The final bodybuilding contest to offer qualification spots to the 2020 Mr. Olympia was this past weekend’s Chicago Pro show. Due to the restrictions in Illinois caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest was moved to Atlanta, Georgia, similar to what happened to the New York Pro being moved to Tampa, Florida.
The contest did take place and the men’s open result was the talk of the weekend. The final result was one of the closest decisions of the season.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGdkz0xHbri/
Winner – Akim Williams
This is Williams’ first victory since the 2016 Tampa Pro and the second win in his seven year pro career. It couldn’t have been any closer of a decision, either. According to the judges’ scorecards, the decision was determined by one point. He was in second place going into the finals, which he did look better in. Among his strengths in this show was his overall size and leg development. He hopes to take those assets and build on them to improve his 9th place finish on the Olympia stage last year.
2nd Place – Justin Rodriguez
Rodriguez was in the driver’s seat after prejudging bud didn’t appear to improve much between that phase of the competition and the finals, whereas Williams did. Nonetheless, Rodriguez did present a very impressive physique that was still in contention for the win. There were points awarded in the season standings, and the points that he accumulated here appears to have earned him an Olympia qualification that way. The final standings will be posted in the coming days.
3rd Place – Maxx Charles
Charles had been knocking on the door for the last few contests he entered, but hasn’t been able to secure a victory yet. The judges appeared to have him firmly in that third position in both phases of the contest. Like Rodriguez, he may have been consistent enough in the shows he entered to earn enough points to move on to Las Vegas.
4th Place – Nick Walker
This was the pro debut of the 2020 North American Champion, and he didn’t disappoint. He was in better shape than when he won his pro card, so he made the most of the few weeks in between the two events. While he was large and lean, the muscle maturity of the veterans he was competing against is why he placed outside of the top three. There’s no word on what he plans to do going forward, but to finish in the top 5 of your first pro show is quite an accomplishment in itself.
Other Division Winners
There were eight other divisions that held contests in Atlanta. Each of the champions listed below have also earned their qualifications for the 2020 Olympia this coming December.
212 – Keone Pearson
Classic Physique – Bryan Jones
Men’s Physique – Steven Cao
Women’s Bodybuilding – Theresa Ivancik
Women’s Physique – Bian Ruiying
Fitness – Aureka Tyrgale
Figure – Ajanel Williams
Bikini – Alexandria Ross
Featured Image: Instagram/wingsofstrength
