Earlier this week, the promoters of the Olympia announced that the biggest weekend in bodybuilding would take place December 16-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The change was made due to the COVID-19 pandemic that had altered the calendars for the majority of the sports world.
Now that we know when the Olympia will be taking place, the next question was if the scheduled shows for the season would still take place and how long would those athletes that had yet to qualify have to earn his or her ticket to the big stage.
On May 14, the IFBB Pro League announced that competitors would have until October 18, 2020 to qualify for the Olympia this season. They also posted the revised 2020 schedule on their website. A few of the significant dates follow but the full schedule for all ten pro divisions is now available.
Tampa Pro – July 31 and August 1, 2020
The Tampa Pro is normally known as the “last chance to dance” for the majority of the divisions but that will not be the case this season. It appears that this year the show in Tampa will mark the return to competition for pro bodybuilding. At least that will be the case if no other delays or cancellations take place. Past champions of this contest include Dexter Jackson and Josh Lenartowicz.
Pittsburgh Pro – September 2-5, 2020
Originally taking place in early May, there is actually no open men’s contest here but promoter and IFBB Pro League President Jim Manion has several of the top stars make guest posing appearances to help hype the Olympia. Nothing official regarding this tradition continuing this year has been announced but don’t be surprised if it happens.
New York Pro – September 5, 2020
This contest is annually held in mid-May and is considered one of the top non-Olympia contests on the schedule. This year was supposed to mark the return of Evan Centopani as well as the pro debut of Hunter Labrada. If this contest happens, they could still make their presence onstage known.
Prague Pro – September 26, 2020
This show is normally one of the favorites of the “post-Olympia” tour but of course, it will now take place before the Olympia. The fans always show support for this contest and come out in big numbers. It could be considered one of the bigger international shows on the circuit.
Athleticon – October 10, 2020
This is the event that has been promoted heavily by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dani Garcia. It will be in Atlanta, Georgia and had been met with a lot of hype before the season was interrupted. No other details about the bodybuilding part of this event had been announced as of yet.
Chicago Pro – October 16-17, 2020
If an athlete had yet to make it to Vegas by winning a show, this is the final opportunity for the season. After this contest, athletes will either have to place high enough in the scoring system or met his or her division’s criteria to make it to Planet Hollywood.
Featured Image: Instagram/mrolympiallc
