Mitchell Hooper Edges Rivalry by One Point to Win Arnold Strongman Classic 2026

The man they call “The Moose,” Mitchell Hooper won his fourth straight Arnold Classic Strongman title over the weekend and scored the most points in 2026, proving he’s still one of the strongest men around.

Hooper was clearly delighted at the end of the prestigious event, especially when he was presented with the winner’s trophy by Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his family proudly looking on. The big man who won the world’s strongest man award in 2023had to take some time off in 2025 to deal with nagging injuries, but certainly came back with a string of victories. In the end, the man from Midhurst, Ontario, broke his goal in Columbus, albeit in a close contest, after collecting 36 points, only to be defeated by his nearest competitor, Austin Andrade, who scored 35 points.

Mitchell Hooper’s impressive lifts at the 2026 Arnold Classic Strongman

The two-day competition began on Friday, March 6, and saw some Herculean performances from Hooper, who lifted the elephant bar at 981lbs (445kg) and also lifted 300lbs (136kg) with Lucas Hutton in the overhead press of Cyr Bell. Hooper who eats 70,000 calories a day to exercise for such events, explained via YouTube that “this weekend pushed me to the limit in some brutal events against an incredible field of athletes, but the work paid off.”

Conspicuous by their absence were Hafjörður “Thor” Björnsson and Tom Stoltman, who withdrew early from the competition. When these rivals reunite for a tournament, perhaps the World’s Strongest Man event in 2026, there will certainly be unfinished business to address. However, it will once again be Mitchell Hooper’s night at the Arnold, and with four consecutive Classic Strongman titles under his belt, “The Mouse” has proven that he is the man to beat.

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