Cristian Candemir Places Fifth at 2023 Arnold Amateur Strongman

Just being able to compete at the 2023 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships was a feat in itself for Cristian Candemir.

But he did more than just compete.

Battling in the men’s under-80KG (175 pounds) lightweight division, Candemir, 28, placed fifth overall out of 21 competitors at one of the biggest Strongman competitions in the world at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this month.

The 2012 East Hampton graduate and current Montauk resident was just a mere 1.5 points away from finishing fourth, which would have advanced him to the finals. Nonetheless, he was extremely happy with how things turned out.

Candemir had qualified for the world championships by placing seventh out of 20 individuals competing in the same division at Strongman Corporation Nationals 2022 in Erie, Pennsylvania, this past October, grabbing the final qualifying spot for the “The Arnold.”

“I think it was pretty much one of the great experiences of my life. Better than I could have ever anticipated,” he said the day after competing on March 5. “I had hoped to merely compete, and had I made one or two less mistakes, I could have been competing today. But grateful is an understatement.

“There were 21 of us, I think, in the lightweights,” he continued. “People hailing from Norway, Great Britain, France, Bahrain, from all over the world. Just from the sheer logistics standpoint, I couldn’t have had a greater class or division to compete against because most of them are my friends. We all support one another and the camaraderie and rapport we all have with one another, it was an honor to be on the international stage with all of them. And I made new friends as well. Overall, it was a fantastic experience.”

Strongman competitions test competitors’ strength in a variety of nontraditional ways, and the world championships were no different. There were seven different events: the farmer’s walk, Viking press, arm-over-arm pull, loading race, max dumbbell press, Ukrainian deadlift and power stairs. There were a number of caveats and additions to each event and the amount of weight went up each time.

The caveat of the first event, the farmer’s carry, Candemir said, was that it was a 40-foot walk carrying 282 pounds done twice, once in one direction, then another time back. Candemir said many of the competitors tore their hands open carrying the weight, or many did the first walk somewhat easily but then couldn’t complete the second walk. Personally, Candemir said that he got a little fatigued and had to sit the weight down once, but the fact that he finished, while others didn’t, put him in a good position early.

Candemir said there was an eight-way tie for last place in the Viking, or overhead, press because eight competitors, including himself, couldn’t complete the event, so there wasn’t much movement in the standings after that event.

The arm-over-arm pull was basically a seated sled drag of 782 pounds, Candemir said, that had various implements working as the weight. He was surprised that the weight for what was basically the same event was considerably higher, about 880 pounds or so, at nationals. Even though he had a late start, Candemir said he finished well enough to be in third place afterward.

The loading race was really an “odd object” loading race where competitors had to lift six different implements, or objects, from the floor to a platform, and each one went up in weight. The objects were a 198-pound metal block, a 250-pound sand bag, a 265-pound fire hydrant, another heavier sand bag, a 287-pound Basque concrete cube and a 300-pound Icelandic stone. Only one competitor was able to lift all six objects.

Eventually Candemir did well enough to place fifth overall.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet that I placed fifth in the world,” he said. “I opted to work the 2019 Worlds and I think I had a glimpse there of what it would be like. It’s ironic that four years later, here I am, a lifetime goal achieved.”

So what’s next for Candemir? It’s a bit of a loaded question for him. Reaching The Arnold was very much a lifetime goal that took him seven years to achieve, so he’s not quite sure where that takes him going forward. There is a part of him, he said, that would love to stop having to cut about 20 pounds of weight for each competition, so going up a weight class is a possibility. Having now competed with and against some of the best in the world, Candemir is intrigued with what the international circuit has to offer.

But for the first time in quite a while, Candemir said he is in a good spot in his life. What comes next he will figure out in due time.

“This chapter is closed,” he said. “My hometown life is good. I finally have an opportunity to balance my life. Perhaps now is the time to reflect on different areas of life. I would like to pursue a degree with Arizona State University maybe later on this year. I think I’ll have plenty of opportunities overseas to compete. Life is up in the air but in many ways I feel like I’ve made it and I’m letting it all sink in. This past year and a half has been nothing short of cinematic, and I wouldn’t have believed you had you told me all of this was going to happen. I’m just so grateful for all of it.”