The 2023 Arnold Classic wrapped up this past weekend, Mar. 2-5, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
More than 10,000 athletes from around the world made their way to the 35th edition of the Arnold Sports Festival. The event featured over 50 competitions, including professional bodybuilding, strongman, fitness, figure, and bikini over the three-day period.
The Arnold Classic was founded by legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer in 1989 to celebrate the icon’s achievements in the sport. It has experienced significant growth and is widely regarded as the second most prestigious fitness showcase in bodybuilding behind only Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance weekend.
For the up-and-coming prospects, the ASF provides a springboard to stardom and recognition in the community. Several Mr. Olympia champions and top contenders came through the show before finding glory at the Olympia, such as Jay Cutler, who won four Sandow trophies. As such, there’s a strong potential we got to see some future Olympians battle it out on stage in Columbus.
Given the short time between the ASF and the latest Olympia, which happened three months ago, there was hesitation for some to make a quick turnaround for the contest. The organizers raised the stakes by increasing the prize money for the winner of the Men’s Open class to a record high of $300,000. It attracted more talent as several participants threw their names in the hat.
2023 Arnold Classic Winners:
- Men’s Open: Samson Dauda
- Classic Physique: Ramon Rocha Queiroz
- Men’s Physique: Erin Banks
- Fitness: Ariel Khadr
- Bikini: Lauralie Chapados
- Wellness: Kassandra Gillis
- Pro Wheelchair: Harold ‘King Kong’ Kelley
2023 Arnold Classic Results for All Divisions
Below are the results and a recap of the bodybuilding action from the 2023 Arnold Classic:
2023 Arnold Classic Men’s Open Bodybuilding Results
With former champion Brandon Curry skipping the show, the title was sure to change hands. Nick Walker entered as the favorite to become a two-time AC champion and he did not disappoint. Samson Dauda was looking to capitalize on the momentum after placing sixth in his Olympia debut. Rising sensation Andrew Jacked came prepared with a harder package and exhibited an amazing flow in posing. Big Ramy returned strong but could not do enough to crack the top three.
Ultimately, Dauda stood out as the clear winner with monstrous muscle size and shape. Walker took silver and also won the Most Muscular award. Jacked slotted in third place and earned the Best Poser honors.
- Winner — Samson Dauda ($300,000)
- Second Place — Nick Walker ($120,000)
- Third Place — Andrew Jacked ($70,000)
- Fourth Place — Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay ($37,500)
- Fifth Place — Shaun Clarida ($20,000)
- Sixth Place — Akim Williams ($12,500)
Check out the complete 2023 Arnold Classic Men’s Open results here.
Arnold Classic 2023 Classic Physique Results
Two-time champion Terrence Ruffin was not on stage to defend the title. He missed the mark at the latest Olympia, where he dropped down from runner-up to sixth place three months ago.
Brazilian sensation Ramon Rocha Queiroz made a quick turnaround after narrowly missing out on the top prize at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. He turned in a sensational performance and handily dispatched the competition with a hard and dry physique. German contender Urs Kalecinski came closest to Ramon as he battled it out with him another time during the prejudging and in the final callout to determine the victor.
As the only former champion in the lineup, Alex Cambronero proved his consistency once again with a strong third-place finish.
- Winner — Ramon Rocha Queiroz ($60,000)
- Second Place — Urs Kalecinski ($30,000)
- Third Place — Alex Cambronero ($20,000)
- Fourth Place — Mike Sommerfeld ($7,000)
- Fifth Place — Courage Opara ($4,000)
- Sixth Place — Junior Javorski ($2,000)
View the full results of the 2023 AC Classic Physique here.
2022 Arnold Classic Men’s Physique Results
Reigning champion Erin Banks had no intentions of giving up the throne. He was coming off an impressive victory at the 2022 Olympia contest last month. He took the lead early and found himself in a fierce battle with grizzled veteran Diogo Montenegro in the final call out of the prejudging. Montenegro pushed Banks to his limits with a stellar package.
However, Banks gave him no chance towards the end and successfully defended the title. He became a two-time Arnold Classic champion in dominant fashion.
