The 2022 season of elite strongman competitions fleshes out a little further with the 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man (ESM) contest scheduled for April 2, 2022, at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. The competition’s promoter, Giants Live, took to their Instagram page on Feb. 6, 2022, to share the official roster, which includes defending champion Luke Stoltman. Check out the entire 11-man roster below:
2022 Europe’s Strongest Man Roster
- Luke Stoltman — Defending ESM Champion
- Konstantine Janashia
- Kelvin De Ruiter
- Aivars Smaukstelis
- Oleksii Novikov
- Eythór Ingolffson Melsted
- Pavlo Kordiyaka
- Shane Flowers
- Marius Lalas
- Pa O’Dwyer
- Gavin Bilton
- Rauno Heinla
Additionally, American log lift record holder Bobby Thompson and current log lift world record holder Chieck “Iron Biby” Sanou will be special guests for the log lift challenge to attempt a new log lift world record.
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Regarding the Stoltman brothers, the reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Tom Stoltman is not on the 2022 ESM roster. BarBend reached out to Giants Live to confirm that Tom Stoltman will not compete in the 2022 ESM contest in order to focus on defending his WSM title on May 24-29, 2022, in Sacramento, CA. He will still attempt to defend his BSM title at the end of February before flying to Columbus, OH, a week later to compete in the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic.
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The Log Lift Challenge at the 2022 ESM contest will feature Iron Biby and Bobby Thompson attempt to set a new log lift world record. The previous log lift world record of 228 kilograms (502.7 pounds) was held over half a decade by four-time WSM champion Žydrūnas Savickas. Iron Biby exceeded that world record by a kilogram on Sept. 18, 2021, at the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals.
Whoever rises to the top of the podium at the 2022 ESM will have the momentum on their side heading into the 2022 WSM contest a month and a half later, assuming they are qualified for strongman’s grandest stage. We’ll see if Luke Stoltman can go back-to-back to become the 10th strongman ever to win the title at least twice.
Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram
