On Dec. 28, 2022, the IFBB Pro League formally announced the 2023 Olympia Qualification System, which determines the lineups for all 11 pro divisions to qualify for the Olympia Weekend every year. The announcement was shared in the Instagram post below:
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All Olympia champions are qualified for life to compete in any show within the Olympia division they won. For example, 2022 Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan will be allowed to enter any contest he wishes in the Men’s Open division, including the Mr. Olympia every year.
Outside that guideline, athletes must earn the right to step on the Olympia stage every year. In years past, competitors could either win a show or earn qualification by placing in the top three in points of the Olympia Qualification System, which rewarded competitors that didn’t win a show but placed well consistently across multiple shows.
The 2023 parameters for qualifying will not include the points system. Only the top five of the 2022 Mr. Olympia, the top three in other 2022 Olympia contests, and contest winners during the qualifying phase will earn invites to compete at the 2023 Olympia. That phase lasts from Nov. 21, 2022, until Oct. 9, 2023.
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Men’s Open (Mr. Olympia)
- Top five finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia
- Contest winners between Nov. 21, 2022, and Oct. 9, 2023
All Other Divisions
- Top three finish at the 2022 Olympia
- Contest winners between Nov. 21, 2022, and Oct. 9, 2023
This change in qualifying comes after the 2022 Olympia set a record for the most qualified athletes in history, with over 400 IFBB Pro League athletes across all 11 divisions earning their way to compete in Las Vegas, NV.
The 2023 Olympia Weekend has been confirmed to occur in Orlando, FL, in November 2023. Olympia promoters haven’t formally announced the exact dates. The lists of Olympia-qualified athletes for each division will be updated on the Olympia website and the IFBB Pro League and NPC News Online websites. The current list of qualified athletes for the 2023 Mr. Olympia (Men’s Open) as of Dec. 28, 2022, is as follows:
- Brett Wilkin — 2022 Big Man Pro Weekend champion
- Hadi Choopan — 2022 Mr. Olympia champion
- Derek Lunsford — 2022 Mr. Olympia, second place
- Nick Walker — 2022 Mr. Olympia, third place
- Brandon Curry — 2019 Mr. Olympia champion, 2022 Mr. Olympia, fourth place
- Mamdouh Elssbiay — 2020, 2021 Mr. Olympia champion, 2022 Mr. Olympia, fifth place
Featured Image: @ifbb_pro_league on Instagram