36 years of the Arnold Classic
It is that time of the year again, time for the 2024 Arnold Classic. This year the competition is set for March 1-3, 2024, at the usual venue, the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH. This year is the 36th edition of the Arnold Classic, which goes back all the way to 1989 when Rich Gaspari won the inaugural championship. Generation Iron will be on the ground floor covering all the live action from the meet and greet to the pre-judging.
It is tradition for the Arnold Classic to take place in the first week of March in the world of bodybuilding, but it is part of the bigger competition, the Arnold Sports Festival, which allows for other sports such as powerlifting and strongman all the way down to martial arts. The Arnold Classic is a Mr. Olympia Qualifier, and whoever wins in March is typically seen as a top contender for the Mr. Olympia contest that takes place later in the year.
The Arnold Classic Men’s Open lineup is made up of 12 competitors who applied for invitations to compete in the show. The winner will not only qualify for the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest (if they haven’t already qualified) but they will also claim the Arnold trophy, and take home a $300,000 prize.
Those 12 competitors make up a pretty stacked class. Check out the roster below, with names in alphabetical order:
- Remeco Bose
- Rafael Brandao
- Hadi Choopan
- Samson Dauda
- Horse Marcello De Angelis
- Jon Delarosa
- Mohamed Shaaban Elimbabi
- James Hollingshead
- Rubiel Mosquera
- Justin Rodriguez
- Antoine Vaillant
- Akim Williams
The Arnold Classic Men’s Open Competitors
Let’s take a look at the top contenders in the Arnold Classic for this year.
Samson Dauda
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Samson Dauda is the only one in the lineup who has won the Arnold before, he is actually the defending champion and could make some history at this show. If he wins the title again, Samson Dauda would be the first champion to repeat since Branch Warren won two times back to back in 2011 and 2012. Dauda would also be the ninth athlete to win the Arnold Classic twice, the last one being Brandon Curry back in 2022.
Samson Dauda had quite the 2023 season, taking home three pro wins, plus securing a bronze medal at the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest. Samson has already been qualified for the 2024 Olympia (taking place in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024). Although he has already qualified for the 2024 Olympia, defending his title in Columbus would further solidify him as a top-contender against the current champion, Derek Lunsford.
Hadi Choopan
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One of the most obvious top contenders next to Samson Dauda is the 2022 Mr. Olympia winner Hadi Choopan, who came runner up to Derek Lunsford at the 2023 Olympia. Hadi will be making his Arnold Classic debut this year, but he is coming shredded and with great muscle mass.
Hadi Choopan taking home the title for the Arnold Classic and the $300,000 prize would certainly make him a top contender for the upcoming Olympia. The thing is, just because he won the Mr. Olympia does not solidify his place at the Arnold Classic. Take a look at two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay as an example. Ramy competed in the 2023 Arnold Classic but finished fourth overall. That being said, Choopan better bring his A-game.
Other Competitors to Look Out For
Aside from Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda being some standout names to keep an eye on, there are a few athletes familiar with the Arnold Classic stage who could also change the tide. One of them is Rafael Brandao, who is a former Arnold South America winner. Brandao has ranked in the top 10 on the Olympia stage, as he does have an incredible physique and posing. We would not be surprised to see him in the first callout.
Another name to look out for is Akim Williams, who is also comfortable on the Arnold Classic stage. This year will be his fifth career appearance on the Arnold Stage, with his highest finish being fifth place back in 2021, and he also ranked sixth in 2023. Williams took a break from the stage for the rest of 2023, so we believe he will have some significant improvements to his appearance.
Justin Rodriguez is also an Arnold Classic Veteran who will compete for the win in Columbus. His best finish in four career Arnold Classic appearances was back in 2021 when he took home 4th, but he also ranked seventh in the 2023 contest.
Jon Delarosa has competed in the Arnold Classic once as well, taking home eighth overall in 2018. He competed in two pro shows in 2023, taking home second place in both.
Debuting Athletes
Hadi Choopan is not the only Arnold Classic rookie stepping on the stage. Another first timer is James Hollingshead, who did not compete at all during the 2023 season. James Hollingshead has won four pro shows throughout his career and took home a 13th place on the Olympia stage which was his highest. He also finished 15th at the 2022 Olympia.
Antoine Vaillant is a well known Canadian competitor and one of the more entertaining bodybuilders on social media, and he is a threat on any bodybuilding stage. He is the 2022 Chicago Pro winner and didn’t compete in the 2023 season, which means he could come in with an incredible physique.
How to Watch the 2024 Arnold Classic
If you want to watch the 2024 Arnold Classic live, you can purchase tickets at the Arnold Sports website. All seven professional divisions will be available to watch on livestream for free via ADL Live. Further details of the stream can be found on the Arnold Sports website.
Generation Iron will also be bringing you live updates throughout the competition, so you know what is going on and when it is happening.
Wrap Up
Overall, the 2024 Arnold Classic is right around the corner and there are some top notch competitors showing up battling for the title. Who do you think will win?
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