2021 Rogue Invitational Strongman Contest: Martins Licis Finishes As Champion

Martins Licis was able to take home the title at the 2021 Rogue Invitational Strongman Contest.

Martin Licis proved superior over the weekend during the 2021 Rogue Invitational. Some of the top strongmen in the world gathered in Round Rock, TX and competed in five events to see who would be crowned champion. In the end, it was one of the former World’s Strongest Man competition winners who took home the prize.

Licis was not the only former WSM winner in the competition. The 2019 winner was able to outlast the two previous champions. Tom Stoltman, who was the WSM champion in 2021, finished second while 2020 WSM Oleksii Novikov finished with the bronze medal. Novikov was on a roll with three victories already this year and one second-place finish. Now, he can add another top-three finish to his resume.

For Licis, this was his first competition since the 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic as he was recovering from injuries. A force in the sport, Licis proved that he is still a force and is fully back from any injuries that have been suffered. There is no better return than a first-place finish against some of the other top competitors in the world.

All competitors competed in five different events and were fighting for placement to split a total pool of $1,436,638. By finishing in first place, Licis took home $133,351, which is the largest winning in the history of the sport. Stoleman claimed $66,601 while Novikov earned $39,3991 for his third-place finish.

The full results have been released and you can checkout how the entire competition played out below!

 

2021 Rogue Invitational Results

Overall

  • Martins Licis — 45 points
  • Tom Stoltman — 42 point
  • Oleksii Novikov — 34 points
  • Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 29.5 points
  • JF Caron — 28 points
  • Rob Kearney — 26 points
  • Brian Shaw — 23 points
  • Luke Stoltman — 22 points
  • Mikhail Shivlyakov — 13.5 points
  • Jerry Pritchett — 12 points

Elephant Bar Deadlift

This event kicked off the competition where athletes were to complete the heaviest lift they could. The order of lifts went based on the weights that were chosen by the men. JF Caron took first place in the first event. Brian Shaw finished fourth but was forced to skip him third and final lift after a hamstring injury.

  • JF Caron — 420 kilograms (926 pounds)
  • Tom Stoltman — 413 kilograms (911 pounds)
  • Martins Licis — 410 kilograms (906 pounds)
  • Brain Shaw — 400 kilograms (881 pounds)
  • Rob Kearney — 397.5 kilograms (876 pounds)
  • Oleksii Novikov — 390 kilograms (861 pounds)
  • Jerry Pritchett — 388 kilograms (856 pounds)
  • Luke Stoltman — 383.5 kilograms (846 pounds)
  • Mateusz Kieliszkowski — no successful lift (T-ninth)
  • Mikhail Shivlyakov — no successful lift (T-ninth)

Cyr Dumbbell Ladder

Mateusz Kieliszkowski holds the world record for the heaviest dumbbell lift at 150kg (3330.7lb) but this was an event based on speed. Athletes had to lift five dumbbells overhead in the fastest time possible. The dumbbells weighed 253, 274, 280, 290, and 300 pounds. Novikov was the only competitor to complete all five lifts and did so in just over a minute.

  • Oleksii Novikov — five dumbbells in one minute, five seconds
  • Martins Licis — three dumbbells in 37 seconds
  • Mateusz Kieliszkowski — three dumbbells in one minute
  • Brian Shaw — two dumbbells in 21 seconds
  • Tom Stoltman — two dumbbells in 28 seconds
  • Rob Kearney — two dumbbells in 29 seconds
  • Luke Stoltman — one dumbbell in eight seconds
  • Mikhail Shivlyakov — one dumbbell in seven seconds
  • JF Caron — one dumbbell in nine seconds
  • Jerry Pritchett — no successful lift

Wheel of Pain

The Wheel of Pain is a behemoth that weights 20,000 pounds. Made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger, athletes are required to turn the wheel as far as possible in one minute. Each competitor was given 60 seconds and in the end, Stoltman moved it furthest at just over 89 feet.

  • Tom Stoltman — 89 feet, three inches
  • Martins Licis — 85 feet, six inches
  • Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 83 feet, six inches
  • Oleksii Novikov — 76 feet, 3 inches
  • Luke Stoltman — 73 feet, nine inches
  • Rob Kearney — 63 feet, three inches
  • Mikhail Shivlyakov — 55 feet, nine inches
  • Brian Shaw — 54 feet, nine inches
  • Jerry Pritchett — 50 feet, nine inches
  • JF Caron — 29 feet, six inches

Timber Yoke Carry/Overhead Log Press Medley

The athletes had a two and a half minute time limit to complete this event. They were required to carry a 455kg (1,000lb) yoke a distance of 50 feet before pressing a 163kg (360lb) log overhead three times. The fastest time determined the winner and it was Kieliszkowski, who defeated Licis by three seconds.

  • Mateusz Kieliszkowski — 0:41.74
  • Martins Licis — 0:44.70
  • Tom Stoltman — 0:52.06
  • JF Caron — 0:56.03
  • Oleksii Novikov — 1:05.51
  • Brian Shaw — 1:37.83
  • Luke Stoltman — two reps on the log in 37 seconds
  • Rob Kearney — one rep on the log in 27 seconds
  • Mikhail Shivlyakov — yoke carry in 50 seconds
  • Jerry Pritchett — no distance credited

Inver Stone Over Hitching Post

This is another event with a time limit — this time two minutes. Athletes had to lift the oddly-shaped stones over a 50-inch high log. The stones weighed 275, 300, 365, 400, and 420 pounds. Heading into this event, Licis needed to place at least second to win the competition and he ended it with a win. Licis completed the five stones nearly six seconds faster than Stoltman, who is known as “King of Stones.” The inver stones are a bit different than Atlas because of their shape.

  • Martins Licis — five stones in 24.45 seconds
  • Tom Stoltman — five stones in 30.08 seconds
  • JF Caron — five stones in 43.51 seconds
  • Oleksii Novikov — four stones in 1:04.5 seconds
  • Rob Kearney — four stones in 33.4 seconds
  • Luke Stoltman — three stones in 17.6 seconds
  • Jerry Pritchett — two stones in 13.3 seconds
  • Mikhail Shivlyakov — two stones in 12.1 seconds
  • Mateusz Kieliszkowski — one stone in 9.4 seconds
  • Brian Shaw — no lifts

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Greg Patuto
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.