# 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic

The 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic was a strongman contest that took place in Columbus, Ohio, from March 6–7, 2020 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.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's competition was closed to general spectators with the crowd consisting of the athletes' family or team members.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson won the competition for the third time, becoming only the second man to win the competition three consecutive times after Žydrūnas Savickas. Mateusz Kieliszkowski finished a close 2nd, while Martins Licis secured the 3rd place.

## Qualifying

To qualify for the Arnold Strongman Classic, athletes have to either win a sanctioned event on the Arnold Classic Tour or gain enough points to be invited through a wildcard system. Athletes that qualified and their method for qualification are as follows:
| Name | Nationality | Method of Qualification |
| Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 2019 Arnold Strongman Classic Champion |
| Rob Kearney | United States | 2019 Arnold Classic Australia Champion |
| Bobby Thompson | United States | 2019 Arnold Amateur World Champion |
| Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 2019 Arnold Classic South America Champion |
| Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 2019 Arnold Classic Africa Runner-up |
| JF Caron | Canada | 2019 Arnold Pro Strongman Forts Warwick Champion |
| Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 2019 Arnold Pro Strongman Europe Fourth-Place Finisher |
| Martins Licis | United States | 2020 Arnold Pro Strongman USA Champion |
| Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | First Place, Season Qualifying Points |
| Jerry Pritchett | United States | Second Place, Season Qualifying Points |

## Event Results
### Event 1: Trial by Stone

* Weight: 1 x 124.75 kilograms (275.0 lb) stone overhead press, 1 x 136 kilograms (300 lb) stone overhead press, 1 x 165.5 kilograms (365 lb) natural stone load, 1 x 181.5 kilograms (400 lb) natural stone load, 1 x 186 kilograms (410 lb) Husafell Stone carry.
* Time Limit: 60 seconds per stone.
* Course Length: 15.25 metres (50.0 ft)
* Notes: Stones must be attempted in ascending order. Each stone apparatus is worth a differing number of points. The order of the event will be determined by number of points, then time.
| # | Name | Nationality | Points | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 10 in 0m 53.72 | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 10 in 0m 55.47 | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | Rob Kearney | United States | 10 in 2m 11.00 | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | JF Caron | Canada | 10 in 2m 19.00 | 7 | 7 |
| 5 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 7 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 6 | Martins Licis | United States | 7 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 8 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 9 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 |

### Event 2: Bag Over Bar

* Weight: 25–50 kilograms (55–110 lb) going up in 2.25 kilograms (5.0 lb) increments.
* Bar Height: 4.5 metres (15 ft)
* Time Limit: 30 seconds per throw
* Notes: All athletes start at 25 kilograms (55 lb). Athletes are allowed to skip weights.
| # | Name | Nationality | Weight Thrown | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 90 lb (41 kg) | 10 | 19 |
| 2 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 85 lb (38 kg) | 9 | 10.5 |
| 3 | JF Caron | Canada | 75 lb (34 kg) | 7.5 | 14.5 |
| 3 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 75 lb (34 kg) | 7.5 | 17.5 |
| 5 | Martins Licis | United States | 70 lb (32 kg) | 6 | 10.5 |
| 6 | Rob Kearney | United States | 55 lb (25 kg) | 3.5 | 11.5 |
| 6 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 55 lb (25 kg) | 3.5 | 9.5 |
| 6 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 55 lb (25 kg) | 3.5 | 6.5 |
| 6 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 55 lb (25 kg) | 3.5 | 8 |
| 10 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | N/A | 1 | 2.5 |

