2022 Men's 212 Olympia Prejudging: Angel Calderon Frias Challenges Two Former Champions

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Shaun Clarida, Kamal Elgargni, and Angel Calderon Frias duke it out for the first place position at the 2022 Men’s 212 Olympia prejudging.

This Friday saw the day one prejudging rounds including the Men’s 212 division. With former Men’s 212 Olympia champion Derek Lunsford moving up to the Men’s Open division – the title is left wide open for a new champion. This year’s Men’s 212 lineup is the largest in Olympia history, ratcheting up the tension even further for a first place victory at the most prestigious bodybuilding competition of the year. In the end, Angel Calderon Frias found himself in a tense battle with two former Olympia champions – Shaun Clarida and Kamali Elgargni.

There’s no doubt that Shaun Clarida and Kamal Elgargni were two favorites to win at this year’s Men’s 212 Olympia. Not only have they both won the title before – but they have maintained consistent quality physiques throughout their career. The two have always battled it out in the top 3 in recent years, regardless of final placing.

And the two did not disappoint in the 2022 Olympia Friday prejudging. Shaun Clarida, in particular looked astounding. His individual routine led to an eruption of applause and cheers from the fans. True to form, his conditioning was spot on and his entire package was full, hard, and paper-thin dry.

That’s not to say that Elgargni didn’t bring the heat. Kamal holds a wider sized physique (and also has a little extra height on Clarida), allowing him to look mammoth and towering next to his fellow former champion.

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A three-way battle for first place

In the first callout – it seemed that Shaun Clarida was the first-impression favorite of the judges. He was placed smack in the middle of the first callout. Typically during comparison rounds, the closer a bodybuilder is to the center the higher their likely placing will be. The first callout brings in the first-impression top favorites. Then when the final callout swings around, we see a re-evaluated top pairing.

When the final callouts came around, both Kamal Elgargni and Shaun Clarida were present. But they weren’t alone in a top two callout. Instead, Angel Calderon Frias joined them. He was present towards the center of the first callout as well. By the time judges returned to the final callout, Frias was not only present but also placed into the center of the three.

Angel Calderon Frias has what looks to be the widest physique and bulkiest size of the three competitors. This might give him a size edge – but can he compare to the razor sharp conditioning of Clarida and Elgargni? Frias may have been placed in the dead center – but throughout the last callout all three competitors were shuffled into the center spot at one point or another.

The mere fact that all three of these athletes were included in the final callout shows how close this match may become. However, a lot can change in the few hours between the prejudging and the finals. We’ll see how the comparisons look later tonight to see who can get an edge on the other.

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Keone Pearson fighting for a top 3 spot

Keone Pearson was also a competitor that many had high hopes for. Ultimately, he didn’t find himself in the final callout. Despite this, he might be able to still pull himself into the running during the finals. The fifth callout seemed to showcase competitors that the judges were considering for 4th place through to 8th. Keone Pearson was present during this callout and also placed in the center.

This might mean he is considered for fourth place currently by the judges. If he can improve at all during the finals – he might be able to inch his way into the top 3. But can he earn himself a first place finish? At the current moment it seems unlikely. Regardless, we’re excited to see what he can pull off later tonight.

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