Arnold Sports Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary in 2013

By Staff Report
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Updated: December 15, 2012

The nation’s largest multi-sport festival, which began in1989 with 39 male and female bodybuilders, will feature more than 18,000 athletes from 80 nations competing in 45 sports and events – including 12 Olympic sports – when the Arnold Sports Festival celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2013.

The inaugural Arnold Classic, named for co-promoter and bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, and women’s bodybuilding contests were held at Veterans Memorial in 1989. Inaugural champion Rich Gaspari will be among the previous winners who will return in 2013 to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.

The 2013 Arnold Sports Festival will draw 175,000 health and fitness enthusiasts and sports fans to Columbus when it is held Feb. 28-March 3. GNC, the nation’s largest specialty retailer of sports nutrition products, returns as the lead sponsor for the 13th straight year.

The Arnold Sports Festival prides itself on bringing new and interesting competitions to the largest multi-sport event in the nation.

New in 2013 is the Scottish Highland Games, which will feature men in kilts performing feats of strength such as the caber toss and hammer throw. The Scottish Highland Games and accompanying Scottish Highland Dance Competition will be held at 10 a.m. on March 3 at Columbus Commons.

Also new will be the Arnold Survival Race, an extreme 5K race at Lou Berliner Park on March 2, K-1 (professional kick boxing) in Battelle Grande Feb. 28, and XPC Powerlifting at Veterans Memorial March 2-3.

The 2013 Arnold Fitness EXPO will again feature 700 booths of the latest in sports equipment, apparel and nutrition and a stage that hosts unique, non-stop competitions and entertainment that combine to make the Arnold Fitness EXPO the heart of the Arnold Sports Festival.

Many Arnold Sports Festival participants are youth competing in events such as archery, boxing, cheerleading, dance, fencing, gymnastics, martial arts and table tennis. The top student-athletes compete for ten $2,000 college scholarships presented annually by the Columbus Rotary and the Arnold Sports Festival.

“A Daily EXPO ticket affords a great entertainment value and allows our attendees to experience a great variety of sports and events,” co-promoter Jim Lorimer said. “We are very proud to provide the opportunity for athletes, a majority of them youth, to compete at the largest multi-sport festival in the U.S.”

-more-A Daily EXPO tickets include admission to the following events:

Greater Columbus Convention Center

-Arnold Fitness EXPO (March 1-3, 2013) -Arnold 5K Pump & Run and Arnold 5K Run/Walk -Arnold Amateur IFBB International Bodybuilding,

Fitness, Figure & Bikini Championships -Arnold Amateur Strongman -Arnold Armwrestling Challenge -Arnold Cheerleading & Dance

-Arnold CrossFit Games -Arnold Fencing Classic -Arnold Gymnastics Challenge -Arnold Martial Arts Festival/Grappling -Arnold Mighty Mitts Competition -Arnold Strongman Classic (all except final) -Arnold Table Tennis Challenge

-Arnold USA Boxing Championships -Arnold Weightlifting Championships -Arnold World Jump Rope Competition -Arnold Youth DanceSport

-Art At The Arnold

-Fitness International, Figure International and Bikini International Prejudging

-Ultimate Teen Challenge -USA Powerlifting Championships -Zumba Fitness

Columbus Commons

-Arnold Scottish Highland Games

Veterans Memorial

-Arnold Archery Competition -Arnold XPC Pro/Elite Coalition

French Field House (OSU)

-Arnold Track & Field Championships

Hilton Columbus Downtown

50+ DanceSport Challenge

Lou Berliner Park

-Arnold Survival Race (Free admission, pay to park)

*Some events above are not all three days, please see event schedule for further details.

Separate tickets are required for the following events:

Arnold Amateur Classic Bodybuilding Prejudging & Finals, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Prejudging 6pm, Feb. 28, Veterans Memorial $25. Amateur Bodybuilding Prejudging, Physique & Figure Masters Prejudging & Finals, 9am, March 1, Veterans Memorial $25.

Fitness International, Figure International and Bikini International Finals, 7pm, March 1, Veterans Memorial $50-75. Amateur MMA Festival, 7pm, March 1, Lifestyles Communities Pavilion $30-$75 (not included in VIP package).

25th Annual Arnold Classic, Ms. International Prejudging, 2pm, March 2, Veterans Memorial $50. 25th Annual Arnold Classic, Ms. International Strongman Classic Finals, 7pm March 2, Veterans Memorial $50-$100. Arnold Party With The Pros, 9pm, March 2, Hollywood Casino $25. Arnold, Champions & Legends Sunday Morning Showcase, 9am, March 3, Hilton Columbus Downtown $50 ($25 for students with ID)

VIP Ticket Packages and individual event tickets are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com/arnold or 800-745-3000. Daily EXPO tickets are available for $10 in advance (plus service charge) or $15 at the door of all Arnold Sports Festival venues. Children 10 and under free.

For more information, including schedules, locations and hours, visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com.

National Sponsors: GNC, MHP, AEP American Electric Power, All American EFX, Allmax Nutrition, American Airlines, Animal, Bodybuilding.com, bpi Sports, BSN, EAS Sports Nutrition, FIGHT! Magazine, Gaspari Nutrition, Hollywood Casino Columbus, Infinite Labs, Jan Tana, Justice & Brothers, MET-Rx, MRI, MusclePharm, Optimum Nutrition, Probiotica, Ricart.com, Subway, TEN.1 and Vitamin Shoppe.

Arnold Fitness EXPO Sponsors: Beach Body, BEAST, Bodybuilding.com, Europa Sports Products, Lonestar Distribution MRM, Oh Yeah!, power Crunch, PROLAB, and Rogue Fitness.

Local Sponsors: AEP American Electric Power, American Airlines, Chase, The Columbus Dispatch, Gold’s Gym, Metro Fitness, Nationwide, Ricart.com and Subway.

Media Contacts: Matt Lorz Lorz Communications, Inc.

(614) 443-1877

mattlorz@rrcol.com

Brent LaLonde Arnold Sports Festival (614) 431-2600 brent@arnoldexpo.com