The eighth edition of the Classic Physique Olympia will occur on the 2023 Olympia weekend in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5, 2023. It will feature 39 athletes and might be the most anticipated contest outside of the Mr. Olympia competition.
There were three ways to qualify for the 2023 Classic Physique Olympia. Past champions are qualified for life, the top three from the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia, and pro show winners throughout the 2023 qualifying season earned tickets to Orlando. A special invite from the IFBB Pro League or the Olympia promoters could also grant entry to the Olympia — though none are expected to be given in 2023. The roster for the Classic Physique Olympia is below, with the names in order of when they qualified or entered the contest:
2023 Classic Physique Olympia Roster
- Woilid Baatout (France)
- Chris Bumstead (Canada) — defending four-time champion
- Ramon Rocha Queiroz (Brazil)
- Urs Kalecinski (Germany)
- Mike Sommerfeld (Germany)
- Eric Brown (USA)
- Daniil Famponte (USA)
- Andrei Kozhokar (Russia)
- Michael Daboul (United Kingdom)
- German Pastor (Spain)
- Eric Wildberger Lisboa (Brazil)
- Samuel Paquin (Canada)
- Damien Patrick (USA)
- Damian Kuffel (Poland)
- Vahid Badpei (Iran)
- Laszlo Kiraly (Hungary)
- Antoine Loth (Spain)
- Carlos Dommar (USA)
- Fabio Junio Ramos Vale (Brazil)
- John Le (Canada)
- Marcus Perry (USA)
- Diego Alejandro Galindo (Brazil)
- Matthew Greggo (USA)
- Stephane Matala (France)
- Jared Thompson (USA)
- Jae Hun Park (South Korea)
- Alejandro Cambronero (Costa Rica)
- Eduardo Oliveira (Brazil)
- Shicheng Jin (China)
- Shi Tian Wang (China)
- Wesley Vissers (Netherlands)
- Christopher Ziller (Germany)
- Gabriel Zancanelli (Brazil)
- Courage Opara (USA)
- Terrence Ruffin (ISA)
- Maxime Yedess (France)
- Breon Ansley (USA) — former two-time champion
- Hasan Alibrahim (Netherlands)
- Junior Javorski (Brazil)
[Related: 2023 Mr. Olympia Preview]
[Related: 2023 Olympia 212 Contest Preview]
Past Champions
There have only been three champions in the Classic Physique division’s history. Danny Hester won the debut title in 2016 and has since retired from the competitive stage. Breon Ansley won the following two contests in 2017 and 2018. Chris Bumstead claimed the crown in 2019 and has not yet relinquished it. The four-time defending champion from Canada is the overwhelming favorite to win championship title number five in Orlando.
Ansley was expected to move to the 212 division in 2023 due to the weight cap restriction limiting what he could accomplish in Classic Physique. However, the IFBB Pro League adjusted the weight limits for each height in Classic Physique, which gave Ansley seven more pounds to play with — that’s a lot of additional muscle tissue to pack on and could help Ansley contend for the title yet again.
As a result, Ansley will remain in Classic Physique and attempt to win a third title. As a past Olympia champion, Ansley is forever qualified for the Classic Physique Olympia.
Top Contenders
The 2022 Olympia runner-up was Ramon Rocha Querioz. He went on to win the 2023 Arnold Classic Physique contest in March 2023. “Dino” is considered by most fans and insiders as Bumstead’s number-one contender for the title. Bumstead held off Querioz in 2022 with an injured biceps that has since healed.
With Bumstead at 100 percent, Querioz entering the Olympia with a bigger and better physique, and Ansley no longer limited by weight restrictions, it will likely be Bumstead’s stiffest competition yet.
Other top contenders are two-time Olympia runner-up and two-time Arnold Classic Physique winner Terrence Ruffin, who is considered by many to be the best poser of this era. Mike Sommerfeld finished fifth in 2022 and has only improved since — undoubtedly a sleeper pick for the podium.
The Golden Bear” Urs Kalecinski hopes to improve upon his third-place finish at the 2022 Olympia. At one point this season, he feared having to lose 26 pounds of muscle to make weight. Thanks to the rule change, the weight loss won’t be as steep, and Kalecinski is likely to contend for the title.
Dark Horses
It may seem strange to name a competitor with the résumé of Alex Cambronero as a dark horse. He won the 2023 Masters Olympia title and the 2020 Arnold Classic Physique. He ranked ninth at the 2022 Olympia, and all the previously named contenders finished ahead of him.
Michael Daboul won the 2023 New York Pro in May and ranked 10th in the 2022 Olympia. He could move up and contend for a place in the first callout if any of his rivals are off the mark. Don’t sleep on Wesley Vissers, either. He ranked eighth in Las Vegas and won the 2023 Empro Pro in dominating fashion to clinch his opportunity to compete in Orlando.
Olympia Debuts
As is the case with all 11 pro divisions, there are newcomers to the Olympia stage. Many athletes making their debuts won’t break into the top 15, but there are several with potential, including Daniil Famponte, who finished in the top four of all three pro shows he entered, including a win at the 2023 Charlotte Pro.
Samuel Paquin of Canada won the 2023 Toronto Pro Supershow — a major contest on the IFBB circuit. Another Canadian to watch is 2023 Vancouver Pro winner John Le. Carlos Dommar is in his third year and qualified for the 2023 Olympia via a 2023 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro win.
Fans who aren’t in Orlando to see the action live can watch pre-judging and finals of the Classic Physique Olympia by ordering the pay-per-view on the Olympia Productions website.
Featured Image: @cbum on Instagram
