The Arnold Strongman Classic is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, determining who is the Strongest Man in the World. Created by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer and Terry Todd, it is an offshoot of the Arnold Sports Festival which takes place annually in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Widely regarded as the heaviest and the most difficult strongman competition in the world the Arnold Strongman Classic has been won only by 9 men in history. Among them, the Lithuanian Žydrūnas Savickas has won it 8 times, while the Icelander Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and American Brian Shaw have won it 3 times each. Two of the past champions, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and the American Mark Henry, have been inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.
The Arnold Strongman (which has been variously referred to as the "Arnold Classic", the "Arnold Classic Strongman", "Arnold's Summit" and "Arnold's Strongest Man") is one of the many offshoots of the Arnold festival. The Arnold Sports Festival, founded in 1989 as the Arnold Classic and named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, was originally a bodybuilding contest. It featured a competition for men (Arnold Classic) and women (Ms. International). The bodybuilding contests have since expanded to include a Fitness International and Figure International competition for women. However, the event had also expanded to include other sports and events, one of which was strongman, introduced in late 2002. This Strongman event was created by a powerlifter named Dr. Terry Todd at the request of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The expansion of the programme led to the Classic becoming the Arnold Fitness Weekend and now the Arnold Sports Festival. According to the Arnold Sports Festival co-producer, Jim Lorimer: "The Arnold Strongman Classic has been growing in popularity every year, and we are very excited that many strong men are returning." January 29, 2008.
In the inaugural 2002 competition, the American professional wrestler and former weight lifter Mark Henry emerged victorious over Norway's Svend Karlsen. In addition to competing in what were the four official events — the Apollon's Wheel, the deadlift, the Hummer push and the 800+lbs Farmer's Walk — the competitors were given the opportunity to attempt to lift the Thomas Inch "unliftable" dumbbell or Inch Bell. A prize of $1000 was awarded to the man who could pull it the highest in the air. Five men chose to try the Bell with Mark Henry winning the $1000 by pulling it to the level of his chest. Pfister raised the Inch Bell over his head with his right hand, to a standing ovation, but his lift was disqualified because he briefly stabilized the dumbbell with his left hand when it was on his knee and because he used a "continental clean" when raising the dumbbell to his chest. Pfister was however also awarded $1000.
From 2003 to 2008, the Arnold Strongman was won every year by Žydrūnas Savickas of Lithuania (see Full results below). In 2008, he received a $40,000 check from Gerard Dente of MHP, an Audemars Piguet watch by Robert Ronan and the Louis Cyr trophy (after the legendary strongman, Louis Cyr) and congratulations from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the competition, 12 world records were set with Savickas setting three of them. In the Tire Deadlift, he lifted 1,027 lbs. In the Circus Dumbbell, he tied with Derek Poundstone for the world record with nine lifts each, and in the Manhood Stones, he lifted 525 lbs, three times. Second places were shared primarily between Svend Karlsen and Vasyl Virastyuk while Raimonds Bergmanis, Glenn Ross, Andrus Murumets and Mikhail Koklyaev shared the third places.
American Derek Poundstone won in 2009 and 2010. Poundstone took the vacant throne from Savickas when he took 2009 off from the competition. When Savickas returned in 2010, Poundstone retained his title by defeating Zydrunas. Just days before the 2011 contest, 2-time defending champion Derek Poundstone was forced to withdraw from the contest due to injury. Fellow American Brian Shaw came in and won the contest, and Mike Jenkins, the winner of the 2012 Arnold Strongman amateur event who was competing in his first-ever professional strongman competition, shocked many and finished in second place ahead of 6 time-champion Savickas who came in third.
Mike Jenkins went on to win the title in 2012 ahead of Poundstone by 1 point and Savickas dropping to third. Lithuania's Vytautas Lalas won the competition in 2013 ahead of Brian Shaw by 0.5 point and Russia's Mikhail Koklyaev emerged third. From 2014 to 2017 the competition was won by either Savickas or Shaw with two wins each after very close battles, bringing their winning tallies to 8 and 3 respectively. Podium places in these years were secured by Mike Burke, Mateusz Kieliszkowski, Vytautas Lalas and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
From 2018 onward, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson secured three consecutive victories, earning the title in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Björnsson set new World Records in the Bag over bar, 500 kg Timber carry, Húsafell Stone carry, and twice broke the Elephant Bar Deadlift World Record with 472 kg (1,041 lb) in 2018 and 474.5 kg (1,046 lb) in 2019. Poland's Mateusz Kieliszkowski established world records in Odd Haugen's 'Tombstone' Stone-to-Shoulder event and Cyr Dumbbell while American Martins Licis set a world record in the Wheel of Pain event.
