Bodybuilding

The biggest surprise at Mr. Olympia 2020 may not be who won the famed bodybuilding competition, but who didn't. 

For the second consecutive year a new champion has emerged with Mamdouh 'Big Ramy' Elssbiay capturing the title and denying Phil Heath a record-breaking eighth victory. 

Last year's winner, Brandon Curry, was named runner-up while Heath finished third. Rounding out the top five were Hadi Choopan and William Bonac, respectively. 

A long-time fan favorite, Big Ramy finished second in 2017, then missed last year's competition with a shoulder injury. The field in 2019 was significantly diminished as Heath, Ramy and Shawn Rhoden all missed the event for various reasons leading to Curry's win. A second-place finish on Saturday vindicated the reigning champion as someone who deserved to be named among the sport's top athletes despite his inability to repeat.

Heath's third-place finish is a stunner. 

The 41-year-old won seven straight Mr. Olympia titles from 2011 to 2017 before Rhoden dethroned him in 2018. After taking last year off, it appeared 2020 would be the moment for Heath to claim his eighth victory. Instead he finished one spot lower than he did his last time out. 

Instead it's Big Ramy, 36, claiming the $400,000 first-place prize and a title known world-wide as an elite competitor. 

For the third straight year, a first-time champion was crowned at the Mr. Olympia competition with Mamdouh Elssbiay beating out the field Saturday night.

The Egyptian sensation known as Big Ramy beat out defending champion Brandon Curry and seven-time champion Phil Heath to win the top prize.

Per Andrew Gutman of BarBend.com, Elssbiay's win netted him $400,000 in prize money. Curry received $150,000 for his runner-up showing, followed by Heath ($100,000), Hadi Choopan ($45,000) and William Bonac ($40,000) rounding out the top five.

This year marked Big Ramy's seventh appearance in the Mr. Olympia competition. He finished sixth in 2018 and didn't participate last year. The 36-year-old came in second three years ago, but finally had his breakthrough moment on Saturday.

Tom Miller of FitnessVolt.com noted that Elssbiay "turned the most heads" by taking the stage at the peak of his physical powers: "He was able to match or beat every pose against the champs, and really impressed en route to his victory and People's Champ award."

Curry had the best year of his career in 2019 with wins at the Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic. The Tennessee native could have become the 11th man in history with multiple Mr. Olympia titles, but instead had to settle for being the runner-up behind Elssbiay.

Even though the final result wasn't quite what Curry was looking for, the 38-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. He should be able to return next year and compete for another title.

Heath returned to Mr. Olympia after sitting out last year's competition. The seven-time champ had a successful showing with his 12th top-three finish dating back to 2008.

The field is set for Mr. Olympia 2020 as defending champion Brandon Curry takes on a field that includes two previous winners of the Sandow Trophy and a slew of other top contenders in Orlando, Florida. 

Like pretty much any other event in the year 2020, bodybuilding's biggest competition has been impacted by the coronavirus. Roelly Winklaar—who finished fifth in the 2019 event—has been ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19, per Roger Lockridge of Barbend.com. That's in addition to the venue change for the event traditionally held in Las Vegas. 

Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Ellsbiay will be competing in the event despite not officially qualifying after testing positive for coronavirus. He was extended a special invitation to compete, per Lockridge. The third-place finisher at the 2020 Arnold Classic figures to be a factor in the main event. 

Curry's win in last year's event was a bit clouded by the absence of Phil Heath last year. The seven-time champion took the year off, and 2018 champion Shawn Rhoden was not permitted to compete because he was accused of sexual assault. 

This year, the field is more competitive as Heath is back in the mix along with several other up-and-coming challengers. 

Event Schedule

Saturday, December 19 at 7 p.m. Finals for:

• Mr. Olympia
• Men's Physique Olympia
• Bikini Olympia
• Classic Physique Olympia

Full schedule can be found on Mr. Olympia Official Site. 

Past Winners, Preview

Rhoden confirmed on JayCutlerTV (h/t Generation Iron) that he will sit out Mr. Olympia again this year as his ongoing legal battles have yet to be resolved. So that leaves three former champions who will compete for the prize this year. 

