A headline event for a headline-worthy festival.
The 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) takes place this weekend in Columbus, OH. It is part of the Arnold Sports Festival (ASF), which runs from March 2 to March 5, 2023.
Friday, March. 3 onwards, strongperson fans can continue all the deadlift and stone throw action step by step. Here’s an overview of the 2023 ASC roster on the men’s side:
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Roster | Men
The 2023 Men’s ASC competition is in a rare position, awarded to the Who won’t happen Compete. Former 2019 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) and reigning ASC champion Martins Lysis will not participate in the latest iteration. Oleksii Novikov, the 2020 WSM champion and 2022 ASC runner-up, will also not compete. That means, in a loaded field, it can be almost non-stop to find a new winner.
Potential contenders include two-time reigning WSM Tom Stoltman. Although he has already established himself at the pinnacle of strongman, the 28-year-old Stoltman has never captured an ASC title.
Another athlete to watch could be Mitchell Hooper, a strong man on a hot streak. Hooper closed 2022 with six consecutive podium finishes, including wins at both the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals and the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK, and began 2023 with a win at Australia’s Strongest International. If anyone is likely to add another title to their resume, it might be the Canadian dynamo.
Finally, the dark horse could be Poland’s Matesz Kielski. After apparent discomfort in his leg, Kielski withdrew from the 2022 WSM. According to this Strongman Archives, he has not appeared in a Strongman competition since the 2021 Rogue Invitational. However, if healthy, Kielski’s performance ceiling remains high. The former five-time Poland’s Strongest Man (PSM) champion (2015-2019) achieved two runner-up results at the 2018-2019 WSM. After roughly a year and a half away from competition, Kielski could be champing at the bit to shine at the 2023 ASC.
The other side of the 2023 ASC coin includes women. As for the men, there is no shortage of household names to compete with. Here’s a look at the 2023 ASC roster for women:
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Roster | Women
- Tamara Walcott (United States)
- Andrea Thompson (United Kingdom)
- Olga Liashchuk (Ukraine)
- Inez Carrasquillo (United States)
- Melissa Peacock (Canada)
- Hannah Linzey (United States)
- Rebecca Roberts (United Kingdom)
- Victoria Long (United States)
- Samantha Belliveau (Canada)
- Donna Moore (United Kingdom)
The field includes four World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) championship-level competitors: Olga Liashchuk (2022), Rebecca Roberts (2021), Andrea Thompson (2018), and Donna Moore (2016–2017, 2019). Any one of these elite strongwomen could be the person standing on the podium by the end of the competition.
It is one of the biggest competitions in strength sports and the stars are gathering. Chances are, ASC will provide more than a few shooting stars to watch.
Featured Image: @arnoldsports on Instagram
