2025 Arnold Strongman Classic - Mitchell Hooper 3peats

Over two intense days, an incredibly talented group of men and women competed across six grueling events—three per day—each testing a unique combination of strength, technique, and endurance. Let’s dive into the results, starting with our champions. For the third consecutive year, Mitch Hooper won the Arnold Strongman Classic. This victory makes him three for three, placing him alongside Hafthor Julius Bjornsson and the legendary Žydrūnas Savickas (Big Z) as the only men to achieve this feat. Big Z still holds the record with six consecutive wins, while Brian Shaw has also claimed three titles in this competition. On the women’s side, Inez Carrasquillo dominated, securing her first Arnold Strongman Classic title. Coming off a grand slam victory at the Rogue Invitational in November, she is already making waves in 2025. The energy in the venue was electric. Packed stands and roaring cheers fueled the competitors as they took the stage, making this an unforgettable event for both athletes and fans. Event Recap Day One kicked off with one of the most iconic events in strongman history: the Elephant Bar Deadlift. • Women’s Division: Out of 12 competitors, 11 managed to deadlift over 500 pounds, and an astounding seven lifted over 600. The event’s climax saw Andrea Thompson set a world record at 671 pounds, only for Lucy Underwood to immediately surpass it with a 676-pound lift, setting a new benchmark. • Men’s Division: The biggest question was whether anyone could hit the 501-kilogram mark, with Rogue offering a $101,000 bounty for achieving the feat. Hafthor Julius Bjornsson was the favorite, but it wasn’t his day. He won the event with a successful 1026-pound lift but couldn’t manage 501 kilograms due to long wait times between attempts. Despite this, I still believe we will see a 500-kilogram deadlift this year. Event Winners: • Women: Lucy Underwood • Men: Hafthor Julius Bjornsson The second event was the Overhead Gauntlet, a unique overhead press medley featuring a one-arm circus dumbbell, a natural stone overhead press, and a choice between a heavy or light log, where heavier lifts were awarded more points. • Women’s Division: A three-way tie between Angelica Jardine, Olga, and Andrea Thompson was settled by the clock, with Angelica taking the win. • Men’s Division: Lucas Hatton and Trey Mitchell tied, but Lucas edged out the victory on time. Event Winners: • Women: Angelica Jardine • Men: Lucas Hatton Next was the Timber Carry, a traditional event involving a massive wooden frame (265kg/Women, 400kg/Men) carried up an angled ramp onto a flat platform, testing both grip and speed. • Women’s Division: Rebecca Roberts put on a jaw-dropping performance, clocking an 8.52-second run. However, due to a timing error, she was forced to redo her attempt—an incredibly tough ask—but she maintained her composure and improved her time to secure the win. • Men’s Division: Mitch Hooper had an uncharacteristic drop but still managed a dominant 10-second finish to claim first place. At the end of Day One, the standings were: • Women: 1st - Andrea Thompson, 2nd - Olga Shook, 3rd - Inez Carrasquillo • Men: 1st - Mitch Hooper, 2nd - Lucas Hatton, 3rd - Hafthor Julius Bjornsson Day Two opened with The Big Jerk, a maximum-effort overhead lift performed from a jerk stand, allowing athletes to push press, push jerk, or split jerk. • Women’s Division: Inez dominated, hitting 352 pounds to take the win. • Men’s Division: Lucas Hatton stole the show with a massive 247-kilogram (545-pound) split jerk, edging out Hooper by five kilograms. Event Winners: • Women: Inez Carrasquillo • Men: Lucas Hatton The second event of the day was the Timber Trial, a classic carry-and-drag event where competitors had to carry logs down a course, load them into a sled, and then drag the sled backward across the finish line. • Women’s Division: Rebecca Roberts took the win. • Men’s Division: Hafthor Julius Bjornsson displayed sheer brute strength to claim first place. Finally, the competition ended with the Atlas Stone to Shoulder event. Athletes could choose between a lighter stone (253 pounds for women, 350 pounds for men) for fewer points or a heavier stone (297 pounds for women, 400 pounds for men) for more points. • Women’s Division: A tie between Olga and Angelica saw both successfully lift the 300-pound stone twice. • Men’s Division: Austin Andrade pulled off an impressive four reps with the 400-pound stone to secure the win. Final Standings: • Women: 1st - Inez Carrasquillo, 2nd - Olga, 3rd - Angelica Jardine (2024 Champion) • Men: 1st - Mitch Hooper, 2nd - Lucas Hatton, 3rd - Hafthor Julius Bjornsson