The 2023 Strongman Classic is scheduled for July 8, 2023, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. The initial roster for the competition was stacked with 12 of the top strongmen on the planet. While that number is still true, the athletes who comprise it endured a significant change one month before the competition.
Defending Strongman Classic champion Oleksii Novikov has withdrawn from the contest. Two-time Shaw Classic champion Trey Mitchell has since been confirmed as Novikov’s replacement. No reason has yet been given at the time of this article’s publication for Novikov’s withdrawal.
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2023 Strongman Classic Roster
The current roster for the 2023 Strongman Classic, a week and a half prior to its scheduled kick-off, includes the following athletes:
- Kevin Faires
- Mitchell Hooper
- Rongo Keene
- Pavlo Kordiyaka
- Pavlo Nakonechnny
- Spenser Remick
- Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou
- Evan Singleton
- Luke Stoltman
- Tom Stoltman
- Eddie Williams
- Trey Mitchell
- Oleksii Novikov — Defending Champion, Withdrawn
Although Novikov’s absence from the contest leaves the top of the podium vacant, the rest of the podium from the 2022 edition of the Strongman Classic is still slated to compete.
2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Mitchell Hooper finished as the runner-up at the 2022 Strongman Classic and has been on an incredible winning streak. Prior to becoming the first Canadian to win the biggest competition in strongman, Hooper claimed gold at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. He is undeniably a favorite to take the crown in London.
Attempting to upend Hooper’s winning streak is 2022 Strongman Classic bronze medalist Evan Singleton, who is notoriously effective in single-day strongman competitions on the Giants Live circuit. Singleton is coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2023 WSM competition in his WSM Final debut.
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2023 Strongman Classic Events
The five events that comprise the single-day contest in London are as follows:
- Event One — Nicol Stone Carry
- Event Two — Super Yoke
- Event Three — Axle Deadlift
- Event Four — Viking Press
- Event Five — Castle Stones
Both Faires and Hooper have previously set world records in the Nicol Stone Carry at the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals. Given that it is the opening event, there is a strong chance both athletes will attempt to further the record of 24.61 meters currently held by Faires.
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The post Oleksii Novikov Will Not Defend His Strongman Classic Title, Trey Mitchell Steps In appeared first on BarBend.
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