Editor’s Note: The 2024 Arnold Classic is underway. You can follow along at BarBend‘s live results page.
The first night of the 2023 Arnold Classic weekend is in the bodybuilding history books.
The Battelle Grand Ballroom in the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH, hosted the pre-judging of the 35th Arnold Classic and Classic Physique, the Fitness International, and the Wellness International finals.
In bodybuilding, few competitions are as prestigious as the Arnold Classic. Born in 1989, the Arnold Classic (now the name of the Men’s Open division and has since expanded to include a host of different divisions) is the namesake show of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who co-founded it with Jim Lorimer. Since that first show, the Arnold Classic expanded into the Arnold Sports Festival, which offers a fan expo, a strongman competition, and dozens of other sports.
BarBend will update this results page throughout the weekend, keeping you au courant with all the bodybuilding happenings in Ohio.
Fitness International
2022 champion Ariel Khadr set her sights on winning a second straight Fitness International title, but she had to defeat eight other competitors to make that happen. Khadr’s futuristic-themed routine with a custom helmet was a hit with the audience, which was a good thing.
Two-thirds of the overall score comes from the routine round. The top six were announced to the crowd, and the champion for 2023 was once again Khadr, who is now the seventh multi-time champion in the contest’s history.
- Ariel Khadr
- Jaclyn Baker
- Michelle Fredua-Mensah
- Allison Kramer
- Tamara Vahn
- Tiffany Chandler
Arnold Classic Physique
A new champion was guaranteed, with two-time winner Terrence Ruffin out of the lineup. The two early favorites going in were Ramon Rocha Querioz and Urs Kalecinski. Former champion Alex Cambronero was also in this lineup, and he wanted to join Ruffin as a two-time winner of this contest. Whoever places first would be considered a top contender for Chris Bumstead at the 2023 Classic Physique Olympia. If anyone besides Cambronero won, he would be the fifth champion of this show.
Queiroz had the crowd behind him during the individual routines. The man known as “Dino” was the favorite of many experts in attendance. It would be Querioz and Kalecinski in the final callout for comparisons by the judges. Head judge Steve Weinberger had both competitors go through two complete posing rounds, which the fans enjoyed immensely.
Kalecinski was awarded the Ed Corney Award for the best posing. Then it was time to hand out awards for placings. Cambronero finished in third place, second went to Kalecinski, and the new Arnold Classic Physique champion for 2023 is Querioz, who scored his first major title as a pro. The anticipation will now be the rematch between him and Bumstead in Orlando, FL at the Olympia.
- Ramon Rocha Querioz
- Urs Kalecinski
- Alex Cambronero
- Mike Sommerfeld
- Courage Opara
- Junior Javorski
- Jason Brown
Wellness International
The second Wellness International was also going to see a new winner crowned because 2022 winner Isabelle Nunes had to withdraw due to a knee injury. Among the favorites were the 2022 runner-ups Angela Borges and Kassandra Gillis out of Canada. One round of comparisons was performed during the finals.
The top six finishers were announced to the audience by announcer Bob Cicherillo. Ultimately, the second Wellness International winner was Gillis, who was interviewed by Arnold Schwarzenegger afterward. Borges finishes as the runner-up for the second straight year. Rayane Fogal rounded out the top three.
- Kassandra Gillis
- Angela Borges
- Rayane Fogal
- Alexis Adams
- Marissa Andrews
- Andrea Hrenko
Arnold Classic Winners
- 1989 — Rich Gaspari
- 1990 — Mike Ashley
- 1991 — Shawn Ray
- 1992 — Vince Taylor
- 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 — Flex Wheeler
- 1994, 1996 — Kevin Levrone
- 1995 — Mike Francois
- 1999 — Nasser El Sonbaty
- 2001 — Ronnie Coleman
- 2002, 2003, 2004 — Jay Cutler
- 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015 — Dexter Jackson
- 2007 — Victor Martinez
- 2009, 2010, 2016 — Kai Greene
- 2011, 2012 — Branch Warren
- 2014 — Dennis Wolf
- 2017 — Cedric McMillan
- 2018, 2020 — William Bonac
- 2019, 2022 — Brandon Curry
- 2021 — Nick Walker
[Read: The Best Nitric Oxide Supplements for Muscle Pump, Endurance, and Recovery]
Saturday Night Finals
The second day of competitions will include Men’s Physique, Bikini, Men’s Wheelchair, and the finals of the Arnold Classic. The evening show is available on pay-per-view, starting at 7 p.m. Eastern time, courtesy of Fanmio.
Featured Image: Courtesy of the Arnold Sports Festival
