# 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic

The 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic was a strongman contest that took place in Ohio, Columbus from 2–3 March 2018 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The Arnold Strongman Classic is the finale of the Arnold Strongman Tour and is seen as one of the biggest and most prestigious strongmen events on the circuit.
After continuous progression in the competition, coming 10th in 2012, 8th in 2013, 5th in 2014, 7th in 2015, 5th in 2016, and finally 2nd in 2017, Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson won his first Arnold Strongman Classic after defeating the winner from 2017, the American Brian Shaw, who came 2nd. Russia's Mikhail Shivlyakov secured 3rd place.

## Qualifying

To qualify for the Arnold Strongman Classic, athletes have to either win a sanctioned event on the Arnold Classic Tour (for example: Arnold Europe, Arnold Australia, Arnold Africa, and Arnold South America) or gain enough points to be invited through a wildcard system. Athletes that qualified (in alphabetical order/ surname) are as follows:
Matjaz Belsak (Slovenia), Hafthor Björnsson (Iceland), Jean-Francois Caron (Canada), Rauno Heinla (Estonia), Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland), Mateusz Ostazsewski (Poland), Jerry Pritchett (USA), Dimitar Savatinov (Bulgaria), Brian Shaw (USA) and Mikhael Shivlyakov (Russia). Reserve: Vytautas Lalas (Lithuania)

## Final results
### Event 1: Bag over bar

Contestants have to throw heavy sandbags from 'a duck walk to an overhead position' over a high bar.
* Weight: Starting weight was 50 pounds (23 kg).
* Bar height: 15 feet (4.57 m).
* Notes: 3 lifts per athlete and the heaviest weight for the win.
| # | Name | Nationality | Final Weight | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 95 lb (43 kg) | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | Brian Shaw | United States | 90 lb (41 kg) | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 80 lb (36 kg) | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | JF Caron | Canada | 75 lb (34 kg) | 7 | 7 |
| 5 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 70 lb (32 kg) | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 70 lb (32 kg) | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 7 | Rauno Heinla | Estonia | 65 lb (29 kg) | 4 | 4 |
| 8 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 60 lb (27 kg) | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | Dimitar Savatinov | Bulgaria | 55 lb (25 kg) | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 9 | Mateusz Ostaszewski | Poland | 55 lb (25 kg) | 1.5 | 1.5 |

### Event 2: Stone Shoulder

Contestants have to hoist the legendary Odd Haugen's Tombstone to their shoulder for many reps as possible.
* Weight: 190 kilograms (420 lb) Odd Haugen Tombstone.
* Time Limit: 2 Minutes & 30 seconds
* Notes: Highest number of reps for the win.
| # | Name | Nationality | Points | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 20 | 10 | 15.5 |
| 2 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 9 | 9 | 17 |
| 3 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 6 | 8 | 18 |
| 4 | Brian Shaw | United States | 4 | 6.5 | 15.5 |
| 4 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 4 | 6.5 | 12 |
| 6 | JF Caron | Canada | 3 | 4.5 | 11.5 |
| 6 | Rauno Heinla | Estonia | 3 | 4.5 | 8.5 |
| 8 | Dimitar Savatinov | Bulgaria | 2 | 3 | 4.5 |
| 9 | Mateusz Ostaszewski | Poland | 1 | 1.5 | 3 |
| 9 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 1 | 1.5 | 4.5 |

### Event 3: Timber Carry

Also known as the Frame Carry, contestants have to lift heavy barn timbers bolted together and travel up an inclined ramp.
* Weight: 900 pounds (410 kg) along a 35' inclined ramp for the fastest time to finish or else greatest distance.
* Time Limit: 30 seconds.
* Notes: Raw/ no straps allowed. Timber may be dropped and picked up.
| # | Name | Nationality | Time or Distance | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 9.58 secs | 10 | 14.5 |
| 2 | Brian Shaw | United States | 10.03 secs | 9 | 24.5 |
| 3 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 11.80 secs | 8 | 26 |
| 4 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 33' 2" | 7 | 22.5 |
| 5 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 24' 5" | 6 | 23 |
| 6 | JF Caron | Canada | 18' 10" | 5 | 16.5 |
| 7 | Dimitar Savatinov | Bulgaria | 15' 6" | 4 | 8.5 |
| 8 | Mateusz Ostaszewski | Poland | 14' 6" | 3 | 6 |
| 9 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 13' 7" | 2 | 14 |
| 10 | Rauno Heinla | Estonia | 1' 2" | 1 | 9.5 |
* ↑ Jerry Pritchett's time of 9.58 secs was a new strongman record.