Brandon Curry is the most recent, having won the title in 2019. His previous best in bodybuilding's premier event was a fifth-place finish in 2018, so it's fair to say his win came as a bit of a surprise. He did, however, win the Arnold Classic in 2019, which foreshadowed his breakthrough showing. 

Now, he has the pressure of repeating as champion with Phil Heath (and others) gunning for another title. For his part, Curry has made it clear he isn't afraid of going toe-to-toe with Heath. 

"I'm very comfortable going pose to pose," he said on Instagram Live (h/t Jonathan Salmon of Generation Iron). "I think I brought enough to improve. I don't think he's (Heath) going to be as dominant from the side against me. And despite what a lot of people may think, I don't think he's going to be as dominant from the back against me either."

Defeating Heath would certainly add some legitimacy to Curry's title. Heath is a legend of the sport as a seven-time winner of the Sandow. He's tied with Arnold Schwarzenegger for second-most wins of all-time. An eight victory would tie him with Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney. 

Heath's seven victories came in successive order from 2011-2017. That run came to an end with a narrow loss to Rhoden in 2018. 

However, Heath believes he's back and ready to claim the title that would propel him to the rarest of company. 

"I feel like I'm obviously going to be in great condition," Heath told Ron Harris of Muscular Development (h/t Kevin Grech of Evolution of Bodybuilding). "Everything is going to be where I need it to be. Otherwise, I would have never come back. That just doesn't make sense. I'm a pretty smart dude, if I still had injuries...I think a lot of people fail to realize that I had an injury."

Still, coming back from more than a year away from competition at 41 years old will be a difficult task. 

Not as difficult as the path for 51-year-old Dexter Jackson, the only other previous winner in the field. He claimed the Sandow in 2008 but was a fourth-place finisher in the competition in 2019. Jackson told RxMuscle that this will be his final show as he intends to retire. 

There's more than one former champion who has a chance at winning Mr. Olympia for the first time in their career, though. 

William Bonac claimed his first win at the 2020 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. Given the form he displayed there and the physique that he will presumably bring to Orlando, he is just as good a bet to walk away with the top prize as anyone. 

Bonac finished second in the competition last year and has finished in the top five each of the last five years. With Heath getting older, Curry unproven as a dynastic champion and Jackson riding into the sunset, this could be the Ghanaian's year. 

Big Ramy is another name to keep an eye on. He was named "most muscular" at the Arnold Classic in March and could well play the role of spoiler as well if he's in great condition. 

The best bodybuilders in the world will converge on the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, to compete for the coveted title of Mr. Olympia 2020. 

Last year, Brandon Curry became a first-time winner of the Sandow Trophy. However, he'll have to best several contenders that weren't in the field in 2019 to become a repeat champion. 

That includes the return of seven-time Mr. Olympia winner Phil Heath. The 40-year-old opted to sit out last year's competition but will go for a record-tying eighth title this year. 

Unfortunately, like most events this year, the contest has been affected by COVID-19. Roelly Winklaar was forced to withdraw from the competition after testing positive for the virus. Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay tested positive for the virus earlier in the year but has received a "special invitation" to join the field and has accepted, per Roger Lockridge of Barbend.com. 

Curry and Heath headline the class of competitors, but there are other top bodybuilders to consider. This is the biggest event on the bodybuilding calendar, and with $400,000 going to the winner of the men's open class, the competition will be fierce. 

The week-long event will see the finals for the 212 division begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, December 18. The finals for Mr. Olympia, Men's physique, Bikini and Classic Physique will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 19. 

Here are the top bodybuilders in the field and predictions for the final standings. 

Brandon Curry

We'll start with the defending champion. Curry won the competition last year, but he has reason to be motivated to repeat as champion. It's fair to say the strength of last year's field was hurt by Phil Heath's absence.

2018 champion Shawn Rhoden was also out of the field as he continued to battle with legal issues stemming from a sexual assault allegation. Rhoden is still being held out of competition until those issues are resolved, per Derek Hall of FitnessVolt. 

