It’s official: The 2021 Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend will return to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, from October 7-10. The dates and location were officially announced in a press release on the Mr. Olympia website. Historically, the show is held in September and in Las Vegas. However, due to restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 show was moved to Orlando, FL in December.
“Our team has been busy evaluating options for this year’s event, and we’re excited to announce that Orlando has been selected as the host location,” President and Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon said in the press release. “The entire city welcomed our fans and athletes with open arms last year, and our sights are now set on taking things to a whole new level this year.”
On March 8, 2021, the Olympia also announced that the cut-off date for Olympia qualification is Sept. 12, 2021. As it stands, the Toronto Pro, which takes place on August 20, 2021, will be the last qualifier. (That is unless the Arnold Classic, which is currently postponed, is rescheduled between August 20 and September 12.)
Along with Solomon, owner and promoter Jake Wood — who is credited with bringing the Ms. Olmypia competition back since it was disbanded in 2014 — also shared that he was looking forward to this year’s version of the bodybuilding’s biggest weekend.
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“It was a proud moment for all of us watching the industry come together in 2020 for an Olympia Weekend we won’t soon forget,” Wood said in the press release. “But that was just the beginning. Our team is already working to raise the bar even higher this October. You’re not gonna want to miss what we’ve got planned.”
This announcement comes a little over two months after the 2020 Olympia took place in the same city. It was the first time since 1998 (the same year Ronnie Coleman won his first of eight consecutive Olympia wins) that the premier bodybuilding competition was held anywhere outside of Las Vegas, NV.
The Olympia is one of the two big events in the world of bodybuilding. The other is the 2021 Arnold Sports Festival, which would normally be held at the beginning of March in Columbus, OH. There is still no official word on when that event would take place. Normally, the show takes place before the Olympia, as the Arnold Classic champion qualifies for the big event now set to take place in Florida.
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The 2021 Olympia will be the first title defense for Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, who became the 16th man to hold the title in December 2020. (From his sweeping quads to his rounded shoulders to his thick back musculature, Ramy looked incredible.) It will also mark the debut of the Wellness division on the Olympia stage. In total, 11 professional divisions will crown their world champions this fall in the Sunshine State.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on March 9, 2021, with information on the Olympia’s cut-off date.
Featured Image: @Cbum on Instagram/photo by Calvin Youttitham