### Event 4: Elephant Bar Deadlift

Contestants are required to lift a specially designed extra whipping long bar with Arnold Schwarzenegger inscribed weight plates from a standard 9" height. The apparatus was designed and manufactured by Rogue Fitness.
* Weight: Starting weight was 340 kilograms (750 lb).
* Time Limit: 60 seconds per lift
* Notes: 3 lifts per athlete, weights to be submitted before each round. Heaviest lift wins.
| # | Name | Nationality | Final Weight | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 472 kg (1,041 lb) | 10 | 36 |
| 2 | JF Caron | Canada | 463 kg (1,021 lb) | 9 | 25.5 |
| 3 | Brian Shaw | United States | 460 kg (1,014 lb) | 8 | 32.5 |
| 4 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 444 kg (979 lb) | 7 | 21.5 |
| 5 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 426 kg (939 lb) | 6 | 29 |
| 6 | Rauno Heinla | Estonia | 424 kg (935 lb) | 5 | 14.5 |
| 7 | Dimitar Savatinov | Bulgaria | 422 kg (931 lb) | 4 | 12.5 |
| 8 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 401 kg (884 lb) | 3 | 17 |
| 9 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 370 kg (816 lb) | 2 | 24.5 |
| 10 | Mateusz Ostaszewski | Poland | DNF | 1 | 7 |
* ↑ Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson's lift of 472 kilograms (1,041 lb) was a new world record for the elephant bar deadlift.
This is also the only instance in the history of the event (2016 - 2023), that 3 athletes pulled more than 1,000 lbs.

### Event 5: Apollon's Wheels

A unique barbell made famous by the traditional strongman Louis 'Apollon' Uni, reproduced by Ivanko Barbell Company, the Axle is a replica of the original with the same bar thickness.
* Weight: 181.5 kilograms (400 lb) For max repetitions.
* Time Limit: 2 Minutes.
* Notes: Reps must begin with wheels on the platform. Highest number of points win.
| # | Name | Nationality | Repetitions | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 4 reps | 10 | 46 |
| 2 | Brian Shaw | United States | 3 reps + 1 clean | 9 | 41.5 |
| 3 | Rauno Heinla | Estonia | 2 reps + 1 clean | 8 | 22.5 |
| 4 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 1 rep + 1 clean | 7 | 24 |
| 5 | Dimitar Savatinov | Bulgaria | 1 rep | 6 | 18.5 |
| 6 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 0 reps + 2 cleans | 4.5 | 29 |
| 6 | Mateusz Ostaszewski | Poland | 0 reps + 2 cleans | 4.5 | 11.5 |
| 8 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 0 reps + 1 clean | 2.5 | 24 |
| 8 | JF Caron | Canada | 0 reps + 1 clean | 2.5 | 28 |
| 10 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | No lift | 1 | 30 |

## Final standings

| # | Name | Nationality | Points | Prize money |
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 46 | $72,000 |
| 2 | Brian Shaw | United States | 41.5 | $22,000 |
| 3 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 30 | $17,000 |
| 4 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 29 | $12,000 |
| 5 | JF Caron | Canada | 28 | $10,000 |
| 6 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 24 | $6,500 |
| 6 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 24 | $6,500 |
| 8 | Rauno Heinla | Estonia | 22.5 | $4,000 |
| 9 | Dimitar Savatinov | Bulgaria | 18.5 | $3,000 |
| 10 | Mateusz Ostaszewski | Poland | 11.5 | $2,000 |