IFBB Pro League Open bodybuilder Roelly Winklaar was one of the athletes on the list of competitors for the 2020 Arnold Classic but he will now be sitting that contest out. Dave Palumbo of RXMuscle reported the news on YouTube and says Winklaar confirmed the news to him via text.
The Arnold Sports Festival has confirmed the news independently to BarBend and he is already off of the ASF website. As of this writing, there was no plans on another competitor taking his place in the lineup.
The native of Curacao was a top contender for the prestigious contest but has opted to take time away from the stage to focus on time with his family and to prepare for competitions later in the year including the 2020 Mr. Olympia contest in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Winklaar, the 2009 Arnold Amateur Champion, entered 2019 as a favorite for the Mr. Olympia title, having previously finished 3rd in the 2018 contest and being named “People’s Champion.” However, he finished 5th place which was considered a disappointment by many. In spite of that, his top 5 finish did earn him an automatic qualification to the 2020 contest. So he actually does not have to compete between now and September unless he wants to enter a show to gauge his progress as the Olympia gets closer.
Winklaar was one of the bigger athletes in the lineup as well as one of the most popular among fans. With him out of the lineup in Columbus, the door is now open for another contender to slide into a top spot. Athletes like Steve Kuclo, Sergio Oliva Jr., and Patrick Moore can see this as an opportunity to earn more prize month and potentially points in the Olympia scoring system. Competitors that are considered favorites like Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, William Bonac, and Dexter Jackson now have one less opponent to be concerned with.
Stay tuned to BarBend for more updates leading up to the 2020 Arnold Classic.
Featured Image: Instagram/roellywinklaar
