There has been a shakeup in the Team USA lineup for the Giants Live 2022 World’s Strongest Nation competition. 2019 World’s Strongest Man and 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic champion Martins Licis will lead Team USA in the competition, scheduled to take place Nov. 26, 2022, at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England.
Licis replaces the original captain, Robert Oberst, who will miss the competition for a yet-to-be-disclosed reason(s). Neither Giants Live nor Oberst has commented on Oberst’s withdrawal as of this article’s publication. Licis is coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2022 Rogue Strongman Invitational contest, where he appeared to suffer an injury during the final event – the Stones Over Hitching Post. He also said he intended to lose 60 pounds in preparation for his 2023 season.
Oberst isn’t the only American that has bowed out of the contest. Evan Singleton also withdrew due to a biceps injury. Spenser Remick was added to the lineup as a result.
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2022 World’s Strongest Nation Rosters
The updated lineup for Team USA is below:
Team USA
- Martins Licis — Captain
- Trey Mitchell
- Nadia Stowers
- Bobby Thompson
- Inez Carrasquillo
- Kevin Faires
- Gabi Dixon
- Spenser Remick
There are also changes to Team UK. Two-time reigning World’s Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman and his brother, Luke Stoltman, are out. That team is captained by 2017 World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall, and the rest of the lineup as of this writing is below:
Team UK
- Eddie Hall — Captain
- Rebecca Roberts
- Adam Bishop
- Donna Moore
- Gavin Bilton
- Mark Felix
- Andrea Thompson
- Graham Hicks
The seven events in which the 16 athletes will go head-to-head are listed below:
Event One — Farmer’s Walk
This is a full-team relay race. Each athlete has to complete the 40-meter walk as quickly as possible. The fastest cumulative time wins.
Event Two — Hercules Hold
Two strongmen and two strongwomen from each team will compete. They will hold 200 kilograms (441 pounds) in each hand for as long as possible. The longest cumulative time of all four athletes will determine the winner.
Event Three — Log Press
The two men and two women from each country that can combine for the most reps will win. As of this writing, the weights have not been released.
Event Four — Viking Press
Hall and Oberst were initially scheduled to go head-to-head for the most reps. Licis is now expected to step into this event. The weight that they will use wasn’t shared.
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Event Five — Hammer Hold
This is another Team Captain contest involving holding a 30-kilogram (66-pound) hammer up for the longest time possible. Hall holds the world record in this event of one minute, 6.55 seconds.
Event Six — Axle Deadlift
Another rep contest will feature two strongmen and two strongwomen from each team — the most cumulative reps wins. The weights aren’t known as of this article’s publication.
Event Seven — Tug of War
The seventh event has never been performed at a Giants Live event. This will be a best-of-three contest involving different athletes from each team. The final showdown will feature both complete rosters.
Event Eight — Loading into Power Stairs
Points scored from previous events can lead to an advantage for either team in this final event. A 125-kilogram (275-pound) anchor has to be loaded onto a platform, then they have to do five 10-meter duck walks with weights that have to be placed at the top of the power stairs. The team that completes all elements in the fastest time wins.
Stay tuned to BarBend for the latest updates regarding the World’s Strongest Nation competition as they develop.
Featured image: @giantslivestrongman on Instagram
