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The 2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman will take place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2022, at the Dell Diamond Stadium in Greater Austin, Texas.
The Rogue Invitational, which made a successful debut last year, will return this year with a formidable lineup. An updated roster for the 2022 Rogue Invitational has been released by Rogue, and features 10 of the best strongman athletes in the sport:
- Martins Licis, the 2021 Rogue Invitational champion
- Mitchell Hooper
- Oleksii Novikov
- Rob Kearney
- Trey Mitchell
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy
- Maxime Boudreault
- Bobby Thompson
- Kevin Faires
- Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted
2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman—Event List
Rogue is renowned for building exceptional equipment and setting challenges that are a bit different to traditional strongman competitions. The 2022 Rogue Invitational will witness the strongman athletes go head-to-head in five tests of strength, agility, and fitness. Let us look at each of them.
1. Elevated Deadlift for Reps
Deadlifts are a staple of any strongman event. At the 2022 Rogue Invitational, the organizers have gone a step further by setting up a 20-inch elevation on the deadlift!
Bill Henniger, owner of Rogue Fitness, shared a sneak peek of the deadlift platform on his Instagram :
The weights are still being tested out on the new equipment, and are estimated to be somewhere between 90 and1000 lb (408–454 kg).
Oleksii Novikov, Martins Licis, Mitchell Hooper, and Paul Nakonechnyy are all accomplished deadlifters—and will be on the lookout for an event win.
2. Cyr Dumbbell
Named after legendary French-Canadian strongman Louis Cyr, the Cyr dumbbell is one of the most recognizable lifts in modern strongman competitions. These dumbbells are often so unwieldy that many respectable strongmen are unable to lift them off the floor, let alone lift them overhead.
Last year, the athletes had to clear five implements to clear the course. This year, the fifth dumbbell has been taken out. Instead, they will have to lift four dumbbells, and then do multiple repetitions on the last dumbbell.
Only Ukrainian phenom Oleksii Novikov managed to lift all five dumbbells last year. Famed for his overhead strength, Oleksii will be looking to take the top spot at this event.
3. Husafell Sandbag Carry for Distance
The Husafell Stone is a legendary lifting stone weighing 186 kg (410 lb) located in a farming estate in Husafell, Iceland. It has been used as a metric of strength for over 200 years, and has been used in many strongman competitions across the globe. The Rogue organizers have emulated the shape and size of the stone, and incorporated it into a sandbag.
The 2022 Rogue Invitational is not just looking for strength, but also for metabolic fitness and enduring stamina. The strongman will have to carry the 182.5 kg sandbag for the maximum distance.
The athletes are not allowed any drops either—meaning once the sandbag has been dropped, there is no second chance to pick it up.
4. Load into Arm over Arm
This event will replace the famous "Wheel of Pain" from last year. The new equipment looks absolutely epic, and will test the strongmen on their grip, stamina, and back and leg strength. Loading sandbags alone is a difficult and tiring task, but the arm over arm that follows will absolutely test the athletes' complete abilities.
Glimpses of this architectural marvel were shared on Instagram:
5. Timber Yoke Carry and Overhead Log Press Medley
A recurring event from last year, the athletes will have to carry a 455 kg (1,000 lb) yoke over a 50 ft course. They then have to lift a 163 kg (360 lb) log overhead for three reps, all within a two-and-a-half minute time limit.
The event will be a tricky one, and will require good planning and energy conservation strategies to efficiently clear both parts of the medley. With Mateusz Kieliszkowski having pulled out from the event, all eyes will be on Giants Live and Arnold Classic winner Mitchell Hooper.
6. Stones over Hitching Post
The 2022 Rogue Invitational will follow strongman tradition, ending the event with stones. Last year, the Inver stones were used. These oddly shaped stones had to be lifted over a 50 inch high log. There were five stones in all, weighing 275, 300, 365, 400, and 420 lb. Presumably, the same weights will be used again this year.
Last year, Martins Licis put on a spectacular performance on the stones, taking both the event win and the overall title.
The six events will test the athletes like never before. With the strongman world seeing an influx of spectacular athletes, the 2022 Rogue Invitational will be aiming to measure true strength of character.
Watch the highlights of the 2021 Rogue Invitational below:
