Masters Olympia Officially Set To Return In 2023 After 11-Year Absence

mr olympia controvsery
Photo via @robbyrobinson, @vincetaylor50, and @mrolympia08 Instagram

There is now an official date and location for the 2023 Masters Olympia competition!

It is now official. After months of speculation, the Masters Olympia competition will return in 2023.

On Thursday, the official Olympia Instagram account shared a post announcing the return of the competition that gives superstars of previous generations a chance to get back on stage. The event will be held from Aug. 25-27, 2023 at the BT Arena in Cluj Napoca, Romania.

“MASTER OLYMPIA RETURNS! After an absence of 11 years, Masters Olympia returns to competitors and fans alike, with an upgrade: the 2023 edition will offer the chance to fight for the best master competitor title in the world in all 10 divisions of the IFBB Pro League!”

 

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A post shared by Mr. Olympia LLC (@mrolympiallc)

Earlier in the year, Olympia President Jake Wood all but confirmed the return of Masters Olympia but there were no details ironed out. Now, all interested participants can officially begin preparing for the show.

Dexter Jackson

2023 Masters Olympia Criteria

Along with the official announcement of the return, the post shared certain criteria points for competitors to hit that want to compete in Masters Olympia. The event will feature all 10 divisions in bodybuilding and have age requirements to compete.

+40 – Wellness, Bikini, Fitness, Men’s Physique, Classic Physique, Women’s Physique, Figure

+45 – Men’s Bodybuilding, Men’s 212, Women’s Bodybuilding

Participants can send in an application letter including competitive background, history, and social media accounts.

Masters Olympia held its first show in 1994, running for nine years before taking a hiatus. The competition returned in 2012 and this was the final rendition before the return in 2023.

Masters Olympia Past Winners

  • 1994 – Robby Robinson
  • 1995 – Sonny Schmidt
  • 1996 – Vince Taylor
  • 1997 – Vince Taylor
  • 1998 – Vince Taylor
  • 1999 – Vince Taylor
  • 2000 – Vince Taylor
  • 2001 – Vince Taylor
  • 2002 – Don Youngblood
  • 2003 – Claude Groulx
  • 2012 – Dexter Jackson

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Greg Patuto
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.