Stoltman looks like a champion on a mission.
The 2023 strongman season hasn’t exactly gone in line with plan for Tom Stoltman. Not only did the previous two-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion (2021-2022) lose out on a legendary “three-peat” to Mitchell Hooper, he got here in sixth place through the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) and was the runner-up on the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic (GLSC) by a razor-thin half-point margin. Now officially with no skilled strongman win in over a 12 months, Stoltman’s victory drought is the longest of his profession since he initially broke through with the 2021 WSM title, per Strongman Archives.
On July 20, 2023, Stoltman shared a glimpse at how he’s preparing to climb out of his recent competitive rut. The athlete posted an Instagram clip where he accomplished an 800-kilogram (1,763.7-pound) leg press. The attention-opening strength feat was all of the more impressive, considering Stoltman affixed resistance bands to his machine and implemented pauses between reps for added challenges. The lower body training session is an element of Stoltman’s wholesale preparation for the 2023 Shaw Classic (SC), going down on August 19-20, 2023, in Loveland, CO.
A Automotive Leg Press is certainly one of the 2023 SC’s most eye-catching events, which is presumably what Stoltman’s preparation within the clip is connected to. Within the 2022 edition, competitors were tasked with performing maximum reps with a 907-kilogram (2,000-pound) automobile loaded upon a custom-built leg press and the winning performance was 8 repetitions.
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Based on his Instagram profile, Stoltman doesn’t often make it a daily habit of showing glimpses of his preparation upfront of contests. The truth is, most of Stoltman’s posts feature competition highlights, photos, and collaborations along with his older brother, Luke, a fellow skilled strongman. With Stoltman is elaborating on what’s happening behind the scenes, the athlete is seemingly veering off script and showing he might mean business on the 2023 SC.
This might align with Stoltman’s reflective stance after the conclusion of the 2023 WSM, where he got here up 4.5 points in need of one other historic title. Within the aftermath, the strongman explained he “gave all the pieces he had” and was “proud” of his performance, nevertheless it ultimately wasn’t enough for a win.
The 2023 SC will probably be Stoltman’s debut on the growing contest organized by four-time WSM champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) Brian Shaw. Should Stoltman win in his debut, he won’t only have toppled other noteworthy competitors like Hooper, 2020 WSM winner Oleksii Novikov, and two-time reigning SC champion Trey Mitchell, but he will even have earned the title of “The Strongest Man on Earth.”
That might be quite the best way for Stoltman to rebound after a “slow” first half of 2023.
Here’s an summary of the complete roster for the 2023 SC:
2023 Shaw Classic Roster
- Trey Mitchell (United States) — Reigning two-time Champion
- Brian Shaw (United States) — 2022 runner-up
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada) — 2022 third place
- 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 Faires (United States)
- Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
- Evan Singleton (United States)
- *Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom) | *Replaces Mateusz Kieliszkowski
Here’s a rundown of the events of the 2023 SC:
2023 Shaw Classic Events
- Log Medley
- Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
- Wheelbarrow and Arm-Over-Arm Medley
- Bag Toss
- Automotive Leg Press
- Atlas Stones
- Standing Bench Press
- Fingal’s Fingers and Power Stairs Medley
Including Shaw, Hooper, and Novikov, Stoltman is notably certainly one of 4 current or former WSM champions vying for the 2023 SC title.
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The 12 months 2023 hasn’t gone how Stoltman originally envisioned, nevertheless it’s not too late to salvage and make it memorable. This strongman superstar isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and this leg press could possibly be evidence of the tremendous power he’ll showcase on the 2023 SC.
Featured image: @tomstoltmanofficial on Instagram