On Oct. 7-10, 2021, the most chiseled physiques from around the world will converge on Orlando, FL, to compete for the greatest prize in the sport of bodybuilding — the Sandow trophy. Athletes in 11 divisions will attempt to impress the judges with their musculature, conditioning, stage presence, and posing routines to get a piece of the $1.6 million prize pool and a spot in the history books.
The 2021 Olympia weekend — both the premium and amateur packages — will be available to watch via OlympiaTV (olympiaproductions.com). The premium package is $59.95, and the amateur package is $29.95. The premium package includes coverage of all 11 divisions, pre and post-event interviews with the athletes, and Sunday coverage of the Superstar Seminar (the official press conference after the competition is complete). The amateur package features the 2021 Amateur Olympia events in the Open Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Women’s Physique, Figure, Bikini, and Wellness divisions. None of the content in the premium package is available in the amateur package and vice versa. The 2021 Amateur Olympia will be held on Oct. 5-6, 2021.
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[Related: Eight-Time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman Receives Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award]
Olympia Weekend Prize Pool
The 2021 Olympia prize pool of $1.6 million is an increase of $200,000 from 2020. It is not yet clear how the Olympia will divvy up the money, but 2020 Mr. Olympia winner Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay went home with the largest prize of $400,000. Olympia LLC is expected to release the specific prize breakdown for the 2021 Olympia soon, and this article will be updated when they do.
2021 Olympia Rosters (Qualified Athletes)
The following rosters are not the official rosters as those have not yet been confirmed. The subsequent rosters are, however, the current lists of qualified athletes in each division.
Mr. Olympia
- William Bonac (Netherlands)
- Hadi Choopan (Iran)
- Brandon Curry (USA)
- Nathan De Asha (UK)
- Mamdouh Elssbiay (Egypt) — 2020 Mr. Olympia Champion
- Regan Grimes (Canada)
- Phil Heath (USA)
- James Hollingshead (UK)
- Hunter Labrada (USA)
- Patrick Moore (USA)
- Hassan Mostafa (Egypt)
- Andrea Presti (Italy)
- Justin Rodriguez (USA)
- Mohamed Shaaban (Egypt)
- Vladyslav Sukhoruchko (Ukraine)
- Iain Valliere (Canada)
- Nicholas Walker (USA)
- Akim Williams (USA)
- Roelly Winklaar (Curacao)
Ms. Olympia
- Irene Andersen (Sweden)
- MayLa Ash (USA)
- Michaela Aycock (USA)
- Reshanna Boswell (USA)
- Nadia Capostosto (Italy)
- Leah Dennie (USA)
- Stephanie Flesher (USA)
- Monique Jones (USA)
- Janeen Lankowski (USA)
- Anastasia Leonova (Russia)
- Margie Martin (USA)
- Silvia Matta (Italy)
- LaDawn McDay (USA)
- Sheena Ohlig (USA)
- Mona Poursaleh (Canada)
- Virginia Sanchez (Spain)
- Andrea Shaw (USA) — 2020 Ms. Olympia Champion
- Helle Trevino (USA)
- Margita Zamolova (Czech Republic)
Classic Physique
- Zeek Andrews (USA)
- Breon Ansley (USA)
- Jose Maria Mete Bueriberi (Spain)
- Chris Bumstead (Canada) — 2020 Classic Physique Champion
- Alex Cambronero (Costa Rica)
- Tommy Clark (USA)
- German Pastor Cueto (Spain)
- Neil Currey (UK)
- Sabur Favors (USA)
- Bryan Jones (USA)
- Urs Kalecinski (Germany)
- George Kawalawu (USA)
- Seonghwan Kim (South Korea)
- Brady King (USA)
- Laszlo Kiraly (Hungary)
- Gabriel Zancanelli Machado (Brazil)
- Fabian Mayr (Austria)
- Peter Molnar (Hungary)
- Courage Opara (USA)
- Ramon Rocha Querioz (Brazil)
- Terrence Ruffin (USA)
- Abtin Shekarabi (IRAN)
- Mike Sommerfeld (Germany)
- Tony Taveras (USA)
