Stoltmann looks like a champ on a mission.
The 2023 strongman season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for Tom Stoltman. Not only did the former two-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion (2021-2022) lose to Mitchell Hooper in a legendary “three-peat,” he also came in sixth during the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) and was runner-up in the 2023 Live-Strongman Class in the half-GGLC class. . Now officially over a year without a professional strongman win, Stoltmann’s victory drought is the longest of his career, which he initially broke with the 2021 WSM title, per Strongman Archives.
On July 20, 2023, Stoltman shared a glimpse of how he’s preparing to break out of his recent competitive streak. The athlete posted an Instagram clip There he completed an 800-kilogram (1,763.7-pound) leg press.. An eye-opening feat of strength was all the more impressive considering Stoltman Attached resistance bands to his machine and incorporated breaks between reps for extra challenge. The lower body training session is part of Stoltman’s wholesale preparation for the 2023 Shaw Classic (SC), which will take place August 19-20, 2023 in Loveland, CO.
The car leg press is one of the most eye-catching events of the 2023 SC, which Stoltman linked to his preparation for in the clip. In the 2022 edition, competitors were tasked with performing maximum reps with a 907-kilogram (2,000-pound) car loaded on a custom-built leg press, and the winning performance was 8 repetitions.
Based on his Instagram profile, Stoltmann doesn’t usually make a regular practice of showing off his make-up looks before competitions. In fact, most of Stoltman’s posts include competition highlights, photos and collaborations with his older brother Luke, a fellow professional strongman. As Stoltmann explains what’s going on behind the scenes, the athlete is seemingly going off script and showing that he can mean business at the 2023 SC.
This matches Stoltmann’s reflective stance following the conclusion of the 2023 WSM, where he came 4.5 points short of another historic title. Afterwards, Strongman explained that he “gave it all he had” and was “proud” of his performance, but it wasn’t enough for the win in the end.
The 2023 SC will be Stoltman’s debut in the growing competition hosted by four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw. If Stoltmann wins his debut, he will not only topple other notable contenders such as Hooper, 2020 WSM winner Oleksiy Novikov and two-time defending SC champion Trey Mitchell, but he will also earn the title of “Strongest Man on Earth.”
That’s quite a way for Stoltman to rebound after a “slow” first half of 2023.
Here is an overview of the complete roster for the 2023 SC:
2023 Shaw Classic Roster
- Trey Mitchell (United States) – two-time champion
- Brian Shaw (United States) — 2022 runner-up
- Michelle Hooper (Canada) – 2022 third place
- Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
- Bobby Thompson (United States)
- Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
- Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
- Pavlo Nakonechny (Ukraine)
- Thomas Evans (United States)
- Maxime Boudreault (Canada)
- Kevin Fares (United States)
- Ivers schmouxtelis (Latvia)
- Evan Singleton (United States)
- * Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom) | *Replaces Matesz Kielski
Here is a summary of SC’s events for 2023:
2023 Shaw Classic Events
- Log medley
- Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
- Wheelbarrow and arm-over-arm medley
- Bag toss
- Car leg press
- Atlas Stones
- Standing bench press
- Fingal’s Fingers and Power Stairs Medley
Stoltman is one of four current or former WSM champions vying for the 2023 SC title, including Shaw, Hooper and Novikov.
The year 2023 may not have gone the way Stoltman originally envisioned, but it’s not too late to save it and make it memorable. This strongman superstar isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and this leg press can be a testament to the incredible strength he’ll display at the 2023 SC.
Featured Image: @tomstoltmanofficial on Instagram
