The third Wellness International contest will be held as a part of the 2024 Arnold Classic Weekend in Columbus, OH, on Friday, March 1, 2024. Eleven IFBB Pro League competitors are in the lineup, hoping to have the winner’s trophy presented to them by promoter Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The winner will also qualify to compete in the 2024 Wellness Olympia in Las Vegas, NV, on the weekend of Oct. 10-13, 2024. The roster of athletes is listed below in alphabetical order:
2024 Wellness International Lineup
- Sandra Colorado Acal
- Amanda Burnett
- Johanna Calcano
- Lili Dong
- Anne-Marie Gobeil
- Andrea Hrenko
- Hye Yoon Kim
- Francielle Mattos
- Isabelle Pereira Nunes
- Bruna Seredich
- Courtney Starr
[Related: 2024 Fitness International Preview]
[Related: 2024 Arnold Classic Men’s Wheelchair Pro Show Preview]
Past Champions
There have been two champions in the past two years: 2023 winner Kassandra Gillis is sitting 2024 out. However, inaugural champion Isabelle Pereira Nunes is in this lineup, aiming to become the first two-time champion.
Nunes withdrew from the 2023 contest due to injury but returned to the stage at the 2023 Olympia Weekend, ranking second to three-time Olympia champion Francielle Mattos.
Top Contenders
Speaking of Mattos, the three-time reigning Olympia champion will make her Arnold debut in 2024. As the current world champion, Mattos is considered the early favorite. The new variable for Mattos is competing twice in fewer than five months. Peaking twice in that time span isn’t easy.
Mattos should enter with confidence that she can remain on top in the Wellness division. If either Mattos or Nunes wins the title, no 2024 Olympia qualification will be awarded since both are already locked for the 2024 Olympia.
There is room in the first callout for up to eight athletes. Sandra Colorado Acal intends to be among them, alongside Mattos and Nunes, should they make it. Acal ranked eighth at the 2023 Olympia and won two pro shows during the 2023 season: the Toronto Pro Supershow and the Europa Pro. This will be Acal’s first time competing in Columbus as a pro.
Dark Horses
If any of the three previously mentioned athletes are off their marks, several stars are ready to take advantage. Among them is Lili Dong, who ranked 14th at the 2023 Olympia.
Outside of the Olympia, Dong competed five times during the 2023 season, never finishing worse than third. She scored two pro wins at the Klash Series All South Wellness Pro and the Southern California Pro.
Third-year pro and 2023 Houston Tournament of Champions winner Amanda Burnett has also shown elite potential. She finished outside the top 15 at the 2023 Olympia, but many of the top finishers from this show are not in this lineup. Burnett could take advantage in Columbus to show she’s ready to level up. The same could be said for 2023 Arizona Pro winner Andrea Hrenko.
Arnold Debuts
Several athletes will make their Arnold debuts in 2024: Johanna Calcano, Anne-Marie Gobeil, Hye Yoon Kim, Bruna Seredich, and Courtney Starr. Any of them could land in the final callout, posing for a top-five finish. While the lineup is full of top stars, anything can happen at the Arnold, including a first-time dark horse champion.
How to Watch
Prejudging takes place on the Expo stage in the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Friday, March 1, 2024, at 12:30 PM Eastern time. The finals are set to take place that evening in the Battelle Grand Ballroom in the same building at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Tickets to watch both rounds can be purchased on the Arnold Sports website.
People who are unable to be in Columbus live can still watch the show via the free livestream presented by ADL Pro. Details of the livestream are expected to be announced in the weeks leading up to the big weekend in Ohio.
Featured Image: @arnoldsports on Instagram