While Rhoden won't return this year, Curry will still need to beat two former Mr. Olympia winners and some qualified contenders to defend his crown. Dexter Jackson won the award in 2008, and William Bonac is coming off a win at the Arnold Classic in March. 

Curry's win in 2019 was a bit of a come-from-nowhere story given his previous best finish at the event was fifth in 2018. Still, he's put on plenty of mass in the chest and shoulders in the lead up to the competition. 

He'll need to come into the show in the best shape of his life to win. 

Prediction: Third

Phil Heath

Coming back from a year off, Phil Heath is one of the top storylines of 2020's competition. He is in pursuit to join Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney as the only eight-time winners. 

However, Coleman, who knows a thing or two about winning this thing, doesn't love Heath's chances. He believes taking the time off is something that can and will affect his chances at capturing that eighth title. 

"I would have been more excited last year," Coleman said, per Hall. "This year it's kind of hard to predict, where he had that whole year off and had time to relax and not be a motivated and not be as focused. It's hard to get that back. I remember when I was doing it, and I stopped. I kept saying 'I'm going to go back next year, I'm going to go back next year,' and I never made it back because I never got that mindset back."

Heath has kept his physique fairly well hidden on social media. His Instagram has been relatively quiet in the lead up to the competition, and most pictures posted online haven't revealed too much. 

The fact remains that Heath is now 40 years old and hasn't won the Sandow since 2017. Coleman may have a point that Heath isn't equipped to take a year off and come back as good as ever. 

Prediction Fourth

William Bonac

Last year, Brandon Curry rode the momentum of a win at the Arnold Classic to a win at Mr. Olympia. This year, William Bonac has a chance to repeat that feat. 

Bonac placed second in the Arnold Classic in 2019 and followed it up with a runner-up finish at Mr. Olympia, getting beat out by Curry once again. This year he claimed victory in Columbus and could be ready to do the same in Orlando. 

The 5'6" Bonac brings a lot of mass for his frame into the competition. He has to be on-point every time he enters to have a chance to win, but this time, he has been more active than both Curry and Heath in the lead up to this event, so there's a better chance he is in better form than both of them. 

"The Conquerer" has a strong case to win the Sandow for the first time in his career. He doesn't appear as big as either Heath or Curry, but he has impressive symmetry and has the most upside if he shows up in great shape. 

Given his performance at the Arnold Classic, there's a good chance he does that. 

Prediction: First  

Defending champion Brandon Curry isn't among those slated to compete at the 2020 Arnold Sports Classic when the landmark bodybuilding tournament begins on Saturday.

The absence of the 37-year-old will open the door for a new titleholder when the competition gets underway at the Columbus Convention Center in Battelle Grand, Ohio.

Prejudging will begin at 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET/5 p.m. to 9 p.m. GMT, on Saturday, March 7, and the finals will follow from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/12 a.m. to 3 a.m. (Sunday) GMT, according to the event's official website.

2020 Participants

• Morgan Aste
• Lionel Beyeke
• William Bonac
• Maxx Charles
• Nathan De Asha
• Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay
• Dexter Jackson
• Johnnie Jackson
• Steve Kuclo
• Josh Lenartowicz
• Victor Martinez
• Cedric McMillan
• Patrick Moore
• Sergio Oliva Jr.
• Akim Williams

William Bonac will hope to take advantage of Curry's absence and repeat his victory from 2018. Meanwhile, five-time champion Dexter Jackson is also on the competitors list, with the 50-year-old keen to prove he's still got what it takes to win the title again.

One of the other contenders to watch is Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay, whose massive frame may sway judges this year. The 35-year-old will be making his first appearance in Columbus and will surely generate buzz ahead of the finals.

Bonac must fancy his chances of going one better now familiar foe Curry is not involved. The titleholder finished ahead of "The Conqueror" at both the Classic and Mr. Olympia in 2019, per Roger Lockridge of the competition's official website.

It could be third-time lucky for the Ghanaian, whom Lockridge noted "is one of the shorter competitors in the lineup but showcases well-developed muscle from head to toe."

Dexter Jackson will surely be the most likely to leave Bonac disappointed. He was second to the latter two years ago, and "The Blade" knows what it takes to impress the judges.

