The 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man competition is scheduled to take place on April 1st, at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. In recent posts made on Instagram, the organizers announced the full lineup of competitors with two additional athletes on the sidelines as reserves for the event.
Strongman athletes are in full swing to get ready for the upcoming edition of Europe’s Strongest Man contest with just a few months left until the start. The event will feature a series of events, such as the Log Lift, Deadlift Ladder, Carry & Drag, Atlas Stones, and others to determine who the strongest in Europe this year is.
Ukraine’s Oleksii Novikov took home the top prize last year by dethroning former champion Luke Stoltman at the 2022 ESM. Despite failing to defend his title, Luke placed runner-up ahead of Konstantine Janashia, who finished third.
2023 Europe’s Strongest Man full roster revealed
In recent Instagram posts, the organizers of the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man competition revealed the full roster.
- Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — reigning champion
- Gavin Bilton (UK)
- Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (France)
- Adam Bishop (UK)
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
- Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
- Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
- Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
- Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
- Dennis Kohlruss (Germany)
- Eythór Ingólfsson Melsted (Iceland)
- Graham Hicks (UK)
- Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
- Paul Smith (UK) — Reserve
- Shane Flowers (UK) — Reserve
2021 ESM champion, Luke Stoltman, and current two-time WSM champion, Tom Stoltman, won’t be in attendance for the event as they are set to return next month for the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic.
The defending champion, Oleksii Novikov, will face tough competition from Konstantine Janashia, who targets improving his third-place finish from the previous contest. In addition, the 2023 Britain’s Strongest Man winner, Adam Bishop, will also look to capitalize on his winning form going into the event alongside fellow standout competitor Graham Hicks. It’s also hard to look past Pavlo Nakonechnyy in regard to potential podium finishers, since he represents one of the greatest young talents the sport has ever seen.
Paul Smith and Shane Flowers will serve as the two reserves who will compete in the case of a withdrawal.
Having won the previous edition of the ESM, Novikov is set to aim for a second title at the upcoming 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man contest. The dominant Ukrainian turned in a fantastic season last year. After winning the 2022 ESM, Novikov went on to set a new World Record on the Flinstone barbell. He managed to press a humongous 542.3-pound (246-kilogra.) lift to lead the World’s Strongest Man competition finals on day one. Eventually, he placed third on the podium behind Martins Licis and champion Tom Stoltman.
Novikov continued his impressive run a few months later at the 2022 Shaw Classic. He dominated his competition in the first event by breaking the Hummer Tire Deadlift World Record with a huge 1,210-lb lift.
Novikov’s final appearance of the season happened at the 2022 Rogue Strongman Invitational show last October. He went into the contest looking to execute revenge against his rival Licis, who beat him at the WSM and was also the inaugural Rogue Strongman Invitational champion. Novikov handily dispatched the competition and concluded his year with the title.
Last month, Novikov vocalized his plans to set a new Hummer Tire Deadlift World Record of 1,322.8-lb (600-kg) at the Shaw Classic. Having broken the previous world record with a lift of 549 kgs without any training, he is confident he can improve his standing when he returns for the show.
With the announcement of the full roster for the 2023 ESM, athletes will up the ante as they approach the final stages of their prep for the show. In addition, seeing the ESM will take place just weeks before the 2023 World’s Strongest Man, it is guaranteed that the competitors will be in the shape of their lives.
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