The 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) on March 3-4, 2023, in Columbus, OH, was a showcase event for Canada’s Mitchell Hooper. With the 2022 (ASC) champion Martins Licis vacating his crown by not participating in the contest, a new champion was guaranteed to ascend the throne.
On his YouTube channel days before the event, Hooper said he believes he would win the 2023 ASC 40 times out of 100. The timeline we currently live in was within that 40 percent he bet on himself. Hooper’s overall victory resulted from a thoroughly consistent performance across both days of competition.
Hooper never finished lower than third place in any of the five events.
[Related: 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Day One Recap]
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Results
Below are the overall standings at the end of five events in Columbus, OH:
- Mitchell Hooper — 41.5 points
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 37.5 points
- Bobby Thompson — 29.5 points
- Trey Mitchell — 29 points
- Thomas Evans — 25.5 points
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy — 24.5 points
- Tom Stoltman — 24.5 points
- Rob Kearney — 21 points
- Luke Stoltman — 20 points
- Kevin Faires — 20 points
2023 Arnold Strongman Classic Results — Mitchell Hooper
Below are Mitchell Hooper’s results and ranking for each of the five events en route to his overall ASC win:
- Event One — Wheel of Pain | Third Place, 28.65 meters
- Event Two — The Austrian Oak | Second Place (tied w/Bobby Thompson), Three Reps at 195 kilograms
- Event Three — Elephant Bar Deadlift | Second Place, 445 kilograms (981 pounds)
- Event Four — Steintossen Stone Throw | Third Place, 3.19 meters (10.47 feet)
- Event Five — Timber Carry | Third Place, 14.61 seconds
Heading into the final event on Day Two, Hooper had a 4.5-point lead over his closest competitor, Trey Mitchell. Midline events like farmer’s carries and yoke walks are where Hooper shines his brightest. Conversely, the Timber Carry was Mitchell’s weakest event at the 2022 ASC.
While Mitchell did improve upon his performance from 2022 in the Timber Carry, having to beat Hooper by five ranks in a 10-man contest was just too large of a hurdle to overcome.
Nothing that happened surprised me.
Hooper maintained his consistent performance until the very end of the competition. During an interview after the Steintossen Stone Throw, Hooper appeared calm, cool, and collected, with a sharp focus on the final test ahead of him.
[Related: Victoria Long Pulls 651 Pounds for New Elephant Bar Deadlift World Record]
What seemed to set Hooper apart from the rest of the roster out a strategic application of his preparation that was clear from a spectator’s view. He did not waver from his prep, trusting that his effort in training was the appropriate approach to the ASC title.
This was most noticeable when he placed a shoe next to the Steintossen Stone Throw course as a visual indicator of where to plant his feet before launching the stone.
Hooper made his international contest debut at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest with an eighth-place finish, meaning that he is still technically in his rookie season. Without a doubt, with the 2023 ASC title added to his resume, Hooper’s rookie season could be remembered as the greatest in strongman history.