Amidst a series of disappointments that marked the Dinnie Stone Carry event at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2024, one ray of hope saved the day. The round involves participants carrying one 319 lbs and one 415 lbs stone on each arm, raising the total weight to 734 lbs. Canadian Strongman champion Mitchell Hooper aced the round with his speed and distance covered.
The weights proved to be tough enough for most of the participants. Many who had scored well in previous events, including veteran Martins Licis, failed to get to the top three. However, on the flip side, fans saw the uprising of strongmen like Evan Singleton, Mateusz Kieliszkowski, and Tom Stoltman, who came close to covering over 30 feet.
Hooper came in second to last to pick the stones and impressed fans with the smooth lift-off. His strategy was to move on as quickly as possible and power through the pain. While others made use of their second attempts to pick the stones after they dropped them, he chose a clean sweep with his first attempt.
What marked his participation’s significance was the smooth run with little struggle. Hooper’s strategy so far seems to be to not exhaust himself out. Avoiding injuries and tears on multiple attempts gives him the chance to perform better at other rounds.
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Covering a distance of 41 feet, 4 inches, Hooper clinched a clean win over his competitors. After hearing the news of his achievement, he cheered along with the crowd, pleased with himself, and left the arena with a competitive warning:
“I have a two-week-old daughter at home. And when I left, I told my wife, I’m not coming to come in second.”
Overall Standings and Tiff with Hafthor: How is Mitchell Hooper holding up?
Strongman fans have been waiting for this event since the announcement of Hafthor Bjornsson’s return was made. The idea of a battle between the past and current champions has excited enthusiasts. Combined with the online banter between Bjornsson and Hooper, this Arnold Strongman Classic 2024 has been special.
After events from day one, Bjornsson stood at the first rank, closely followed by Hooper at second. Since day 2 involves three events, with the Canadian winning the first one, things could change quickly. Hooper has already caught on to the Icelandic Strongman with a tie at the overall ranking. Will the veteran win, or will the championship give way to new winners? Only time will tell.