In 2021, the competition was not held due to COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the 3-time defending champion Björnsson had previously retired from Strongman. Martins Licis won the competition ahead of Ukraine's Oleksii Novikov who emerged in 2nd.
In 2023, Mitchell Hooper, still in his rookie year competing in strongman, won the competition, ahead of Kieliszkowski in 2nd place and American Bobby Thompson in 3rd.
Dates: 22, 23 February 2002
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 28 February, 1 March 2003
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 5, 6 March 2004
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 4, 5 March 2005
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 3, 4 March 2006
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 2–4 March 2007
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 29 February, 1 March 2008
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 6, 7 March 2009
Columbus, Ohio:
Dates: 5, 6 March 2010
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 4, 5 March 2011
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 2, 3 March 2012
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 1, 2 March 2013
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 1, 2 March 2014
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 7, 8 March 2015
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 4, 5 March 2016
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 3, 4 March 2017
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 2, 3 March 2018
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 1, 2 March 2019
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 6, 7 March 2020
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Strongman Arena)
Dates: 4, 5 March 2022
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Strongman Arena)
Dates: 3, 4 March 2023
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Strongman Arena)
Dates: 1, 2 March 2024
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Strongman Arena)
In 2012, the inaugural "Arnold Strongman Classic-Europe" contest was formed and is a joint promotion between Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer (Arnold Sports Festival co-promoter), Dr. Rafael Santonja (president of the International Federation of Body Building, "IFBB") as well as American Strongman Corporation and Strongman Champions League.
The "Arnold Strongman Classic-Europe" contest will differ significantly from the format of the original Arnold Strongman Classic event, with less of an emphasis on brute strength and heavy events, and will include a wider variety of events and some speed/loading events similar to Strongman Champions League and World's Strongest Man contests. The format change is due largely in part to the event being broadcast and televised in 85 countries.
The 2012 contest was held in Madrid, Spain on Oct. 13 & 14, 2012, the event was sponsored by MHP. The contest is included as part of the 2012 Strongman Champions League season, and competitors earned points towards the annual SCL overall title. The inaugural contest was won by 6-time Arnold Strongman champion and reigning World's Strongest Man Zydrunas Savickas of Lithuania, who was also the 2012 SCL overall champion.
Dates: October 13–14, 2012
Madrid, Spain
Date: September 24, 2016
Barcelona, Spain
Date: September 23, 2017
Barcelona, Spain
Dates: March 16–17, 2018
Barcelona, Spain
Date: September 21, 2019
Barcelona, Spain
In 2015, the inaugural "Arnold Strongman Classic Australia" contest was formed, and is a joint promotion between Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer (Arnold Sports Festival co-promoter), Dr. Rafael Santonja (president of the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness, "IFBB") as well as Australian Strongman Corporation and Strongman Champions League.
Dates: March 13–14, 2015
Melbourne, Australia
Dates: March 18–19, 2016
Melbourne, Australia
Date: March 18, 2017
Melbourne, Australia
Dates: March 16–17, 2018
Melbourne, Australia
Dates: March 15–16, 2019
Melbourne, Australia
In 2010, the Arnold Amateur contest was formed by Dione Wessels. The contest is open to amateur strongman competitors from all over the world. The winner of the contest receives their pro card, and an invite to the next year's Arnold Strongman Classic event. Mike Jenkins won the inaugural contest in 2010,Mateusz Baron from Poland was the 2011 winner, and Adam Scherr was the 2012 winner.
Dates: 7, 6 March 2010
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 5, 6 March 2011
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 3, 4 March 2012
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 1,2 March 2013
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 1,2 March 2014
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 7,8 March 2015
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 4, 5 March 2016
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 1,2 March 2017
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 2, 3 March 2018
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 2, 3 March 2019
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 7, 8 March 2020
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 4, 6 March 2022
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
Dates: 3, 5 March 2023
Columbus, Ohio (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Arnold EXPO Stage)
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