The Persian Wolf takes home gold
From the beginning of the show in Columbus this year, it was pretty clear that the Arnold Classic title would be given to 2023 Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda, or the 2022 Mr. Olympia winner Hadi Choopan. It was solidified that it would come between these two in the final callout of pre-judging for the 2024 edition of the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH.
In front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday, March 2, 2024, in the Battelle Grand Ballroom, the 2024 Arnold Classic took place, and it was evident that this would be quite the show to watch. The Men’s Open competitors were introduced, moved around, and thoroughly compared by the panel of judges that sat before them. By the end of the night, Hadi Choopan was awarded the title of 2024 Arnold Classic champion.
2024 Arnold Classic Roster
Below is a lineup of who exactly competed at the 2024 Arnold Classic in the Men’s Open Bodybuilding division:
- Akim Williams
- Antoine Vaillant
- Justin Rodriguez
- Rafael Brandao
- Jon Delarosa
- Samson Dauda
- Hadi Choopan
- James Hollingshead
- Horse Marcello De Angelis
- Mohamed Shaaban Elimbabi
2024 Arnold Classic Callouts
Below is the list of callouts that occurred at the 2024 Arnold Classic in the Men’s Open Division
Callout One
- Hadi Choopan
- Samson Dauda
Callout Two
- Antoine Vaillant
- Jon Delarosa
- Rafael Brandao
- Akim Williams
- James Hollingshead
Callout Three
- Hadi Choopan
- Samson Dauda
- Rafael Brandao
- Akim Williams
The first callout featured a head-to-head comparison amongst Samson Dauda and Hadi Choopan. Fans and commentators felt that conditioning was a big difference and from there it was predicted Choopan would dethrone Samson.
In a third callout, Samson and hadi were brought out with the other top contenders, including Rafael Brandao and Akim Williams, who had clearly filled out well since the prejudging.
Samson Dauda was also awarded the Ed Corney Best Poser award, and Hadi Choopan was awarded the Franco Columbu Most Muscular award before the winners were announced.
2024 Arnold Classic Results
- Hadi Choopan
- Samson Dauda
- Rafael Brandao
- Jon Delarosa
- James Hollingshead
- Akim Williams
Hadi Choopan won the title as well as $300,000, and was presented the trophy by bodybuilding legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hadi is looking to return to the Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024, to battle it out with the current champion Derek Lunsford.
Arnold Schwarzenegger also announced the prize money for the 2025 Arnold Classic Men’s Open champion would increase to $500,000.
2024 Arnold Classic Pre-Judging Callout Recaps & Analysis
With the 2024 Arnold Classic well underway, our team has put together full recaps and analysis of the pre-judging posing routines and callouts. Check out our full recap reports below:
- Classic Physique Prejudging Report & Analysis
- Wellness International Prejudging Report & Analysis
- Fitness International Prejudging Report & Analysis
Coverage
Generation Iron Fitness Network will provide full coverage of the Arnold Classic event including pre-judging reports, analysis, and results updates. Stay tuned to Generation Iron and visit out official 2024 Arnold Classic coverage hub right here!
