Athletes traveling to the U.S. for the Olympia can be an issue and the competition made a statement on it.
The Olympia competition brings competitors to the United States from all over the world. With bodybuilding being the worldwide phenomenon that it is, it is important for competitors to be able to travel when needed. Over the year, this has caused problems for certain athletes and the IFBB Pro League recently made a statement on this problem.
There have been man instances where competitors have pulled out of the Olympia due to visa issues. This includes Nathan de Asha and Behrooz Tabani, who was forced to miss the 2022 Olympia. Tabani’s plans are still up in the air due to this. Hassan Alibrahim is another competitor who was denied entry into the United States ahead of the competition.
The Olympia is scheduled to take place from Nov. 2-5 in Orlando. There will be many elite athletes competing on stage but for some, it will be another year of uncertainty.
Olympia Issues Statement On Visa Issues
The official Instagram of the Mr. Olympia competition shared a statement about this issue and how it plans to improve moving forward.
“We’ve been monitoring some of the challenges certain athletes have faced in their efforts to travel to the United States to compete in this year’s Olympia. Matters relating to immigration can be extremely complicated. Each situation brings unique circumstances, depending on their resident country, overall political climate, and personal history.
As part of our athlete support process we provide “invitation letters” to any Olympia competitor who submits a request for one. These letters are often required in the immigration process, enabling the athlete to validate their reason for entering the country.”
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Despite certain issues being “out of the control” for the IFBB, the league “stands tall” with competitors and is always looking for ways to improve travel and bring in more fans.
“The sport of bodybuilding stands tall as one of the world’s most culturally diverse sports and we are proud of the diversity of those who have been crowned Olympia champions. We recently held our Masters Olympia in Eastern Europe and we continue to explore opportunities to bring the Olympia experience to new regions, connecting with new fans.”
The 2023 Olympia is just under two weeks away where the best competitors in the world will battle for the most-coveted title in the sport.
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