- Robert Timms (USA)
- Darwin Andres Uribe (Colombia)
- Wesley Vissers (Netherlands)
- Divine Wilson (USA)
- In Seong You (South Korea)
- Dani Younan (USA)
Figure
- Bahar Ayra (Germany)
- Anna Banks (Poland)
- Heather Dees (USA)
- Maria Luisa Baeza Diaz (USA)
- Wendy Fortino (USA)
- Rhea Gayle (UK)
- Stephanie Gibson (USA)
- Cydney Gillon (USA) — 2020 Figure Olympia Champion
- Nicole Zenobia Graham (USA)
- Sandra Grajales (Mexico)
- Julia Heerenveen (Netherlands)
- An Da Jeong (South Korea)
- Lola Montez (Canada)
- Jessica Reyes Padilla (Puerto Rico)
- Michele Silva Pinto (Brazil)
- Larhannah Robinson (USA)
- Shelace Shoemaker (USA)
- Natalia Soltero (Mexico)
- Carly Starling-Horrell (USA)
- Bojana Vasiljevic (USA)
- Julia Waring (USA)
- Latorya Watts (USA)
- Nadia Wyatt (USA)
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- Noel Adame (USA)
- Ahmad Ashkanani (Kuwait)
- Kerrith Bajjo (USA)
- Steve Benthin (Germany)
- Piotr Borecki (Poland)
- Tonio Burton (USA)
- Shaun Clarida (USA) — 2020 212 Olympia Champion
- Lucas Coelho (Brazil)
- Pasquale D’Angelo (Italy)
- Kamal Elgargni (Libya)
- Ahmed ElWardany (Egypt)
- Nathan Epler (USA)
- Angel Calderon Frias (Spain)
- Vladimir Iacovlev (Moldova)
- John Jewett (USA)
- Junho Kim (South Korea)
- Derek Lunsford (USA)
- Naser Mohammed (Kuwait)
- Keone Pearson (USA)
- George Peterson (USA)*
*On Oct. 6, 2021, it was announced by the Olympia that George Peterson died. Peterson’s coach and friend Justin Miller, along with hotel security, found Peterson laying face down in his hotel room. His cause of death is unknown.
Fitness
- Jaclyn Baker (USA)
- Darrian Borello (USA)
- Kate Errington (UK)
- Debbie Fowler (USA)
- Oksana Grishina (Russia)
- Whitney Jones (USA)
- Ariel Khadr (USA)
- Sara Kovach (USA)
- Minna Pajulahti (Finland)
- Alix Small (UK)
- Missy Truscott (USA) — 2020 Fitness Olympia Champion
- Aurika Tyrgale (USA)
- Tamara Vahn (Canada)
- Derina Wilson (USA)
Men’s Physique
- Daniel Ammons (USA)
- Erin Banks (USA)
- Luca Biolo (Italy)
- George Brown (USA)
- Rodrigue Chesnier (France)
- Bong Seok Choi (South Korea)
- Riccardo Croci (Italy)
- Carlos DeOliveira (Brazil)
- Youcef Djoudi (France)
- Ismael Martinez Dominguez (Mexico)
- Raymont Edmonds (USA)
- Andre Ferguson (USA)
- Felipe Franco (Brazil)
- Charjo Grant (USA)
- Brandon Hendrickson (USA) — 2020 Men’s Physique Champion
- Kyron Holden (USA)
- Jason Huynh (USA)
- Nicolas Koeu (USA)
- Joseph Lee (USA)
- Junho Lee (South Korea)
- Andrei Marius Lincan (Romania)
- Antoine McNeill (USA)
- Clarence McSpadden, Jr (USA)
- Diogo Montenegro (Brazil)
- Corey Morris (USA)
- Jahvair Mullings (USA)
- Abisai Pietersz (Netherlands)
- Khali Quartey (USA)
- Ramses Rams (Spain)
- Arya Saffaie (USA)
- John Sarmiento (USA)
- Suraqah Shabazz (USA)
- Micah Thomas, Jr (USA)
- Leonardo Vecchiato (Italy)
- Yukihiro Yuasa (Japan)
Women’s Physique
- Elizabeth Bradshaw (USA)
- Daniely Castilho (Brazil)
- Tanya Chartrand (Canada)
- Laura Pintado Chinchilla (Spain)
- Natalia Abraham Coelho (USA)
- Lenka Ferencukova (Czech Republic)
- Patricia Gosselin (Canada)
- Shanique Grant (USA)
- Ana Harias (USA)
- Ashley Jones (USA)
- Alyssa Kiessling (USA)
- Barbara Menage (France)
- Anne-Lorraine Mohn (France)
- Bork Im Park (South Korea)
- Ivie Rhein (USA)
- Caroline Alves Dos Santos (Brazil)
- Emily Renee Schubert (USA)
- Melissa Teich (USA)
- Carli Terepka (USA)
- Penpraghai Tiangngok (Thailand)
- Sarah Villegas (USA) — 2020 Women’s Physique Champion
- Brooke Walker (USA)
- Christelle Zarovska (Sint Maarten)
- Elisama Manuel Benta Zorzetto (Brazil)
Wellness
2021 marks the inaugural competition for the Wellness Division at the Olympia.
