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Stoltman looks like a champion on a mission.
The 2023 strongman season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for Tom Stoltman. Not only the former double World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion (2021-2022) lose on a legendary “three rounds” to Mitchell Hooperhe came in sixth place in the 2023 edition Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) and was a finalist at the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic (GLSC) by a slim margin of half a point. Now officially without a professional strongman win for over a year, Stoltman’s winning drought is the longest of his career since initially breaking through with the 2021 WSM title, per Strongman Archives.
On July 20, 2023, Stoltman shared a sneak peek at how he’s gearing up to get out of his recent competitive rut. The athlete posted an Instagram clip where he completed an 800 kilograms (1,763.7 pounds) leg press. The telling feat of strength was all the more impressive, considering Stoltman affixed resistance bands to his machine and set up breaks between rehearsals for additional challenges. THE lower body workout is part of Stoltman’s bulk prep for the Shaw Classic 2023 (SC), taking place August 19-20, 2023 in Loveland, CO.
A Car Leg Press is one of the most eye-catching events at SC 2023, which is what Stoltman’s prep in the clip is likely tied to. In the 2022 edition, competitors were tasked with performing maximum reps with a 907-kilogram (2,000-pound) car loaded on a custom-made leg press and the winning performance was 8 reps.
Based on her Instagram profile, Stoltman doesn’t usually show previews of her prep before contests. In fact, most of Stoltman’s posts feature competition highlights, photos and collaborations with his older brother, Luke, another professional strongman. As Stoltman elaborates on what’s going on behind the scenes, the athlete appears to be deviating from the script and showing he could mean business at SC 2023.
That would line up with Stoltman’s thoughtful stance following the conclusion of WSM 2023, where he came within 4.5 points of another historic title. In the aftermath, the strong man explained that he “gave all he had” and was “proud” of his performance, but it was ultimately not enough for a win.
The 2023 SC will be Stoltman’s debut in the growing contest hosted by the four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw. If Stoltman wins on his debut, he will not only have knocked down other notable competitors like 2020 WSM winner Hooper Oleksii Novikovand two-time defending SC champion Trey Mitchellbut he will also have earned the title of “The strongest man on earth.”
It would be quite the way for Stoltman to bounce back from a “sluggish” first half of 2023.
Here’s a preview of the full roster for SC 2023:
List of the Shaw Classic 2023
- Trey Mitchell (USA) – 2-time defending champion
- Brian Shaw (USA) – 2022 finalist
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — third place in 2022
- Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
- Bobby Thompson (UNITED STATES)
- Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
- Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
- Thomas Evans (UNITED STATES)
- Maxime Boudreault (Canada)
- Kevin Do (UNITED STATES)
- Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
- Evan Singleton (UNITED STATES)
- *Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom) | *Replaces Mateusz Kieliszkowski
Here is an overview of the SC 2023 events:
2023 Shaw Classic Events
- Mix of logs
- Max Hummer tire Deadlift
- Wheelbarrow and arm-in-arm mixing
- bag toss
- car leg press
- Atlas stones
- Standing bench press
- Fingal’s Fingers and Motorized Stairs Mix
Along with Shaw, Hooper and Novikov, Stoltman is notably one of four current or former WSM champions vying for the 2023 SC title.
The year 2023 hasn’t turned out the way Stoltman originally envisioned it, but it’s not too late to save it and make it memorable. This strongman superstar isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and this leg press could be proof of just how much power he’ll show at SC 2023.
Featured Image: @tomstoltmanofficial on Instagram
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