### Event 3: Wheel of Pain

* Weight: 9,072 kilograms (20,000 lb) for max distance.
* Time Limit: 60 seconds.
* Notes: Athletes are only to push using their hands and shoulders. Neck usage is not allowed.
| # | Name | Nationality | Distance | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 34.1 m (112 ft 0 in) | 10 | 27.5 |
| 2 | Martins Licis | United States | 31.1 m (102 ft 0 in) | 9 | 19.5 |
| 3 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 31.0 m (101 ft 4 in) | 8 | 27 |
| 4 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 27.7 m (90 ft 9 in) | 7 | 16.5 |
| 5 | Rob Kearney | United States | 24.0 m (78 ft 8 in) | 6 | 17.5 |
| 6 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 23.6 m (77 ft 3 in) | 5 | 7.5 |
| 7 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 22.0 m (72 ft 3 in) | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 21.4 m (70 ft 2 in) | 3 | 9.5 |
| 9 | JF Caron | Canada | 19.3 m (63 ft 3 in) | 2 | 16.5 |
| 10 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 14.6 m (47 ft 10 in) | 1 | 11.5 |

### Event 4: Elephant Bar Deadlift

* Time Limit: 60 seconds per lift
* Notes: 3 lifts per athlete. Figure-8 straps and deadlift suit are not allowed.
| # | Name | Nationality | Weight Lifted | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 465.5 kg (1,026 lb) | 10 | 37 |
| 2 | JF Caron | Canada | 433.5 kg (956 lb) | 9 | 25.5 |
| 3 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 427 kg (941 lb) | 8 | 19.5 |
| 4 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 420 kg (926 lb) | 7 | 16.5 |
| 5 | Rob Kearney | United States | 418 kg (921 lb) | 6 | 23.5 |
| 6 | Martins Licis | United States | 411 kg (906 lb) | 4.5 | 24 |
| 6 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 411 kg (906 lb) | 4.5 | 16.5 |
| 8 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 402 kg (886 lb) | 3 | 30.5 |
| 9 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 372.5 kg (821 lb) | 2 | 18.5 |
| 10 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | N/A | 1 | 8.5 |

### Event 5: Frame 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 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 7.00 sec | 10 | 40.5 |
| 2 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 10.31 sec | 9 | 25.5 |
| 3 | Martins Licis | United States | 17.37 sec | 8 | 32 |
| 4 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 9.76 m (32 ft 0 in) | 7 | 44 |
| 5 | JF Caron | Canada | 8.07 m (26 ft 6 in) | 6 | 31.5 |
| 6 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 5.87 m (19 ft 3 in) | 5 | 24.5 |
| 7 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 4.21 m (13 ft 10 in) | 4 | 22.5 |
| 8 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 3.18 m (10 ft 5 in) | 3 | 19.5 |
| 9 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in) | 2 | 10.5 |
| 10 | Rob Kearney | United States | 0.00 m (0 ft 0 in) | 1 | 24.5 |

### Event 6: Strategic Cyr Dumbbell Challenge

* Weight: 124–150 kilograms (274–330 lb)
* Time Limit: 90 seconds
| # | Name | Nationality | Final Weight | Event Pts | Overall Pts |
| 1 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 145 kg (320 lb) | 10 | 50.5 |
| 2 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 136 kg (300 lb) | 8.5 | 52.5 |
| 2 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 136 kg (300 lb) | 8.5 | 31 |
| 4 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 127 kg (280 lb) | 7 | 17.5 |
| 5 | Martins Licis | United States | 124 kg (274 lb) | 4.5 | 36.5 |
| 5 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 124 kg (274 lb) | 4.5 | 29 |
| 5 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 124 kg (274 lb) | 4.5 | 24 |
| 5 | Rob Kearney | United States | 124 kg (274 lb) | 4.5 | 29 |
| 9 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | N/A | 1.5 | 27 |
| 9 | JF Caron | Canada | N/A | 1.5 | 33 |
* ↑ Mateusz Kieliszkowski's lift of 145 kg (320 lb) is a new record for Cyr dumbbell press for max weight.

## Final standings

| # | Name | Nationality | Pts |
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland | 52.5 |
| 2 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Poland | 50.5 |
| 3 | Martins Licis | United States | 36.5 |
| 4 | JF Caron | Canada | 33 |
| 5 | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine | 31 |
| 6 | Mikhail Shivlyakov | Russia | 29 |
| 7 | Rob Kearney | United States | 29 |
| 8 | Jerry Pritchett | United States | 27 |
| 9 | Bobby Thompson | United States | 24 |
| 10 | Matjaz Belsak | Slovenia | 17.5 |