Strongman Mateusz Kieliszkowski of Poland seems to perform his best when faced with incredible adversity. After all, he is the man won the 2019 World’s Ultimate Strongman in Dubai with a torn biceps.
The 2019 Arnold Europe Strongman champion continued his prowess of fighting back from behind at the 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic where he not only won the Timber Carry (the fifth of six events), but he did so after a lackluster showing in the Rogue Elephant Bar deadlift event and while racing against the competition leader and two-time defending champion, Hafthor Bjornsson.
Kieliszkowski carried the 392.4 kg/865lb timber to the top in a blisteringly fast seven seconds, setting a new world record. Check out Kieliszkowski’s unbelievable performance courtesy of the video below from the Rogue Fitness YouTube channel:
[Related: Check out Hafthor Bjornsson’s dominant Rogue Elephant Bar deadlift performance.]
Timber Carry
For those unfamiliar, the Timber Carry event pits two strongman in a race to carry a 392.4 kg/865lb timber frame thirty five feat uphill as fast as possible with a thirty second time limit. To put into context how difficult of an event it is (and just how impressive Kieliszkowski’s new world record is), the 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic had ten of the world’s strongest men competing and only three of them were even able to complete the Timber Carry.
If you watched the video, you can see Hafthor Bjornsson, the overall leader heading into the event and heaviest athlete competing struggled pretty much from beginning to end. He was just shy of completing the event within the allotted time.
The three competitors to complete the Timber Carry were:
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski – Seven seconds.
- Jerry Pritchett – Ten seconds.
- Martins Licis – Seventeen seconds.
Mateusz Kieliszkowski
The 26 year old Kieliszkowski’s victory in the Timber Carry was all the more impressive as competitors had just completed the Rogue Elephant Bar deadlift event where Kieliszkowski finished eighth after successfully hitting a personal best 402kg/886lb deadlift. He attempted that same weight on his second attempt but dropped the bar after his right wrist strap broke.
The only one event left at the Arnold Strongman Classic is the Cyr Strategic Dumbbell Challenge which, unlike the Rogue Elephant Bar deadlift, is one of Kieliszkowski’s strongest events.
Feature image from Rogue Fitness’s YouTube channel.
