Australian bodybuilder Josh Lenartowicz will be making his return to the bodybuilding stage at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, on March 7th. It will be his first time competing since winning the Big Man Weekend contest in 2019. Lenartowicz missed the 2019 Olympia due to having surgery to remove a tumor from his skull and issues with recovery following that surgery. He also became a father during his time away from the stage.
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On February 3, he posted on Instagram that he won’t only be competing in Ohio this season. He will also compete at the Arnold Australia and Arnold South America contests later in the season. The Arnold Australia takes place March 20th-22nd and the South America event will be held April 3rd-5th.
“Prepping for the 3 Arnold’s @arnoldsports @arnoldsportsau @arnoldsouthamerica and it’s been the hardest prep with what I went through late last year and this year from my surgeries and side effects from the medications post operation but I’m not a quitter and just like Black Skull’s slogan “no feelings just results” backing up your words by your actions says everything about your character and even if you’re not your best you will still place higher than the person who gave up.”
A Chance at History
Lenartowicz has been considered a top tier star in the sport for the last few years thanks to his back-to-back 9th place finishes at the Olympia and his four pro victories. So the possibility of him winning any of these contests is high.
With him entering all three Arnold events, he has the potential to add his name to some elite company.
If he were to win all three shows and be presented the trophies by Arnold Schwarzenegger, he would join Kai Greene and Dexter Jackson as the only men to win three Arnold contests in the same season. Greene performed the feat in 2016 with the same three shows. Jackson won the Arnold Classic, Arnold Australia, and Arnold Europe in 2015. The Europe contest is no longer on the IFBB Pro League schedule. Brandon Curry has won the same three shows that Lenartowicz is entering but his wins were in different seasons.
Should Lenartowicz be able to pull off the Schwarzenegger hat trick, it would elevate him to a top 3 threat to the 2020 Mr. Olympia. He has placed as high as 3rd at the Arnold Classic (2016) and 4th in Australia twice (2016 and 2019). He has never competed in the Arnold South America before this season.
Featured Image: Instagram/josh_lenartowicz