The 2024 Wheelchair Olympia is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. Sixteen competitors will take the stage to determine the best Wheelchair bodybuilder in the world is as part of the 2024 Olympia World Fitness Expo. Both pre-judging and finals will be held.
2024 Wheelchair Olympia Roster
The full lineup is below in the order in which they qualified:
- Karol Milewski (Poland)
- Harold Kelley (USA)
- Josue Fabiano Barreto Monteiro (Brazil)
- Rajesh John (India)
- Gabriele Andriulli (Italy)
- Kevin Secundino (France)
- Kristof Hornos (Hungary)
- James Berger (USA)
- Blake Colleton (Australia)
- Eugeno Molino (Italy)
- Gaylon Grigsby (USA)
- Nick Hewitt (UK)
- Kyle Roberts (USA)
- Anand Arnold (India)
- Bryan Williams (USA)
- Jean Pierre (Brazil)
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How To Qualify
This division has two previous winners; they are both qualified for life, which gives them automatic entry into the contest. Winners throughout the Olympia qualifying season, which concluded on Sept. 15, 2024, are also eligible to compete in this contest.
The Wheelchair division is the only one that still uses the Olympia Qualifying System points. The top five finishers in that points system are also invited to compete. Three athletes tied for fifth place, and the IFBB Pro League granted all of them eligibility.
Past Champions
The two previous champions of this contest are five-time winner Harold “King Kong” Kelley and 2023 titleholder Karol Milewski. Milewski has not competed since winning the 2023 Wheelchair Olympia, but many expect him to be in even better shape than he was one year ago.
Kelley was in the lineup for the 2024 Arnold Classic Wheelchair competition but finished in fourth place. He has the opportunity and ability to win back the Olympia title, but this has been his most challenging year since dominating the division starting in 2018.
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Top Contenders
The Arnold Classic Wheelchair champion was Rajesh John of India, who came out of nowhere. Many fans feel he is a lock to be in the first callout if he brings the same level of conditioning and definition to the stage in Las Vegas.
Another contender is Gabrielle Andruilli, who finished second to John and won the 2024 Arnold Classic Wheelchair UK contest two weeks later. He is the only other athlete in this lineup who has beaten Kelley — at the 2022 Arnold Classic Wheelchair. Both John and Andruilli are expected to join the past champions in the first callout.
Dark Horses
This division has grown by leaps and bounds since the beginning of this decade. New stars have emerged, including James Berger, who will make his Olympia debut thanks to winning the 2024 Dallas Pro Wheelchair contest.
Kristof Hornos is also a new contender who won his pro card and, subsequently, his first pro show at the 2024 Toronto Pro Supershow. Blake Colleton pulled off that same feat at the 2024 Europa Pro on the final weekend of the qualifying season.
Other Notes
Both rounds of judging for this contest are part of the Olympia World Fitness Expo. Fans who won’t be in Las Vegas can watch them by purchasing the 2024 Olympia pay-per-view on the Olympia Productions website.
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Featured Image: @wheelchairbodybuilding on Instagram
