American strongman Kevin Faires has set a new world record at the 2022 Rogue Invitational Record Breakers event. His new record is in the Thor’s Hammer Deadlift — Faires lifted the 147.3-kilogram (325-pound) hammer up to a standing position.
The new mark broke the record that was formerly held by Martins Licis, who set the standard at the 2021 Rogue Invitational one year prior. Faires’ record-setting moment can be seen below, courtesy of the Rogue Invitational Instagram page:
[Related: Laura Horvath Wins 2022 Rogue Invitational Women’s CrossFit Competition]
The new record was technically Faires’ second of the day. He had briefly held the Dinnie Stones Hold world record before it was ultimately claimed by Mitchell Hooper.
How It Happened
The men were tasked to lift lighter hammers first in order to move up to the bigger versions. The hammer must be held in one hand, lifted up until the lifter was standing, and the down command must be given before the lift can count. The lighter hammers weighed 200, 225, 250, 275, and 300 pounds each. Faires was joined by Hooper, Licis, Jerry Pritchett, Pavlo Nakonechnyy, and several other non-strongman competitors in this quest for a world record.
By the time the tying hammer was reached, there were only three men left — Faires, Licis, and Nakonechnny. Licis was first, but he was unable to tie his own record. He had suffered an undisclosed injury in the final event of the strongman contest the previous evening. Faires lifted the hammer easily, as did Nakonechnyy.
The two finalists then moved up to the 325-pound hammer. Strongman and grip strength legend Odd Haugen stood by as the referee as both men made their respective attempts. Faires was successful after two tries. Nakonechnyy gave the hammer a valiant effort, but he had to bow out.
Records on Records
This is Faires’ second world record for 2022. In March, he set the Dinnie Stones Carry record at the Arnold Strongman Classic by carrying the iconic stones just over 25 feet. Prior to setting this record, Faires finished 10th at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. Oleksii Novikov won that title overall.
In the interview after, Faires said his performance was a surprise, but he’s glad to have secured a new record:
“It wasn’t even the one I was coming for, so it’s a surprise for me. I was coming here for the Dinnie Stones record.”
Featured Image: @rogueinvitational on Instagram