Experience aside, the illustrious competitor from Jacksonville, Florida, faces some other daunting challenges this year, with Generation Iron noting "he'll have to overcome the bicep injury that held him back at last year's show and perhaps give the posing performance of his career."

There will be similar pressure on Big Ramy, whose focus will be on recovering from finishing sixth at the Olympia in 2018. It cost the Egyptian a place at last year's Classic, but he has the size and definition to wow the panel.

If he can ally his imposing look with the required conditioning, he will be a worthy champion.

There are other standout contenders aside from this notable trio. They include 2017 winner Cedric McMillan, while 49-year-old Johnnie Jackson is coming out of retirement for an eighth attempt at winning this prestigious title.

Michal Krizanek retained the Arnold Classic Europe title after wowing the judges in Barcelona on Sunday. Slovakian Krizanek scraped past Finland's Mika Sihvonen to earn the big prize.

As the outright winner of the men's bodybuilding open, Krizo gets to take home a share worth $10,000 of the total $60,000 available for all five categories, per the event's official website.

Size proved decisive for the 32-year-old, according to Kevin Grech of Evolution of Bodybuilding: "At the end of the battle, Michal, who is the bigger athlete won the show. Mika was the better athlete when it came to condition, presentation, posing and overall aesthetics."

Grech revealed the top five in the men's open category:

1. Michal Krizanek, Slovakia

2. Mika Sihvonen, Finland

3. Szymon Lada, Poland

4. Lorenzo Leeuwe, Netherlands

5. Ilya Lukovets, Belarus

Krizanek has dominated this event since Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay was declared the winner two years ago. Highlights of the full event, beginning with his victory in the contest for the title, were captured:

There were notable winners in the other categories this year, including Mateusz Kieliszkowski, who bested the rest in the Pro Strongman. There was also a title for United Kingdom competitor Abies Nosa, who took the men's physique talent ahead of Spain's Daniel Garrido, per the event's official results.

Elsewhere, there was victory for Serhii Danilets, who became the champion in the Men's Classic Physique category. Meanwhile, Yana Kuznetsova took home the title in the bikini fitness event.

The first two days of the 2019 Arnold Classic Europe bodybuilding and fitness competition are in the books.

The competition, which began in 2011 and takes place in Barcelona, Spain is held over three days, and the final contests will occur Sunday.

Here's a look at the notable Friday winners, via Kevin Grech of Evolutionofbodybuilding.net:

• Master Men's Physique 40 Years and Over: Khurram Butt of Denmark
• Men's Classic Bodybuilding: Tomas Kairys of Lithuania
• Junior Men's Bodybuilding 16-23 Years: Martin Horky of Czech Republic
• Master Men's Bodybuilding: Rafal Filippzuk of Poland
• Women's Physique Open: Viktoriia Pohribniak of Ukraine
• Men's Classic Physique: Andrej Mandic of Austria
• Master Men's Classic Physique 40 Years and Over: Boris Palovic of Slovakia
• Junior Men's Classic Bodybuilding 16-23 Years Old: Andrei Kozhokar of Russia

The Saturday victors are per International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness:

• Women's Fitness Overall: Michaela Pavleova of Slovakia
• Men's Physique Overall: Bilal Fakir of Belgium
• Women's Wellness Fitness Overall: Kristina Kasparova of Russia
• Junior Women's Bikini-Fitness 16-23 Years, Overall: Natalia Czajkowska of Poland
• Master Women's Bikini-Fitness 35 Years and Over, Overall: Maria Galitskova of Russia

Sunday's competition will crown winners in men's bodybuilding, women's bikini fitness, men's fitness, junior women's fitness, master women's body fitness (over 35 years old), women's body fitness, junior men's physique, master women's physique and muscular men's physique.

Per Grech, hundreds of athletes endured a 10-hour registration process Thursday. Once the main event started, however, the competition was split onto two different stages to account for the field size.

The competition (as one might expect) is named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former body builder and California governor, and actor. The 72-year-old paid a visit to the event Saturday and held a press conference, per Grech.

