According to reports, Roelly Winklaar has confirmed he will not compete at the Arnold Classic 2020.
When the Arnold Classic 2020 invite list was released, many were excited to see Roelly Winklaar on the list. A fan favorite bodybuilder that brings in size almost unmatched by any bodybuilder (except for maybe Big Ramy), many hoped to one day see Roelly perfect his massive size by tightening his conditioning and landing first place at the Olympia. The Arnold Classic 2020 would be the first big competition since last year’s Olympia to see if Roelly can take things to the next level.
It’s now been reported by various outlets that Roelly Winklaar has confirmed he is not going to compete at the Arnold Classic 2020. The Arnold Sports Festival separately confirmed this and has now removed him from the invite list on their official Arnold Classic website. The supposed reason stated by Roelly is that he wanted more time to spend with his family. This comes somewhat expected to many in the industry as more and more athletes seem to drop out of the Arnold Classic each year.
Roelly Winklaar had previously placed 3rd at the Olympia 2018 but only finished 5th place this past year at the Olympia 2019. For fans who have dubbed him the “People’s Champion” this was a bit of a disappointment. Luckily his 5th place finish gives him the automatic qualification for the Olympia 2020. So dropping out of the Arnold Classic should have no effect on seeing the competitor show up later in September.
So is this a good move or a bad move? Ultimately, this decision mights simply range somewhere between not mattering at all and being a smart decision. By not competing, he can focus on only perfecting his physique for the Olympia, like many other top Olympia champions normally do. By not having to go through contest prep at the Arnold, there is less room for throwing off his training leading up to September.
From a fan perspective it’s a bit of a bummer, as getting to see Roelly Winklaar compete more than once in the entire year just gives more excitement for fans who follow Roelly’s every move – and get to see him try and hit top form more than once. Perhaps Roelly will still compete in another competition before the Olympia – but at this time there are no announced plans.
*Images courtesy of Roelly Winklaar’s Instagram.
