The 2024 Arnold Sports Festival has revealed who will be competing in Columbus, OH, on Mar. 1-2, 2024, in the 2024 editions of the Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) and Arnold Strongwoman Classic (ASWC). The rosters were revealed on social media on Nov. 21, 2023.
The strongman roster is highlighted by the last three ASC champions and the return of 2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Hafthor Björnsson to elite strongman competition. The strongwomen roster showcases the defending ASWC champion, Victoria Long, and an international all-star lineup. The rosters for both fields competing in the Greater Columbus Convention Center are below, with names in alphabetical order:
Arnold Strongman Classic Roster
- Hafthor Bjornsson
- Maxime Boudreault
- Tom Evans
- Mitchell Hooper*
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski
- Martins Licis
- Oleksii Novikov
- Evan Singleton
- Tom Stoltman
- Bobby Thompson
- Oskar Ziółkowski
*Defending Champion
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Arnold Strongwoman Classic Roster
- Victoria Long*
- Angelica Jardine
- Olga Liashchuk
- Hannah Linzay
- Donna Moore
- Erin Murray
- Melissa Peacock
- Nadia Stowers
- Andrea Thompson
- Lucy Underdown
- Tamara Walcott
*Defending champion
The strongmen’s field is comprised of the last three ASC winners among their contenders. 2023 ASC champion Mitchell Hooper will attempt to defend the crown, while 2022 winner Martins Licis hopes to reclaim the throne.
Three-time ASC champion Hafthor Björnsson will make his competitive return to strongman, competing in Columbus for the first time since winning his third ASC title in 2020. Björnsson’s other two ASC titles were consecutive in 2018 and 2019. The 2023 ASC and the 2024 Rogue Strongman Invitational are the only two strongman contests “The Mountain” has committed to competing in at the time of this article’s publication.
In addition to the reigning and former ASC champions, two former World’s Strongest Man (WSM) winners are also in the lineup. Two-time WSM Tom Stoltman and 2020 WSM Oleksii Novikov hope to add the ASC to their trophy cases. Stoltman’s highest placing in the ASC was sixth in 2023. Novikov has placed as high as second in 2022 but did not compete in the 2023 edition.
In the women’s field, Victoria Long will return to defend her title against former Arnold Pro Strongwoman winner Olga Liashchuk as well as 2023 Arnold Strongwoman UK winner Lucy Underdown — who became the first woman to deadlift 700 pounds in 2023. Tamara Walcott will make her second straight strongwoman appearance after her debut in the 2023 ASC. Former World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) winners Andrea Thompson and Donna Moore will return to Columbus as well.
The rosters for the 2024 Arnold Strongman and Strongwoman UK competitions are expected to be announced before the end of November 2023. The events for the 2024 ASC for both sides of the stage are expected to be revealed before the end of 2023. Tickets to the competitions, as well as the other sports and events of the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, can be obtained at the Arnold Sports website: https://www.arnoldsports.com/
Featured Image: @arnoldsports on Instagram
