Arnold Classic Leaders Emerge
After Day One of the 2026 Arnold Strongman and Strongwoman Classic, Mitchell Hooper and Austin Andrade are tied at 23.5 points leading the men's field. Olga Liashchuk and Angelica Jardine top the women's competition following three grueling events. Both contests remain wide open heading into the final day of competition in Columbus, Ohio.
The defending champion, Mitchell "The Moose" Hooper, secured his lead by winning the opening event, the Elephant Bar Deadlift, with a massive 981-pound (445-kilogram) pull. His co-leader, Austin Andrade, a rising star in the sport known for his deadlifting strength, was right behind him with a 976-pound (442.7-kilogram) lift for second place. Hooper is chasing his fourth consecutive Arnold Strongman Classic title, having won the competition in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Canadian is one of the most dominant athletes in the sport, having also won the 2023 World's Strongest Man title. Andrade, who entered the professional strongman scene in 2022, is looking for his first major title after a 7th place finish at the 2024 World's Strongest Man. In the women's field, the tie for first is a battle of decorated champions. Olga Liashchuk is a two-time Arnold Pro Strongwoman winner (2019, 2020) and two-time World's Strongest Woman. Angelica Jardine is the 2024 Arnold Strongwoman Classic champion, a title she won by just half a point over Liashchuk. Jardine made a crucial move in the final event of Day One, winning the Stone to Shoulder with seven repetitions of the 260-pound (117-kilogram) stone to erase Liashchuk's early lead. Liashchuk's consistency, with a second-place finish in the Dumbbell Challenge and a top-three deadlift, kept her at the top of the leaderboard. The championships will be decided on the final day with three demanding events for both men and women: The Stone Drag, the Austrian/American Oak press for repetitions, and the Ramp Rage loading race.
