The 2025 Arnold Strongwoman Classic (ASWC) opening event at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH, on Feb. 28, 2025, was the Elephant Bar Deadlift. Each of the 12 strongwomen invited to compete at the static strength contest was allotted three attempts to establish their max deadlift.
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2025 ASWC Elephant Bar Deadlift Results
- Lucy Underdown — 676 pounds
- Andrea Thompson — 671 pounds
- Jennifer Lyle — 651 pounds
- Olga Liashchuck — 626 pounds
- Rebecca Roberts — 611 pounds (T-fifth)
- Inez Carrasquillo — 611 pounds (T-fifth)
- Angelica Jardine — 601 pounds
- Melissa Peacock — 561 pounds (T-eighth)
- Erin Murray — 561 pounds (T-eighth)
- Gabi Dixson — 546 pounds
- Sam Belliveau — 521 pounds
- Nadia Stowers — 441 pounds
2025 ASWC Elephant Bar Deadlift Recap
The strongwomen lifted in order of lightest lift first, meaning that some athletes could make multiple attempts before another strongwoman if the former’s attempts were lighter than the latter’s opener. Here are the opening lift weights:
Stowers opened the show with a successful 441-pound pull in her ASWC debut. The 32-year-old Belliveau stepped to the stage next in her third ASWC appearance. Her speedy opening lift was good.
In her ASWC debut, Dixson nervously approached the barbell, excited to be on the Arnold stage. A steady drive from the floor to lockout, and Dixson was on the board.
Murray, returning from a 10th-place finish at the 2024 ASWC, locked out 521 pounds. Peacock stepped up to pull the same weight with ease. Roberts sauntered to the same weight with a relaxed demeanor and made easy work of her opening lift.
Belliveau joined the crew of 521-pound lifters, but Belliveau locking it out was a personal best. Dixson went to 526 pounds and locked it out without issue.
Defending champion Jardine made easy work of her opening at 531 pounds. Murray leaped to 538 pounds, and while the barbell was slower from the floor, it never appeared in doubt.
Peacock’s second lift called for 546 pounds, and it caused her no problems. Dixson closed her event at the same weight, going three for three.
Coming off a 2024 Rogue Strongwoman Invitational win, Carrasquillo essentially warmed up at 561 pounds and would surely be a force in the event. Murray matched that weight for a personal best and perfect showing in the opening event. Peacock matched 561 pounds to end her event with three good attempts.
Roberts cleared 566 pounds to take the lead with the heavy end of the field still to come. Jardine easily jumped the weight to 571 pounds. Lyle made her presence known with a blazing-fast opener at 581 pounds. Liashchuck tacked another five pounds onto that to open her competition.
Carrasquillo matched Liashuck’s weight on her second attempt, seemingly still with a full tank. Jardine closed her event as the first strongwoman to eclipse 600 pounds; a 601-pound personal best put her in the lead.
Roberts added 10 pounds to Jardine’s personal best and hit it to top the leaderboard with the big pullers on deck. Carrasquillo matched Roberts, securing herself a personal best lift.
2018 World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) Thompson finally reached the platform for her opening lift of 621 pounds. “Wow,” the commentary team repeatedly said, responding to Thompson’s lift speed.
Lyle kept that momentum by matching Thompson’s lift on her second attempt. Liashchuck tacked five more pounds onto the bar and cleared it successfully, yet somewhat shakier, in her second attempt.
Underdown took the stage to open at 636 pounds to take the lead. As the world record holder in the event, it was clear she would win the event, and the question was who would take second-place points.
Lyle returned to the platform, closing with a successful 651-pound lift. Liashchuck leaped to 656 pounds to end her event but barely moved it from the floor — it was the first failed attempt of the contest.
Thompson loaded 671 pounds on the bar for her second attempt — a new world record accomplished without issue. Underdown’s second attempt moved the weight to 676 pounds, and it was a grinder to reclaim the world record.
Thompson’s final attempt was 586 pounds, and it reached her knees before flopping to the floor. Underdown forewent her third attempt, having secured first-place points with her world record.
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