Two events from the 2022 Rogue Strongman Invitational are back within the fold.
With 10 of the world’s premier athletes scheduled to square off at Dell Diamond Stadium on Oct. 27-28, 2023, there’s loads of anticipation surrounding the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational. A stacked roster headlined by reigning champion Oleksii Novikov could have a possibility to not only impress the gang in Round Rock, Texas, but additionally secure a record-setting prize purse of $133,785.83, as of the time of this publication.
To emerge victorious, participants like Novikov and 2023 World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper must undergo a grueling gauntlet of six challenges over the course of the two-day contest. And with competition date inching closer, Rogue Invitational officially released the total lineup of strongman events on Oct. 10, 2023.
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Day One (Friday, Oct. 27, 2023)
The primary day of the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational will feature three events, all of which is able to test the athletes’ strength, power, and conditioning. Here’s a breakdown of every event, starting with an ultra-demanding deadlift challenge that made its debut in 2022.
Event 1: Tower of Power – Deadlift for Reps
Rogue ramped up its annual strongman competition a 12 months ago by putting together the Tower of Power event. Ukrainian former powerlifter Pavlo Nakonechnyy proved to be probably the most proficient on the newly unveiled event by completing 12 reps of 18-inch barbell deadlifts throughout the 60-second time allotment.
As if lifting 900 kilos (408 kilograms) as again and again as possible in a single minute wasn’t difficult enough, competitors needed to cope with much different leverages attributable to the peak of the tower platform. Back again for the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational, this event should bring one of the best out of Nakonechnyy and 2023 North America’s Strongest Man Trey Mitchell, who accomplished 10 reps in his first encounter with the Tower of Power. Starting the day with a deadlift for reps competition will definitely set the tone for event No. 2.
Event 2: The Iron Bull Sled Pull
No specifics were provided about this event. Nevertheless, sled pulls are undoubtedly one of the popular feats of strength fans enjoy watching, especially when vehicles are involved.
Event 3: Ultimate Log Medley
Although we don’t know exactly what the Ultimate Log Medley will entail, the 2022 Rogue Strongman Invitational included an event called “Yoke Carry, Overhead Log Lift Medley” that consisted of carrying a 1,000-pound (453.5-kilogram) yoke for 50 feet, followed by performing three reps of an overhead press with a 360-pound (163-kilogram) log. Mitchell Hooper easily outpaced the remaining of the pack by completing the circuit in only 32.69 seconds.
Meanwhile, 2022 Canada’s Strongest Man Maxime Boudreault took one other 14.1 seconds to wrap up the No. 2 spot. If the ultimate event of the primary day of the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational features the log press again, that could possibly be a probability for 2022 America’s Strongest Man Bobby Thompson to earn some useful points. Coming off consecutive third-place finishes on the Arnold Strongman Classic, Thompson showcased his upper-body strength on the 2023 event by hitting three reps of a 430-pound (195-kilogram) log press on the Austrian Oak challenge, which tied for second with Hooper.
Day Two (Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023)
Day Two of the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational will kick off with one other event that captivated last 12 months’s audience and wrap up with one that would have some CrossFit inspiration behind its name.
Event 4: Rogue-A-Coaster
Identical to the competitors, the Round Rock crowd will likely be locked in for 90 seconds throughout the dynamic Rogue-A-Coaster event. Particularly taxing on the lats and rear delts, it takes pull day to a different level — after which some. The athletes will start their Saturday morning by sitting at the underside of a piece of a rollercoaster and attempting to tug 600 kilos (272 kilograms) value of sandbags loaded onto a cart as much as the highest and dump them over inside the 90-second limit.
This 54-inch incline rope pull didn’t pose much trouble for Nakonechnyy (38.51 seconds) or Novikov (39.04 seconds) in 2022. Nevertheless, neither could outdo 2021 Rogue Strongman Invitational champion Martins Licis (33:83 seconds), who will not be at this 12 months’s event.
Event 5: Apollon’s Wheels
No specifics were provided about this event. Nevertheless, it’s secure to say all of the participants must have some idea of what’s to return.
Made famous by French strongman Louis “Apollon the Mighty” Uni, Apollon’s Wheels was his 366-pound (166-kilogram) barbell loaded with a pair of railway automobile wheels. Featuring a thick diameter of nearly two inches, it requires excellent grip strength simply to handle the bar. It takes incredible coordination to power clean it off the ground and get it right into a front rack position And it takes serious strength to press that weight overhead.
The fifth event (also named Apollon’s Wheels) on the 2018 Arnold Classic Strongman Classic utilized a reproduction reproduced by Ivanko Barbell Company that weighed 400 kilos (181 kilograms). Hafþór Björnsson, who went on to win the World’s Strongest Man title later that 12 months, took home first place by performing 4 full reps of a clean and press within the two-minute timeframe. Rogue definitely appears to be paying homage to the famous barbell in 2023 based on the name of the penultimate event.
Event 6: The Duel
“The Duel II” was an elimination-style, multi-round event on the 2022 CrossFit Rogue Invitational that consisted of a legless rope climb, 10 overhead squats, and a sandbag carry. Although CrossFit and Strongman competitors may not cross paths often, the ultimate event of the 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational could have the same feel as “The Duel II” but with a special array of exercises and far heavier loads.
Complete 2023 Rogue Strongman Invitational Roster
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine)
- Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
- Trey Mitchell (USA)
- Luke Stoltman (UK)
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
- Bobby Thompson (USA)
- Tom Stoltman (UK)
- Evan Singleton (USA)
- Maxime Boudreault (Canada)
Novikov’s campaign to turn into a back-to-back Rogue Strongman Invitational champion will come right down to his ability to dominate each recent and repeat events. Whether he can fend off the likes of Hooper and Mitchell stays to be seen when the strongest men on the earth reunite at Red Rock.
Featured Image: @rogueinvitational / Instagram