Mitchell Hooper four-peats, and Olga Liashchuk takes her third Arnold win.
By Roger “Rock” Lockridge, Managing Editor
The 2026 Arnold Strongman and Strongwoman Classic contests were held in Columbus, Ohio over the weekend of March 6th and 7th, and the results of those competitions were half-expected and half-surprising.
Mitchell Hooper emerged victorious on the men’s side, which was expected. On the women’s side, Olga Liashchuk secured her first Arnold Strongwoman Classic title, and her third Arnold win overall. Let’s take a look back on how history was made in Columbus.
Olga Liashchuk completes her return to the top in Ohio.
Liashchuk actually did not win a single event on the day, but she never placed below third in any of them. The high consistent finishes is actually a signature move of Hooper, but it served Liashchuk here. She managed to hold off a strong comeback from 2025 champion Carrasquillo, who won both the American Oak Press and the Loading Race, to take a 1.5-point win on the cards.
The other major highlight included a new record of 701-pound on the Elephant Bar Deadlift by Lucy Underdown, who finished in fifth place. 2025 World’s Strongest Woman Andrea Thompson was also in the event but made the tough choice withdraw after the first event due to issues around her prep. Thompson actually stayed around to hop on commentary, showing that she was there to support the sport and athletes in it.
- Olga Liashchuk – 50.5 points
- Inez Carrasquillo – 49 points
- Angelica Jardine – 48.5 points
- Hannah Linzay – 35 points
- Lucy Underdown – 33 points
The Moose Wins Yet Again
In one of the closest contests on the men’s side in quite some time, Hooper and runner-up Austin Andrade were separated by one point in the final standings. Andrade was seen as a dark horse contender, but he proved he is capable of being a force in the end.
Hooper won the Elephant Bar Deadlift with a top weight of 981 pounds. He also tied for first on the Cyr Bell Challenge dumbbell event. Andrade won the Stone to Shoulder event by lifting the massive 409-pound stone to his shoulder three times. It was the Carry and Drag event that cost him the overall win. Finishing next to last meant Hooper was able to hold him off for the overall victory. 2019 World’s Strongest Man and 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic winner Martins Licis finished in the bronze position on the podium.
- Mitchell Hooper – 36 points
- Austin Andrade – 35 points
- Martins Licis – 34 points
- Trey Mitchell – 31.5 points
- Lucas Hatton – 31 points
Replays of both competitions are available on the Rogue Fitness YouTube channel. Check back in with Muscle Insider for more coverage from Columbus, including all of our bodybuilding interviews and reports from the 2026 Arnold Classic weekend.
Coverage of the Arnold Classic Strongman and Strongwoman Classic is proudly sponsored by MUTANT. Check out their full lineup of high-performance supplements at mutantnation.com and on Instagram @mutantnation.
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