The 2023 Arnold Classic is set to go down this March 2-5 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Ohio Expo Center, and other Central Ohio venues.
Arnold Sports Festival has served as the launching pad for many rising bodybuilders and strongman competitors. Since its inception in 1989, the show has grown quickly in the last 34 years. It has established itself as the second most prestigious competition in the sport, next to only Mr. Olympia.
It will host seven divisions at the event. Former Olympia winner Brandon Curry won the 2022 Arnold Classic but will not defend his throne this year. Reigning champion Terrence Ruffin, who extended his winning run to two in the Classic Physique category at the last edition, will also sit out the contest..
2023 Arnold Classic Full Lineup
On Jan. 6, Arnold Sports Festival announced the full lineup for each of the seven divisions on their Instagram account.
Men’s Open
Things are bound to change in the Men’s Open division at the 2023 Arnold Classic as the defending champion Brandon Curry chose to stay on the sidelines following a fourth-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
Former two-time champion William Bonac will return with a vengeance after narrowly missing out on his third trophy last year. Along with Bonac, reigning two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida will be on the stage next to former 212 Olympia king Kamal Elgargni.
Men’s Open competitors:
- William Bonac
- Samson Dauda
- Shaun Clarida
- Akim Williams
- Blessing Awodibu
- Charles Griffin
- Justin Rodriguez
- Kamal Elgargni
Classic Physique
A new champion is set to emerge in the Classic Physique division. Two-time champion Terrence Ruffin announced his withdrawal from the competition after an underwhelming performance at the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
Brazilian prospect Ramon Rocha Queiroz impressed at the Olympia with a second-place finish, falling short of the dominant Chris Bumstead. He will battle it out for the top prize with the likes of Urs Kalecinski and former champion Alex Cambronero.
Classic Physique competitors:
- Ramon Rocha Quieroz
- Urs Kalecinski
- Mike Sommerfeld
- Alex Cambronero
- Neil Currey
- Mehdi Larijani
- Kyrylo Khudaiev
- Jason Brown
- Courage Opara
- Darwin Uribe
Men’s Physique
Reigning champion Erin Banks will look to capitalize on the momentum of winning the 2022 Mr. Olympia, where he dethroned three-time Men’s Physique Olympia winner Brandon Hendrickson. Proven contender Diogo Montenegro will enter the competition with a well-earned top-three finish at Olympia.
Men’s Physique competitors:
- Erin Banks (champion)
- Emanual Hunter
- Antoine Weatherspoon
- Diogo Montenegro
- Juan Manuel Gomez
- Carlos DeOliveira
- Ali Bilal
- Edvan Ferreira Palmeira
- Jahvair Mullings
- Vitor Chaves
Bikini
Reigning champion Lauralie Chapados goes into the show as the favorite. She will look to extend her run at the top against some of the most elite contenders, including 2022 Olympia winner Maureen Blanquisco and legendary three-time Bikini Olympia champion Ashley Kaltwasser.
Former Olympia champion Jennifer Dorie will round up the historic lineup of champions in one of the most competitive categories.
Bikini competitors:
- Lauralie Chapados (champion)
- Maureen Blanquisco
- Jennifer Dorie
- Ashley Kaltwasser
- India Paulino
- Eli Fernandez
- Ivanna Escandar
- Ukachi Onyejiaka
- Romina Basualdo
- Phoebe Hagan
Wellness
Isabelle Nunes etched her name in the history books as the first Wellness champion of the Arnold Classic contests. As the defending champion, Nunes will look to retain the title in the second-ever Wellness event. She turned in an impressive performance at the 2022 Olympia, finishing second behind winner Francielle Mattos.
Angela Borges and Sunny Andrews will serve as the main opponents to Nunes.
Wellness competitors:
- Isabelle Nunes (champion)
- Angela Borges
- Kassandra Gillis
- Yarishna Ayala
- Rayane Fogel
- Andrea Hrenko
- Giselle Machado
- Sunny Andrews
- Marissa Andrews
- Julia Chitarra
Fitness
Ariel Khadr took home the top prize at the 2022 Arnold Classic and will return for another showdown in hunt for her second title. She came close to winning her maiden Sandow trophy last month and finished third behind Jaclyn Baker and winner Missy Truscott.
After losing to Baker at the Olympia, Khadr will get the chance to redeem herself at the ASF. Four-time Olympia champion Oksana Grishina is another notable name on the roster.
Fitness International competitors:
- Ariel Khadr (champion)
- Oksana Grishina
- Jaclyn Baker
- Allison Kramer
- Michelle Fredua-Mensah
- Minna Pajulahti
- Tamara Vahn
- Terra Plum
- Tiffany Chandler
- Kristin Pope
Men’s Wheelchair
Men’s Wheelchair standout Gabriele Andriulli reigned supreme at the last edition of the ASF. He managed to edge out iconic Wheelchair competitor Harold Kelley, a five-time Arnold Classic winner.
Andriulli and Kelley’s rivalry heated up at the 2022 Olympia, with Kelley taking home the top prize. Fans will be excited to see them clash another time on stage at the contest.
Men’s Wheelchair competitors:
- Gabriele Andriulli (champion)
- Harold Kelley
- Anand Arnold
- Antoni Khadraoui
- Bradley Betts
- Bryan Williams
- James Berger
- Tim Caldwell
- Tory Jones
- Woody Belfort
2023 Arnold Classic tickets can be purchased through their official website. Fanmio will offer a pay-per-view experience for those who won’t be in person in Ohio. There is a plethora of talent in the seven divisions at the ASF with promising contenders who can go on to potentially win an Olympia competition.
