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Mitchell Hooper has taken the strongman world by storm by winning the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic UK, held between September 23-24, in Birmingham, England. Representing a Canadian legacy spanning hundreds of years through the likes of Louis Cyr, Tom Magee, and the recently retired J.F. Caron, Hooper has made the country proud by showcasing a dominant performance.
The Ukrainian phenom Oleksii Novikov secured second place, continuing his streak of podium finishes over the past few years. Meanwhile, the Estonian deadlift specialist, Rauno Heinla, finished in third place.
Mitchell Hooper's Jouney to Victory at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic
14 athletes went head-to-head in six events - the Super Yoke, Deadlift, Bag Over Bar, Dumbbell Press, Arnold Stone Carry and the Atlas Stones. The lineup, consisting of elite athletes such as Zydrunas Savickas, Oleksii Novikov and Rauno Heinla, wasn't a major challenge for the young, 27-year-old star hailing from Canada. Here are Hooper's results from the two-day competition.
Deadlift
The event kicked off with a brutal deadlift event for reps, loaded with 370 kilograms (815.8 pounds). Two athletes went against each other at one time, lifting as many clean reps as possible within 75 seconds.
Rauno Heinla cemented his position as the leading deadlifter among the current crop of strongmen by pulling 8 easy repetitions. Mitchell Hooper took the second spot with 6 reps, followed by Oleksii Novikov in third place.
Bag Over Bar
A crowd favorite, the bag over bar event required the athletes to throw five increasingly heavy bags over a 4-meter high bar for time. The five bags used here ranged from 20 to 28 kilograms (44 to 61.7 pounds) in weight.
Gavin "The Welsh Bull" Bilton won the event with a whopping time of 17.21 seconds. Mitchell Hooper and Novikov finished second and third, separated by a mere 0.20 seconds.
Arnold Stone Carry
Taking inspiration from the famed Dinnie stones based in Scotland, the Arnold Stone Carry is a true test of willpower, pain tolerance, and grip strength. Weighing 136 and 164 kilograms (300 and 361 pounds) each, the athletes had to carry these stones across 15 meters in the fastest time possible.
Mitchell Hooper was the only athlete to complete this grueling task, finishing the 15-meter course in 34 seconds. Fans were delighted to see strongman veteran Zydrunas Savickas secure second place, narrowly missing the complete run by less than a meter.
Super Yoke
Rightfully named the "Super Yoke", this massive yoke weighing 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) had to be moved down the 10-meter-long course as fast as possible.
Mitchell Hooper obliterated the competition, finishing the course in a jaw-dropping 5.70 seconds. He was followed by Oleksii Novikov and Paul Smith, who finished the course in 8.42 seconds and 11.09 seconds, respectively.
Dumbbell Press
A popular strongman event of old, the dumbell press involves athletes lifting a 100 kg (225 pound) dumbbell from the floor onto their shoulders and over their heads for a complete lockout.
Oleksii Novikov, who holds the world record for the Giant Dumbbell Press, managed to lift the weight 8 times, narrowly edging out Mitchell Hooper and Paul Smith, who both managed 7 reps. Age and multiple injuries are finally catching up to former Log Record holder Zydrunas Savickas-he could not complete a single rep. A moment of reckoning indeed, for fans who have witnessed Zydrunas dominate the strongman scene for over 20 years.
Atlas Stones
The Atlas Stones, as usual, were the final event at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic. Ranging from 120 to 200 kilograms (264 to 440 pounds), the stones had to be placed on separate platforms in the fastest time possible.
The event was won by Louis Jack, who managed to put up all five stones in 23.91 seconds. Despite being assured of victory based on points, Mitchell Hooper put up a spirited performance, lifting all five in 25.74 seconds.
The 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic - Final Standings
Mitchell Hooper edged out the favorite, Oleksii Novikov, over the course of two days. The results below were sourced from Strongman Archives.
- Mitchell Hooper — 79.5 points
- Oleksii Novikov — 71 points
- Rauno Heinla — 61.5 points
- Pa O’Dwyer — 55 points
- Gavin Bilton — 47 points
- Paul Smith — 44.5 points
- Konstantine Janashia — 43 points
- Kim Ujarak Lorentzen — 37 points
- Ryan Bennett — 36.5 points
- Louis Jack — 33.5 points
- Žydrūnas Savickas — 33.5 points
- Ervin Toots — 31.5 points
- Ben Williams — 27 points
- Zake Muluzi — 23.5 points
With this victory, Mitchell Hooper has placed himself among a pack of rising athletes in strongman, having showcased his static strength and agility. The world of strongmen will be looking forward to epic clashes with the likes of Tom Stoltman, Martins Licis, and Mateusz Kieliszkowski returning to competition in the coming months.
