The 2022 Wheelchair Olympia will be the fifth edition of the contest, and it’s scheduled to take place on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, as part of the 2022 Olympia Weekend at the Venetian in Las Vegas, NV. This year’s contest will have 14 competitors, the most ever for the Wheelchair Olympia. The full roster of competitors is listed below in alphabetical order:
2022 Wheelchair Olympia Roster
- Gabriele Andriulli
- Anand Arnold
- Woody Belfort
- Bradley Betts
- Tyler Brey
- Adelfo Cerame, Jr.
- Nick Hewitt
- Tory Jones
- Pierre Kavalin
- Harold Kelley
- Antoni Khadraoui
- Chad McCrary
- Karol Milewski
- Abraham Sanchez
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Past Champion
There has only been one Olympia winner in the four years the contest has been held. Harold Kelley is the defending champion, and he’s been dominant on the Olympia stage. He won the 2021 contest with a perfect score from the judges. In the previous years, it was difficult to predict anything besides a Kelley victory at the Olympia. However, 2022’s edition has more drama leading into it.
Top Contenders
Gabriele Andriulli was the second-place finisher at the 2021 Olympia and the 2019 Olympia. He didn’t compete in the 2020 contest. However, he pulled off a monumental upset when he defeated Kelley at the 2022 Arnold Classic Wheelchair contest in early March in Columbus, OH. That was Kelley’s first loss since he placed third at the 2014 Dallas Wheelchair Pro. Because of that victory, Andriulli is now considered the guy that could finally knock Kelley out of the top spot at the Olympia.
Someone else to watch for is Antoni Khadraoui, who was third at the 2021 Olympia and earned second-place points in that contest. He placed second to Andriulli at the 2022 Arnold Classic UK as well. It’s unclear who will make the first callout, but Kelley, Andriulli, and Khadraoui will likely be a part of it.
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New Contenders
Among the favorites and veterans in this show will be some rookies to the Olympia experience. One of those will be 2022 Toronto Pro winner Woody Belfort, who won that contest unopposed to earn his qualification. Tory Jones entered the 2021 Toronto Pro weekend as an amateur. He left with his pro card, then he won the Toronto Pro itself to qualify for the Olympia.
Nick Hewitt of the United Kingdom will also make his Olympia debut. His last contest was the 2022 Arnold Classic UK, where he placed fourth. Abraham Sanchez is the 2021 NPC Nationals winner and was victorious at the 2022 Dallas Pro.
Other competitors that will be on the Olympia stage for the first time include Pierre Kavalin and Karol Milewski.
Dark Horses
There are some athletes returning to the Olympia stage as well. 2018 Olympia runner-up Anand Arnold will be back after a three-year absence, as will Adelfo Cerame Jr., who was fourth in this show one year ago. Tyler Brey was fifth in 2021, and he will hope to build on that finish this year. Chad McCrary was sixth in the 2021 Olympia and placed third in Dallas earlier this year. Last but not least is Bradley Betts, who was seventh last year, but he placed third at the Arnold Classic in March.
You can watch the 2022 Wheelchair Olympia and the other 10 pro contests that will be held in Las Vegas by ordering the 2022 Olympia pay-per-view. The premium package covers both days of competition, and it can be ordered for $59.99 at the Olympia Productions website.
Featured Image: @haroldkelley071 on Instagram.
