Here’s a breakdown and predictions for the Ms. Olympia division at the 2023 Olympia.
The prestigious Ms. Olympia competition is scheduled for November 3rd at the Orlando Convention Center in the vibrant city of Orlando, Florida. This highly anticipated 39th edition has been buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Notably, this year’s event will feature a select group of just ten exceptional contestants, with the notable absence of competitors Helle Trevino and Kristina Mendoza, who have announced their decision not to participate.
Women’s Open, as a division, has had a colorful and winding history. After starting in 1980, it was discontinued in 2014, a pause that lasted six years until its return in 2020. During this time, the premier women’s bodybuilding show was the Rising Phoenix, which is why you’ll find the names of many of this year’s competitors on the roster for that.
This year’s Ms. Olympia will feature only one former winner — Andrea Shaw. This gives the other nine competitors more hope for the coveted crown. Shaw won her first Ms. Olympia title at her debut in 2020, beating other Olympia veterans like Helle Trevino, Mayla Ash, and Maggie Martin.
Qualifications for Ms. Olympia, like all other Olympia qualifications, received a shocker for the 2023 season, which might explain the drop in numbers. The competition remains open to all previous winners for life as before, and the top three winners of the 2022 Ms. Olympia stay eligible. However, the points system has been removed, and all other athletes had to win a pro show in the qualification period that ended on October 9th, 2023.
The Women’s Open division has increased in popularity during this three-year dominance by Andrea Shaw. However, she has a bit of competition this year if she wants to upgrade that to a four-year dominance. Here’s a list of competitors for the Ms. Olympia this year, strong contenders to look out for, and some dark horses who could cause an upset in this year’s top five list.
2023 Ms. Olympia Qualified Competitors
- Alcione Barreto (Brazil)
- Andrea Shaw (USA)
- Angela Yeo (USA)
- Chelsea Dion (USA)
- Helle Trevino (USA) Not competing*
- Julia Whitesel (USA)
- Kristina Mendoza (USA)
- MayLa Ash (USA)
- Michaela Aycock (USA)
- Natalia Kovaleva (USA)
- Reshanna Boswell (USA)
- Sherry Priami (USA)
This is listed alphabetically using the athlete’s first name, and as we already pointed out, Helle Trevino announced that she would be taking a break in 2023 earlier in the season. However, it wasn’t until two weeks ago that Kristina Mendoza pulled out of the 2023 Olympia.
In a passionate Instagram post below, the rising star said she would disappoint fans who expected an impressive debut because her body no longer responded to training. Mendoza had won the 2021 Pro League Chicago Pro to qualify for the 2023 Olympia.
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Women’s Bodybuilding Competitors to Look Out For
Qualifying for Women’s Bodybuilding at the 2023 Olympia this year was no easy task. Out of the 12 competitors who qualified, nine had to win pro shows. These bodybuilding competitions take a lot of hard work to dominate, so you can be sure that every competitor is bringing their best and has a chance of getting the crown.
Current title holder Andrea Shaw, however, has experience with winning at the Orlando Convention Center, so many expect to see the same this year. There are also other strong contenders to watch for the top five. Let’s look at some of the Ms. Olympia competitors to look out for this year.
Andrea Shaw
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Andrea Shaw is the incumbent title holder and has three Ms. Olympia wins. She also has four Rising Phoenix titles under her belt, having won the competition in 2020 and winning again this year. The 39-year-old bodybuilding champion is also a Mutant sponsored athlete Generation Iron has been following closely. Shaw will aim to round up her tally with a fourth win like she has been doing since 2020.
Angela Yeo
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Angela Yeo shocked the Women’s Open division by being a runner-up to winner Andrea Shaw in her debut season last year. In this year’s Rising Phoenix, she again clinched the runner-up position to Andrea Shaw by coming second with a shredded physique. Yeo is also a former champion of the Women’s Physique national and is considered a stronger contender this year.
Michaela Aycock
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Michaela Aycock is a Florida native and will compete on her home turf for Ms. Olympia this year. After getting her pro card at just 19, Aycock has competed in many bodybuilding shows, including the Rising Phoenix, coming third place last year and this year. She hopes for a top-five finish this year, as she came in 6th last year.
Natalia Kovaleva
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Natalia Kovaleva was born in Russia and ironically started her bodybuilding journey after going to the gym to lose muscle mass. She’s come a long way since then and become a pro in the sport, winning the New York Pro to qualify for the Ms. Olympia. Fans are set on Kovaleva as a strong contender for the title this year and will make history as the first Russian in the Ms. Olympia.
Mayla Ash
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Mayla Ash is a bodybuilder who has three pro wins in the Women’s Physique division and three Olympia qualifications from that. She moved to the Women’s Open in 2020 and has been chasing her first title win. Ash qualified by winning the women’s bodybuilding of the Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro and came fourth in the Rising Phoenix this year.
Dark Horse Ms. Olympia Competitors
While the five above are fan favorites, it’s not a guarantee. This division has seen many rise to win on their debut. Below are some dark horse competitors we’ll watch at the Ms. Olympia this year.
Reshanna Boswell
Reshanna Boswell has had a try at the Women’s Figure and Women’s Physique categories. She has qualified for the Olympia four times and won the Masters Olympia Pro to qualify for the Ms. Olympia this year. Boswell also has wins at the Lenda Murray Savannah Pro and Puerto Rico Pro.
Chelsea Dion
While Chelsea Dion came 9th in the last Ms. Olympia, she won the Europa Pro Championships to qualify for the competition this year. Dion, who won the Tampa Pro last year, is expected at least to make the top six in this year’s Ms. Olympia.
Julia Whitesel
Julia Whitesel has been a women’s bodybuilding pro since 2019 and transitioned from the Women’s Physique to the Women’s Open due to her larger frame and height. After a second-place win in the Vancouver Island Showdown, Whitesel won the first position at the Toronto Pro Supershow to guarantee her a debut in this year’s Ms. Olympia.
Wrapping Up
The Women’s Open division of the Olympia, also known as Ms. Olympia, is a coveted title and is considered the pinnacle of Women’s Bodybuilding. Not many previous winners are competing this year, which evens out the playing field a bit. But you can’t count out the reigning champ, Andrea Shaw, who’s in the lineup. Who’s your favorite to win this year’s show?
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