The Arnold Strongman Qualification Process

There have been lots of questions concerning why some of the top athletes were not competing at the Arnold Strongman Classic last weekend in Columbus, Ohio such as Eddie Hall and Zydrunas Savickas. Here is why.

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For the past two years, the Arnold has now been named the Arnold Pro Strongman World Championship, with a clear cut qualification process called the Arnold Pro Strongman World Series. Athletes must win or accumulate points through these qualifying contests. If an athlete didn’t participate, or gain enough points through the qualifiers, they will not compete in Ohio.

In the past, it worked off an invite system. Now with a clear cut qualifying process that doesn’t play favorites, Strongman is taking a step towards becoming a more legitimate sport.

2017 Arnold Strongman series results

USA
1. Brian Shaw (USA) qualified
2. Hafthor Bjornsson (Iceland)
3. Jerry Pritchett (USA)
4. Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
5. Mikhail Shivlyakov (Russia)
6. Vytautas Lalas (Lithuania)
7. Dimitar Savatinov (Bulgaria)
8. Martins Licis (USA)
9. Zach Hadge (USA)
10. Krzystof Radzikowski (Poland)

AUSTRALIA
1. Brian Shaw (USA)
2. Mikhael Shivlyakov (Russia) qualified
3. Jean-Francois Caron (Canada)
4. Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
5. Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
6. Colm Woulfe (New Zealand)
7. Matthew Ragg (New Zealand)
8. Adam Derks (USA)

SOUTH AMERICA
1. Rauno Heinla (Estonia) qualified
2. Jerry Pritchett (USA)
3. Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
4. Mikhail Shivlyakov (Russia)
5. Dimitar Savatinov (Bulgaria)
6. Marcos Ferrari (Brasil)
7. Brendan Page (USA)
8. Zach Hadge (USA)

FORTS WARWICK
1. Hafthor Bjornsson (Iceland) qualified
2. Jean-Francois Caron (Canada)
3. Vytauta Lalas (Lithuania)
4. Matjak Belsak (Slovenia)
5. Maxime Boudreau (Canada)
6. Jimmy Paquet (Canada)
7. Robert Kearny (USA)
8. Karl Hjelhot Canada)
9. Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
10. Kyle Rayner (USA)
11. Jacob Fincher (USA)
12. Krzystof Radzikowski (Poland)

AFRICA
1. Masteusz Kieliszkowski (Poland) qualified
2. Jitse Kramer (Netherlands)
3. Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
4. Jean-Francois Caron (Canada)
5. Jerry Pritchett (USA)
6. Rob Kearney (USA)
7. Johan Els (South Africa)
8. Brendan Page (USA)
9. Meteusz Ostaszewski (Poland)
10. Dimitar Savatinov (Bulgaria)
11. Jonathan Lane (USA)

EUROPE
1. Matjaz Belsak(Slovenia) qualified
2. Krzystof Radzikowski (Poland)
3. Jerry Pritchett (USA)
4. Dimitar Savatinov (Bulgaria)
5. Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
6. Dainis Zageris (Latvia)
7. Justin Fisher (USA)
8. Jitse Kramer (Holland)
9. Sigfus Fossdal (Iceland)
10. Chris Alitz (USA)
11. Jiri Vytiska (Czech)
12. Stoyan Todorchev (Bulgaria)

Mateusz Ostazsewski of Poland qualified through winning the 2017 Arnold Amateur World Championships

2017 POINTS STANDINGS*

(through 2017 Arnold Classic Europe and includes points awarded at 2017 Arnold Strongman Classic)

1. Jerry Pritchett (USA), 29 points
2. Jean-Francois Caron (Canada), 22 points
3. Dimitar Savatinov (Bulgaria), 16 points
4. Vytautas Lalas (Lithuania), 13 points
5. Jitse Kramer (Netherlands), 11.5 points
6. Krzystof Radzikowski (Poland), 10 points
7. Robert Kearny (USA), 9 points
8. Maxime Boudreau (Canada), 6 points
9 (tie). Brendan Page (USA) and Dainis Zageris (Latvia), 5 points
11 (tie). Johan Els (South Africa), Karl Hjelhot (Canada) and Justin Fisher (USA), 4 points
14. (tie) Martins Licics (USA), Colm Woulfe (New Zealand), Marcos Ferrari (Brasil), and Zach Hadge (USA) 3 points
18. Sigfus Fossdal (Iceland), 2.5 points
19. (tie) Adam Derks (USA), Kyle Rayner (Canada) and Chris Alitz (USA), 1 point

*–DOES NOT INCLUDE ATHLETES QUALIFIED FOR 2018 ARNOLD STRONGMAN SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

*–POINTS CALCULATED ON NUMBER OF COMPETITORS, PER COMPETITIONS, WITH MAXIMUM 10 POINTS FOR 1^ST, 9 POINTS FOR 2^ND, ETC. IN COMPETITION WITH SIX COMPETITIONS, 6 POINTS AWARDED FOR 1^ST, 5 POINTS FOR 2^ND, ETC.