- Winner — Erin Banks ($10,000)
- Second Place — Diogo Montenegro ($6,000)
- Third Place — Emanual Hunter ($4,000)
- Fourth Place — Vitor Chaves ($3,000)
- Fifth Place — Carlos DeOliveira ($1,500)
- Sixth Place — Edvan Ferreira Palmeria ($1,500)
View the full results of the 2023 AC Men’s Physique here.
2023 Arnold Classic Bikini Results
The Bikini class witnessed one of the most intense battles on stage ever with several champions in the lineup ready to make their claim for the coveted Arnold Classic title.
Reigning champion Lauralie Chapados was tasked with the challenge of dispatching some of the biggest names in the division, including 2022 Bikini Olympia winner Maureen Blanquisco, three-time Olympia queen Ashley Kaltwasser, and former Olympia victor Jennifer Dorie.
Chapados established herself as the frontrunner of the event with her insane aesthetics and stage presence during the prejudging. When all was said and done, Chapados defended the title successfully and added the second AC trophy under her belt.
- Winner — Lauralie Chapados ($10,000)
- Second Place — Maureen Blanquisco ($6,000)
- Third Place — Jennifer Dorie ($4,000)
- Fourth Place — Ashley Kaltwasser ($3,000)
- Fifth Place — Romina Basualdo ($1,500)
- Sixth Place — Ivanna Escandar ($1,500)
View the full results of the 2023 AC Bikini here.
2023 Arnold Classic Wellness Results
Inaugural and former Women’s Wellness queen Isabelle Nunes emerged as the first-ever Wellness champion at the previous edition of the contest. She was planning to defend the title but couldn’t make it as she got forced to pull out due to a regressive knee injury.
During the prejudging, Kassandra Gillis presented an impressive package with strong lower muscle development and overall symmetry, along with Angela Borges. Eventually, Gillis’ package proved to be unbeatable as she scored her maiden Arnold Classic title.
- Winner — Kassandra Gillis ($7,000)
- Second Place — Angela Borges ($4,000)
- Third Place — Rayane Fogel ($3,000)
- Fourth Place — Alexis Adams($2,000)
- Fifth Place — Marissa Andrews ($1,000)
- Sixth Place — Andrea Hrenko ($1,000)
Check out the complete 2023 AC Wellness International results here.
2023 Arnold Classic Fitness Results
Reigning champion Ariel Khadr was determined to add a successful title defense after winning the previous edition but it would not be an easy task as she faced one of the fiercest competitions in the Fitness class.
Jaclyn Baker entered the show as the highest-ranked Olympian and targeted to knock Khadr off the throne. Fitness icon Oksana Grishina, four-time Olympia queen, was also in the lineup with budding contender Michelle Fredua-Mensah.
After placing behind Baker at the latest Olympia, Khadr exacted her revenge by showing off her insane conditioning and muscle balance. She came out on top of the contest and added the second Arnold Classic title to her resume. Baker gave her a tough challenge and came in second place with Fredua-Mensah rounding up the top three.
- Winner — Ariel Khadr ($25,000)
- Second Place — Jaclyn Baker ($13,000)
- Third Place — Michelle Fredua-Mensah ($8,000)
- Fourth Place — Allison Kramer ($5,000)
- Fifth Place — Terra Plum ($3,000)
- Sixth Place — Tiffany Chandler ($2,000)
Check out the complete 2023 Arnold Classic Fitness International results here.
2023 Arnold Classic Wheelchair Pro Results
Harold Kelley has proven to be one of the most dominant forces in bodybuilding with five consecutive wins at the Mr. Olympia competition. At the previous edition, former champion Gabriele Andriulli pulled off a massive upset by defeating Kelley for the top prize. While Kelley got his revenge at the latest Olympia, he was looking to reclaim the Arnold Classic title.
Kelley stood out from the competition with impeccable upper-body muscle definition and conditioning. He went head-to-head against Tory Jones and Bradley Betts in the prejudging. In the end, it was Kelley who got the nod from the judges and became a six-time Arnold Classic champion.
- Winner — Harold ‘King Kong’ Kelley
- Second Place — Tory Jones
- Third Place — Bradley Betts
- Fourth Place — Woody Belfort
- Fifth Place — James Berger
- Sixth Place — Tim Caldwell
The organizers set the bar high for the event and did not disappoint as they delivered an action-packed feast of entertainment for fans all around the world. Middle Easy congratulates the winners, participants, and the ASF team for another sensational show at the 2023 Arnold Classic.
