The full roster for the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Final is here. The single-day competition will take place on Oct. 8, 2022, at the OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow, Scotland. The contest will feature some of the most prominent strongmen in the world; however, the two-time reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Tom Stoltman and defending World Tour Finals champion Luke Stoltman will not be among them.
While the Stoltman brothers were originally in the contest lineup, they withdrew on Aug. 23, 2022. Here is the updated roster as of Aug. 26, 2022.
2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals Roster
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy
- Evan Singleton
- Andy Black
- Eddie Williams
- Pavlo Kordiyaka
- Tyler Cotton
- Mitchell Hooper
- Louis Jack
- Paul Smith
- Kevin Faires
- Pa O’Dwyer
- Aivars Śmaukstelis
- Mark Felix
- Maxime Boudreault
Luke Stoltman is the reigning World Tour Finals champion and has effectively vacated the title. He leaped to the top of the podium in 2021 after the memorable Atlas Stones clash between Evan Singleton and Tom Stoltman, where both athletes moved so fast that they each fumbled a stone and blundered their times.
[Related: Mitchell Hooper Awarded Wildcard Slot to 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic]
While the events for the 2022 World Tour Finals have not yet been announced, former strongman Laurence Shahlaei took to his YouTube channel to speculate about some strong possibilities of events that could be used in Glasgow. Both Black and Faires are exceptional in the Nicol Stones — used to replicate the Dinnie Stones — and it would make sense to bring that event back as the contest is in Scotland, where the Dinnie Stones originate. Faires currently holds the Nicol Stones world record of 22.2 meters scored at the 2021 World Tour Finals and the Dinnie Stones world record of 25 feet from the 2022 Rogue Record Breakers.
The Atlas Stones are noticeably absent from this competition. Boudreault will make his way across the pond and is known for his overhead strength. With British log lift record holder Luke Stoltman out of the picture, it seems he is the front runner for some major points heavy dumbbell if his technique is up to par on competition day.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Rauno Heinla Pulls World Record 580-Kilogram (1,278.7-Pound) Silver Dollar Deadlift]
Predictions for which strongmen on this stacked roster will likely reach the podium are anyone’s guess with the roster shake-up just over a month from the contest. The events of the Heavy Dumbbell, Nicol Stone Carry, Axle Deadlift, Carry & Drag, and Power Stairs likely favor the likes of Boudreault and Singleton, but Hooper has been on an absolute tear since the 2022 WSM contest and could claim his first win as a pro strongman in Glasgow.
Featured image: @luke.stoltman on Instagram