- Sunny Andrews (USA)
- Yarishna Ayala (USA)
- Angela Borges (Brazil)
- Devyn Cambre (USA)
- Barbara Emanuele Cesar (USA)
- Julia Chitarra (Brazil)
- Casey Delong (USA)
- Juliana Mota Esteso (France)
- Kassandra Gillis (Canada)
- Renee Harshey (USA)
- Renee Jewett (USA)
- Giselle Machado (Brazil)
- Charline Mas (France)
- Francielle Mattos (Brazil)
- Lisa Christin Meiswinkel (Germany)
- Mallory Myers (USA)
- Isabelle Nunes (Brazil)
- Maria Paulette (Spain)
- Lorena Ragusa (USA)
- Amanda Rezende (Brazil)
- Susana Rodriguez (Brazil)
- Isamara dos Santos (Brazil)
- Bruna Seredich (USA)
- Tatiany Valliant (Brazil)
Bikini
- Vania Auguste (USA)
- Ariel Barley (USA)
- Romina Basualdo (USA)
- Maureen Blanquisco (USA)
- Kristina Brunauer (Austria)
- Melissa Carver (Australia)
- Lauralie Chapados (USA)
- Sara Choi (South Korea)
- Carolina Collazos (USA)
- Lauren Dannenmiller (USA)
- Jennifer Dorie (Canada)
- Alessia Facchin (Italy)
- Eli Fernandez (Mexico)
- Ivanna Escandar Fernandez (Spain)
- Jasmine Gonzalez (USA)
- Stine Hansen (Denmark)
- Reijuana Harley (USA)
- Daraja Hill (USA)
- Adrianna Kaczmarek (Poland)
- Ashley Kaltwasser (USA)
- Janet Layug (USA) — 2020 Bikini Olympia Champion
- Jourdanne Lee (USA)
- Maria Julia Lemos (Brazil)
- Ashlyn Little (USA)
- Chen Qi Liu (China)
- Noora Mahonen (Finland)
- Lucia Malavaze (USA)
- Jimi Marley (USA)
- Gabrielle Messias (USA)
- Ji Bin Park (South Korea)
- Elisa Pecini (Brazil)
- Emily Plajer (USA)
- Jennifer Ronzitti (USA)
- Erin Stern (USA)
- Francesca Stoico (Italy)
- Sierra Swann (USA)
- Angelica Teixeira (USA)
- Allison Testu (France)
- Jessica Wilson (USA)
Wheelchair
- Gabriele Andriulli (Italy)
- Bradley Betts (USA)
- Tyler Brey (USA)
- Adelfo Cerame, Jr (USA)
- Harold Kelley (USA) — 2020 Wheelchair Olympia Champion
- Antoni Khadraoui (Algeria)
- Chad McCrary (USA)
- Johnny Quinn (USA)
New Champions
There are plenty of returning champions from the 2020 Olympia. “Big Ramy” will attempt to go back-to-back after his spectacular showing in 2020 that showed off his pristine conditioning. Chris Bumstead will try to be the first man ever in Classic Physique Olympia history to win the title three times, as will Breon Ansley (who won in 2017 and 2018).
Some big names from the 2020 Olympia will not be in Orlando to defend their titles. Bikini Champion Janet Layug retired. Additionally, Phil Heath is not going to attempt to claim a record-tying eighth Mr. Olympia title in 2021, according to his coach Hany Rambod.
The only sure thing heading into the Olympia weekend is athletes are expected to bring the best packages of their lives to the stage. We’ll see who made the necessary improvements to move up the scorecard and claim the coveted Sandow trophy.
Feature image: @mrolympiallc on Instagram | photo by Will Wittmann (@w_wittmannphoto)
