On Aug. 6, 2022, 12 elite strongmen will compete in the 2022 Giants Live World Open at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. Also featured in that contest is the 2022 World Deadlift Championships (WDC), where the potential for new world all-time world record deadlift attempts could be made. Check out the full roster below:
2022 World Open & World Deadlift Championships Roster
- Gavin Bilton
- Adam Bishop
- Shane Flowers
- Ivan Makarov
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy
- Andy Black
- Rauno Heinla
- Mitchell Hooper
- Evan Singleton — Defending Champion
- Oleksii Novikov
- Peiman Maheripourehir
- Pa O’Dwyer
The final addition to the roster was a “wildcard entry.” While they did not explicitly say that Pa O’Dwyer was the wildcard entry, he was confirmed to the roster on July 22, 2022. This is similar to the roster for the 2022 Strongman Classic, which also features a yet-to-be-named wildcard.
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Singleton won the 2021 Giants Live World Open, beating out runner-up Bishop by three points. Novikov took the bronze and was one of six men who successfully locked out 453.5 kilograms (999.8 pounds) in the 2021 WDC. For reference, the WDC doubles as the max deadlift event for the World Open. Previously at the WDC, guest lifters are featured with the intent to attempt world records. This is similar to the World Log Lift Championships. However, no additional athletes have been confirmed as special guests, though several of the most likely strongmen to attempt breaking 2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Hafthor Björnsson’s deadlift record of 501 kilograms (1,104.5 pounds) are already in the lineup.
2022 World Deadlift Championships
As the 2022 WDC will only count as one event as part of the World Open, many athletes looking to win the show will treat it as such. Singleton is undoubtedly looking to defend his title and has expressed no interest in records over titles. Novikov hit a PR scoring 453.5 kilograms at this contest in 2021 but has not been training for a deadlift world record attempt while fighting on behalf of his home country of Ukraine against Russian forces between contests.
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However, several athletes are not only likely to make attempts at the deadlift world record but have real potential for success. Even the caption Giants Live’s Instagram post teased if any athletes would attempt 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds). Makarov is the only strongman who has previously attempted to join the 500-kilogram deadlift club, home to only Björnsson and 2017 WSM champion Eddie Hall. Makarov’s 502-kilogram (1.106.7-pound) deadlift attempt on Oct. 18, 2020, was unsuccessful, but he will likely seek the world record at the 2022 WDC.
Maheripourehir currently has the third heaviest deadlift ever caught on camera in a conventional stance. Behind Björnsson’s 501-kilogram pull and Hall’s 500-kilogram milestone, Maheripourehir’s 492-kilogram (1,084.7-pound) deadlift is the heaviest, granted it was performed outside of competition. Maheripourehir has been building his deadlift for quite sometime, and it would be surprising if he didn’t make a world record attempt at the 2022 WDC. Given that he had to withdraw from the 2022 WSM contest due to visa issues, he will likely be fired up to hit the competition stage in August.
Featured image: @gavin_the_bull_bilton on Instagram