Olga Liashchuk Wins Arnold Classic
Olga Liashchuk dominated the 2026 Arnold Strongwoman Classic on March 6-7, beating ten of the world's strongest women across six grueling events. The two-day format tested both peak strength and recovery — Liashchuk's consistency across all events sealed her victory. This cements her status as a leading force in elite strongwoman competition.
This victory marks Olga Liashchuk's third Arnold Strongwoman Classic title, adding to her previous wins in 2019 and 2020. The Ukrainian strongwoman has consistently been a top contender, securing second place at the same event in both 2024 and 2025. This win further solidifies her status as one of the most decorated professional strongwomen of all time. The 2026 competition was a nail-biter, with the lead changing hands throughout the two days. After the first day's three events, Liashchuk was tied for first place with Angelica Jardine. The close race continued until the final moments, with the ultimate standings decided by the very last event. Liashchuk's path to victory was paved with consistent high placings across all six grueling events. She secured a third-place finish in the opening event, the Max Elephant Bar Deadlift, with a massive pull of 621 pounds (281.7 kilograms). She followed that with a second-place finish in the Overhead Gauntlet, successfully lifting a 190-pound (86.2-kilogram) dumbbell. On the second day, she continued to perform steadily, placing third in The Stone Drag and tying for second in the American Oak log lift with five reps of the 269-pound log. This consistency kept her within striking distance of the top spot heading into the final event. The title was ultimately decided in the "Ramp Rage," a brand-new event that required athletes to carry three heavy sandbags up an inclined ramp. Inez Carrasquillo won the event with a blistering time of 35.67 seconds, but Liashchuk's speedy 38.92-second finish was enough to secure her second place in the event and the overall victory with 50.5 total points, just ahead of Carrasquillo's 49 and Jardine's 48.5. While Liashchuk claimed the overall title, the competition also saw a new world record set in the Elephant Bar Deadlift. Great Britain's Lucy Underdown pulled an incredible 701 pounds (318 kilograms), further cementing her reputation as the "Queen of the Deadlift."
