Arnold Classic 2023 pre-judging: All you need to know
The second most prestigious bodybuilding tournament, Arnold Classic, has already got underway in its 2023 edition. On day two, the pre-judging saw great twists and turns in the competition.
Pre-judging for the 35th Arnold Classic and Classic Physique took place in the Battelle Grand Ballroom of the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Pre-judging was held with several Classic Physique bodybuilders present, including front-runners Ramon Rocha Quieroz and Urs Kalecinski. In the end, as predicted earlier, Quieroz won the Classic Physique title. He is set to participate in the upcoming 2023 Mr Olympia and will be up against the reigning champion Chris Bumstead.
Arnold Classic 2023 pre-judging results
On Friday night, the Men's Open category appeared on stage for the first time. There were a total of 10 contestants in Columbus vying for the Arnold Classic 2023 championship, featuring athletes like Big Ramy and Nick Walker.
Men's Open Category pre-judging
The usual names were present in the first callout, but Shaun Clarida managed to get in. The group's leaders were Big Ramy, Nick Walker, Andrew Jacked, and Samson Dauda.
However, in the first group, Clarida surprised everyone by replacing William Bonac. Walker's conditioning first took control, but Clarida was right there by his side.
On the first night, the competitors' combined size was astounding. Judges appeared to have settled on a top three of Walker, Dauda, and Jacked as the callouts continued.
First Callout
- Big Ramy
- Andrew Jacked
- Samson Dauda
- Nick Walker
- Shaun Clarida
Second Callout
- Justin Rodriguez
- Akim Williams
- William Bonac
- Kamal Elgargni
- Patrick Moore
Third Callout
- Big Ramy
- Akim Williams
- Shaun Clarida
- William Bonac
Fourth Callout (Top 3)
- Nick Walker
- Andrew Jacked
- Samson Dauda
The judges wished for a total of four callouts and after seeing the pre-judging, Nick Walker and Samson Dauda seem to have held off the other competitors.
Arnold Classic Physique pre-judging and results
Even though there were only two Classic Physique callouts, there was a lot of activity in them.
A majority of spectators believe that the finals later tonight will include another four-man match involving Urs Kalecisnki, Mike Sommerfield, Ramon Rocha Quieroz, and Alex Cambronero. Junior Javorski, Jason Brown, and Courage Opara, all had striking appearances.
First Callout
- Alex Cambronero
- Ramon Rocha Queiroz
- Mike Sommerfield
- Urs Kalecinski
Second Callout
- Junior Javorski
- Jason Brown
- Courage Opara
Just after the two callouts, fans acknowledged that the competition is just between the two, Kalecisnki and Quieroz.
Arnold Classic 2023 results after the end of day two
Till now, the most awaited division, the Men's Open, hasn't had its results declared. But now, three categories have got their winners and they will be vying to compete in the upcoming 2023 Mr Olympia.
The most followed event was Classic Physique, which saw Ramon Rocha Queiroz emerge as the winner. In the Fitness category, Ariel Khadr won and the new Wellness champion is Kassandra Gillis.
Arnold Classic 2023: Time and schedule
Here are the full details of the Arnold Classic 2023 schedule and time. The times given here are in GMT.
March 3, 2023, Friday
Prejudging (from 12:30 pm to 2 pm)
- Classic Physique
- Fitness
- Wellness
Finals (from 7 pm to 9:30 pm)
- Classic Physique
- Fitness
- Wellness
- Men’s Open – Prejudging
March 4, 2023, Saturday
Prejudging (from 10 am to 12.00 pm)
- Bikini
- Men’s Physique
- Pro Wheelchair – Finals
Finals (from 7 pm to 10 pm)
- Men’s Open
- Men’s Physique
- Bikini