By this point in the 2020 pro bodybuilding schedule, the eyes of the sport would be on the 2020 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thanks to the current status of the world, that contest will now be in mid-December, and there are still competitors trying to earn their qualification spots. The most recent contest to offer one of those spots is the California Pro, which had to be moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. While the change in location was an inconvenience, the contest did take place On September 12.
Winner – Antoine Vaillant
This is Vaillant’s first professional victory, and it also marks his first qualification to the Mr. Olympia contest. He had finished in 7th place at the New York Pro just one week ago, but the condition he brought here was vastly improved. He credited his improvement to adjustments made by his coach, Dorian Hamilton. He also shared on Instagram that he worked with bodybuilding legend Flex Wheeler on his posing and presentation which could have also played a role in such a turnaround. He has confirmed that he will compete at the Olympia later this year.
2nd Place – Maxx Charles
Charles improved on his placing from last weekend’s contest as well, but he was unable to take the top spot. He scores points on the Olympia scoring system which allows the top three non-victorious athletes to earn positions on the big stage. However, he will likely choose to compete in Chicago or another contest in order to secure a victory instead.
3rd Place – An Nguyen
Nguyen has been inconsistent throughout his career. In this appearance, he looked impressive but not enough to overtake the top two who were both larger and better conditioned. All the judges had him solidly in third place. He has yet to earn his first pro victory and has not been on the Olympia stage.
4th – Patrick Moore
This contest one year ago is where Moore actually made his name first known. After that victory, he had went on to place in the Top 10 at the 2019 Mr. Olympia. He hasn’t seen the same success so far in 2020, but he still has time to earn a win and return to Las Vegas.
5th – Eddie Bracamontes
The San Diego, California native is always someone who can knock someone out of a top 5 placing, but has yet to achieve victory. If he tightens up a little more without going flat when he’s onstage, he can move up in the standings at a future contest.
Featured Image: Instagram/antoinev87
