Here’s what to expect in London later this summer.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
The 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic (GLSC) is scheduled for Jul. 8, 2023, in London, England. With a loaded lineup featuring reigning champion Oleksii Novikov and new World’s Strongest Man (WSM) victor Mitchell Hooper already on tap, this strength battle across the pond promises to be a doozy. Giants Live, the organizing body, has now revealed the expected events for some of the strongest athletes on the globe via its Instagram page.
2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events
- Nicol Stone Carry
- Super Yoke
- Axle Deadlift
- Viking Press
- Castle Stones (Atlas Stones variation)
At the time of this article’s publication, with information on the 2023 GLSC’s events limited to the details provided over Instagram, a precise outline for the lineup is unclear. Specific information regarding exact implements, weight, and format for each event may be provided at a later date.
At the time of this writing, here’s the list of competitors for the 2023 GLSC expected to tackle these five respective events:
2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic Roster
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) | Defending GLSC Champion
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
- Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
- Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou (Burkina Faso)
- Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Kevin Faires (United States)
- Eddie Williams (Australia)
- Evan Singleton (United States)
- Rongo Keene (Australia)
- Spenser Remick (United States)
From a glance, it might be easy to ascertain that Novikov, Hooper, and Stoltman are the clear favorites for a victory in the contest. Such a speculative assertion is both based on their WSM success — they are the only athletes on hand with wins in strongman’s biggest contest — and their overall standard as established strongman superstars. That said, depending on the format, some of the events could favor a dark horse or two.
For example, on the Nicol Stone Carry, Kevin Faires is undoubtedly a huge favorite on paper to win the event. The American athlete is the current Nicol Stones Carry World Record holder with a carry of 24.61 meters, beating the previous record of 22.2 meters — which Faires also held. Meanwhile, an overhead press-centered event like the Viking Press might favor Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou, the current owner of the Axle Press and Log Lift World Records. Assuming Tom Stoltman continues his usual proficiency on the Castle Stones (a variation on the traditional strongman Atlas Stones), that leaves a potentially wide-open slate on the Super Yoke and Axle Deadlift.
All of this is to say that even with household names in attendance in London this July, the 2023 GLSC could be anyone’s contest to win when the dust settles.
The 2023 GLSC is but one significant event on the major strongman calendar. With the roster and events for the competition now set in stone, it should still act as a quality notch in the lifting belt of one stellar strongman when this summer rolls around.
Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).