Arnold Classic Predictions

By Joe Pietaro
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Updated: September 25, 2021

Six months later than usual with no expo and a much smaller competitor field, the Arnold Sports Festival will in fact take place on Saturday, September 25 in Columbus, Ohio. The COVID-19 pandemic has effected this prestigious show greatly two years in a row, but the promoters were able to sneak it in a mere two weeks before Olympia Weekend. Needless to say, there is much less fanfare involved, less categories taking the stage and the competitors not being the usual marquee status fans of the show have grown accustomed to.

There will be only four categories – men’s open bodybuilding, men’s classic physique, bikini and fitness – at this short-stripped version of the Arnold. Instead of a long weekend with seminars, press conferences and the biggest and best expo in the industry, attendees will only have to be concerned with one day – prejudging at 10AM and the finals at 7PM at the Greater Columbus Convention Center’s Battelle Grand.

The main event is still men’s open bodybuilding, but the line-up is a bit smaller due to a number of reasons and that has left it a wide open one for someone to take home the winner’s check. The defending champion William Bonac and Roelly Winklaar both were unable to travel to the United States from abroad due to COVID-19 quarantine issues and Cedric McMillan, another former winner in Columbus, had to step away due to his broken hand still recovering.

Our previous feature article and accompanying video predicted that Akim Williams will win not only the Arnold, but the Mr. Olympia, as well. The rest of the field does include some talent, for sure, but the only other name that jumps off the page for us is Nick Walker, who us making strides but still is young as far as competing with the big names goes.

RELATED: AKIM WILLIAMS WILL WIN THE ARNOLD AND OLYMPIA

Perhaps the most interesting name competing is Oksana Grishina, a four-time Ms. Fitness International winner. The gorgeous Russian first competed in Ohio in 2008 and kept climbing the ladder, eventually winning consecutive shows from 2014-to-2017. She duplicated that on the Olympia stage before announcing her retirement. She returned last December at the rescheduled Olympia and placed second. Now she will be looking to reclaim her Arnold title.

We say she does.