The Arnold Classic Europe, which began in 2011, is part of the larger IFBB Arnold Sports Festival. The 30-year-old competition began in 1989 and holds events that include bodybuilding, strongman and fitness. The Arnold Classic has spread to Australia, South America and Africa.    

The 2019 Arnold Classic Europe starts on Friday in Barcelona, Spain, with the event being held in the city for the fourth consecutive year.

The biggest names in European bodybuilding will be in attendance, including men's open champion Michael Krizanek.

An array of categories will be judged at ACE 2019, but the bodybuilding will be the major draw for most spectators.

The expo is named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the elite professional competition will be held on Saturday.

A prize fund of $60,000 (€53,877) will be on offer over five categories, with the winner taking home $10,000 (€8,980), according to the competition's official website.

Here's a list of this year's participants in the main bodybuilding category.

ACE 2019 Elite Pro Show Schedule

Saturday

Semi-final: 5 p.m. (local), 4 p.m. (BST), 11 a.m. (ET)

Final: 7 p.m. (local), 6 p.m. (BST), 1 p.m. (ET)

A full running order for the weekend can be found here.

Preview

Krizanek will be attempting to win at the Arnold Classic Europe for a second year in a row.

The super-heavyweight was a breakout star of 2018, claiming the IFBB Elite Pro World Championship crown shortly after his success at ACE 2018.

At 28, the Slovakian bodybuilder is still a relative newcomer to the sport after starting to compete just two years ago.

Schwarzenegger posted a tweet after Krizanek's victory last year:

Poland's Szymon Lada will also feature once again after finishing second to Krizanek last year. The 31-year-old was the 2015 world champion, and he will be a credible threat to the field.

Brandon Curry won the 2019 Mr. Olympia title on Sunday, but the American will miss the forthcoming championship in Barcelona.

Michael Muzo placed third at last year's ACE event, but the Dutchman will also be absent. However, Germany's Alexander Westermeier will feature after placing fourth at ACE in 2018.

Home fans will be excited to see Toni Gutierrez perform, after the Spaniard placed 13th in the competition last year.

Brandon Curry saw off competition from William Bonac and Hadi Choopan to be crowned Mr. Olympia 2019 on Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The 36-year-old claimed the title for the first time in his career and becomes the 15th contestant to lift bodybuilding's prestigious Sandow Trophy.

Curry's victory also sees him take home the top prize-money payout of $400,000, while Bonac collects $150,000 and Choopan wins $100,000, per Derek Hall of Middle Easy.

Mr. Olympia 2019 Prize Payouts

1. Brandon Curry: $400,000

2. William Bonac: $150,000

3. Hadi Choopan: $100,000

4. Dexter Jackson: $45,000

5. Roelly Winklaar: $40,000

Curry lived up to his billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites in the absence of 2018 championShawn Rhoden and seven-time winner Phil Heath.

The American followed up his win at the Arnold Classic USA in March with another impressive display and was a cut above the rest when it came to physique, conditioning and symmetry.

Curry spoke to RxMuscle's Siddique Farooqi about his "overwhelming" win afterwards and how he had prepared for the event:

Bonac finished second to Curry at the Arnold Classic, and it was the same result for the 37-year-old in Las Vegas. The result is his highest finish at Mr. Olympia, beating his previous best of third in 2017, and comes despite the Ghanaian firing his coach Neil Hill in the buildup to the event.

Meanwhile, Choopan not only finished third but also took home the People's Champion title on his first appearance at Mr. Olympia:

The popular Iranian has enjoyed an eventful few weeks. He only landed in the United States at the end of August after finally gaining a visa that ensured he would be able to compete, per Generation Iron.

Choopan was also involved in a backstage "verbal fight" during the competition:

However, the 31-year-old more than deserved his third place and surprised many with an impressive performance on his debut.

Yet the title belongs to Curry who maintained his momentum from the Arnold Classic and will be hoping to continue his success.

He can expect Bonac and Choopan to continue to challenge, while great rivals Heath and Kai Greene could return for Mr. Olympia 2020, according to Tom Miller at Fitness Volt.