | 8 |
| 6 | Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 1 | 5 | 9.5 |
| 7 | JF Caron | Canada | 0 | 2.5 | 12.5 |
| 7 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 0 | 2.5 | 9.5 |
| 7 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 0 | 2.5 | 7 |
| 7 | Trey Mitchell | United States | 0 | 2.5 | 5.5 |

### Event 3: Austrian Oak

* Notes: 3 lifts per athlete, weights to be submitted before each round.
| # | Name | Nationality | Weight Lifted | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 213 kilograms (470 lb) | 10 | 18 |
| 2 | Trey Mitchell | United States | 208.5 kilograms (460 lb) | 9 | 14.5 |
| 3 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 204 kilograms (450 lb) | 8 | 17.5 |
| 4 | Martins Licis | United States | 199.5 kilograms (440 lb) | 7 | 22 |
| 5 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 190.5 kilograms (420 lb) | 4.5 | 20.5 |
| 5 | Rob Kearney | United States | 190.5 kilograms (420 lb) | 4.5 | 22.5 |
| 5 | Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 190.5 kilograms (420 lb) | 4.5 | 14 |
| 5 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 190.5 kilograms (420 lb) | 4.5 | 11.5 |
| 9 | Evgeny Markov | Russia | 181.5 kilograms (400 lb) | 1.5 | 10.5 |
| 9 | JF Caron | Canada | 181.5 kilograms (400 lb) | 1.5 | 14 |
* ↑ JF Caron sustained an injury in this event and took no further part in the competition.

### Event 4: Timber Carry

* Weight: 400 kilograms (880 lb)
* Course Length: 10.7 metres (35 ft) ramp
* Time Limit: 30 seconds
* Notes: No straps are allowed. Fastest time wins, then distance.
| # | Name | Nationality | Time | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 8.41 sec | 10 | 24 |
| 2 | Martins Licis | United States | 10.03 sec | 9 | 31 |
| 3 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 9.40 metres (30.8 ft) | 8 | 28.5 |
| 4 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 7.98 metres (26.2 ft) | 7 | 18.5 |
| 5 | Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 6.53 metres (21.4 ft) | 6 | 24 |
| 6 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 5.77 metres (18.9 ft) | 5 | 22.5 |
| 7 | Evgeny Markov | Russia | 4.29 metres (14.1 ft) | 4 | 14.5 |
| 8 | Rob Kearney | United States | 2.62 metres (8 ft 7 in) | 3 | 25.5 |
| 9 | Trey Mitchell | United States | 0.03 metres (1.2 in) | 2 | 16.5 |

### Event 5: Stone to Shoulder

* Weight: 186 kilograms (410 lb) for max repetitions.
* Time Limit: 2 minutes 30 seconds.
* Notes: Athletes were awarded points for getting the stone to their lap or torso but not completing the full repetition.
| # | Name | Nationality | Repetitions | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Martins Licis | United States | 2 | 10 | 41 |
| 2 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 1 (1 torso) | 9 | 37.5 |
| 3 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 1 | 8 | 30.5 |
| 4 | Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 0 (2 torso) | 6.5 | 30.5 |
| 4 | Evgeny Markov | Russia | 0 (2 torso) | 6.5 | 21 |
| 6 | Trey Mitchell | United States | 0 (1 torso) | 5 | 21.5 |
| 7 | Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| 7 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 0 | 3 | 21.5 |
| 7 | Rob Kearney | United States | 0 | 3 | 28.5 |

## Final standings

| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Martins Licis | United States | 41 |
| 2 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 37.5 |
| 3 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 30.5 |
| 3 | Luke Stoltman | United Kingdom | 30.5 |
| 5 | Rob Kearney | United States | 28.5 |
| 6 | Maxime Boudreault | Canada | 27 |
| 7 | Trey Mitchell | United States | 21.5 |
| 7 | Tom Stoltman | United Kingdom | 21.5 |
| 9 | Evgeny Markov | Russia | 21 |
| 10 | JF Caron | Canada | 14 |