On June 29, 2022, strongman Mitchell Hooper completed a 425-kilogram (937-pound) deadlift for two reps during a training session. According to Hooper — despite apparent recovery and sleep roadblocks on the day of — the deadlift figure is just 10 kilograms (22 pounds) off of his all-time personal best.

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Hooper’s deadlift training is part of his ongoing preparation for the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic. The Giants Live organization announced the 26-year-old athlete as the Wild Card addition to the contest in early June 2022. That competition will take place on July 9, 2022, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

With the events for this year’s edition official, Hooper’s deadlift progress could come into play on the Axle Deadlift. Hooper possesses a 465-kilogram (1,025.1-pound) axle deadlift from the 2021 Static Monsters Worldwide (SMW) competition. That is where he may have first broken out as a professional strongman with a first-place finish.

Hooper’s Ongoing Ascent

Hooper’s invitation to the Strongman Classic came on the heels of a terrific debut at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM).

As a near last-minute addition to the contest, Hooper made the most of his first-ever appearance by winning Group 2 in a dominant Qualifying Round blitz. He notably shared his group with four-time WSM Champion Brian Shaw. Hooper eventually finished in eighth place during the Finals.

Notably, Hooper has stated he’d like to break the current deadlift World Record at the 2022 Giants Live Open and World Deadlift Championships (WDC). 2018 WSM Champion Hafthor Björnsson possesses the official mark to beat with a 501-kilogram (1,104.5-pound) deadlift set at the 2020 World’s Ultimate Strongman (WUS). At the time of this writing, there is a Wild Card spot open at the contest, but Giants Live has not sent a formal invitation to Hooper.

There is a $55,000 cash prize incentive for anyone who deadlifts 505 kilograms (1,113.3 pounds) to break the World Record. The 2022 Giants Live Open and WDC will take place on August 6, 2022, in Cardiff, Wales.

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A Tall Task

Based on the current field, winning the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic will be no walk in the park for Hooper.

Some of the more noteworthy names in the strongman sphere will compete, including reigning Strongman Classic Champion and former WSM Champion (2020), Oleksii Novikov. Not to be outdone, there’s Chieck Sanou, who holds the Log Press World Record with a lift of 229 kilograms (504.8 pounds) from the 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals. Mark Felix might also be someone to watch. He’s coming off a World Record on the Wrecking Ball Hold from the 2022 WSM when he held the ball up for 2:20.49.

Here is the full roster:

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Roster

Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Defending Champion
Evan Singleton (United States)
Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
Chieck Sanou (Burkina Faso)
Ken McClelland (United States)
Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
Rob Kearney (United States)
Andy Black (United Kingdom)
Mark Felix (United Kingdom)
Spenser Remick (United States)
Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
Mitchell Hooper (Canada)

Here are the full list of the contest’s events:

2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic Events

Dumbbell Medley
The Pillars of Hercules
Farmer’s Carry for Distance
Axle Deadlift
Castle Stones

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In a stacked field with no shortage of challenging events, it appears Hooper is more than ready to continue building his reputation as a rising star. The 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic will occur on July 9, 2022, in London, England.

Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram