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Results Arnold Classic Europe 2012.
Shawn “flexatron” Rhoden continues a fantastic year with victory at the Arnold Classic Europe 2012.
At the beginning of this year, many had never heard of him. The Jamaican who earned his pro card in 2009 by winning the IFBB North American Championships in 2009, won his first competitions for professionals this year.
After his victory at the IFBB PBW Tampa Pro, he also took first place at the Dallas Europa Supershow. He truly put himself in the spotlight by then finishing third at the Mr. Olympia this year ahead of Branch Warren and Dennis Wolf, who both finished ahead of him at the Arnold Classic in March this year.
He continues the positive trend with a check for $40,000 with the victory at this European version of the Arnold Classic in Madrid last weekend. Not bad for someone who was told he would never be able to train with weights again after tearing nine tendons in his hand. Shawn can extend his success this weekend with his appearance at the Grand Prix of Great Britain.
Pro bodybuilders do not participate in every competition but often skip certain competitions to focus on others. The numbers 1 and 2 of the Mr. Olympia and subsequently the Sheru Classic in India, Phil Heath and Kai Greene, did not participate. The same went for number 4, Dexter Jackson, and number 5, Branch Warren. The chances of a competition always depend on the lineup.
Second: Dennis Wolf
Dennis Wolf placed 6th at the Mr. Olympia this year. At the Arnold Classic in March, he finished second behind Branch Warren. Hence his unpleasant surprise that not only Phil Heath and Kai Greene finished ahead of him, but alongside the veteran Dexter Jackson, so did the “newbie” Shawn Rhoden.
Now with only Dennis Wolf and Shawn Rhoden from the top 6 of the Mr. Olympia participating in Madrid, Dennis was determined not only to maintain his form since the Mr. Olympia but also to improve it and beat this newcomer. Unfortunately for Dennis, Shawn had also improved, and he was once again defeated by the Jamaican.
Third Place: Roelly Winklaar
Considering the absence of big names, the above result was not different from the Mr. Olympia. What was more surprising was the result for Roelly Winklaar, “From Curaçao, by way of Holland!”.
Roelly finished 12th at the Mr. Olympia behind Toney Freeman (7th), Johnnie Jackson (9th), and Lionel Beyeke (10th). Less than a month later in Madrid, he surpassed all these names by finishing third. Also noteworthy was the fact that Roelly was beaten by Toney Freeman a week earlier at the Sheru Classic in India (1. Phil Heath, 2. Kai Greene, 3. Toney Freeman, and 4. Roelly Winklaar).
Roelly still does not look his best. Let’s hope this is another step in the right direction.
Fourth Place: Robert Piotrowicz
Roelly finishing ahead of Toney Freeman was surprising. That Robert Piotrowicz finished fourth ahead of Toney was even more controversial. The Polish bodybuilder never placed higher than second among the pros, which he achieved at the Nordic Pro this year. Last October, he was ranked 40th on the IFBB Rankings List according to RAS (Toney Freeman 7th). A lot can change in a year of bodybuilding.
Full results Arnold Classic Europe 2012
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- Shawn Rhoden
- Dennis Wolf
- Roelly Winklaar
- Robert Piotrowicz
- Toney Freeman
- Ronny Rockel
- Johnnie Jackson
- Michael Kefalianos
- Edward Nunn
- Fouad Abiad
- Johnnie Jackson
- Michael Kefalianos
- Edward Nunn
- Feras Saied
- Lionel Beyeke
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Steve Benthin
- Daniele Seccarecci
- Ben White
Results Arnold Classic 2013
In Madrid 2013, Phil Heath once again showed why he is Mr. Olympia. At the annual, European version of the Arnold Classic, he once again finished first. Besides Phil’s victory, the entire top four of the Olympia from two weeks ago was repeated. Kai Greene was second again, Dennis Wolf took third place, and Shawn Rhoden once again just missed out on the top three with a fourth-place finish.
Just like last year, the top of the Mr. Olympia participated in the first competition following the Olympia to further capitalize on the competition form worked on all year.
Victor Martinez and Roelly Winklaar, 5th and 6th place
The fifth and sixth placers at the Olympia, Dexter Jackson and Jay Cutler, did not compete. So there was a chance for Roelly Winklaar to achieve a better place than his already impressive seventh place at the Mr. Olympia. He did so by taking sixth place. Remarkable was the improvement of Victor Martinez, who was 11th at the Olympia and now achieved fifth place.
Arnold Classic 2014 preview
Coming weekend, one of the two largest and most prestigious bodybuilding competitions will take place again, the Arnold Classic. The Arnold Classic is part of the now much larger “Arnold Sports Festival” where besides bodybuilders, strongmen, arm wrestlers, fencers, wrestlers, and crossfitters also compete. In terms of bodybuilding, it is considered the biggest competition worldwide after the Olympia.
Last year, the veteran Dexter Jackson won the Arnold Classic. However, Dexter will not be present this year to defend his title, but will likely focus on
the Olympia. Perhaps this is wise given the lineup, which looks much stronger this year than last year when he won the title.
I therefore expect a lot from Shawn Rhoden this year, who skipped last year’s event because he had competed (and won!) in many competitions since the 2012 Olympia where he surprisingly finished third. At the 2013 Olympia, he slipped to fourth place due to Dennis Wolf making a huge progression and finishing third, much to everyone’s surprise. So I strongly consider Dennis and Shawn in the top three.
However, it will not be easy. There are several former Arnold Classic and Arnold Europe winners on the podium, such as Victor Martinez, who made his comeback last year, and two-time Arnold Classic winner, Branch Warren.
Roelly Winklaar absent
Fucked up!! That is probably putting it very mildly for what Roelly Winklaar must have thought when he crashed into a car while riding a motorcycle less than two weeks ago. Through a video, his sister informs Flex that he will not be able to participate in the Arnold Classic or the subsequent competitions in Australia and Brazil. This is a huge disappointment for Roelly, who looked fantastic at the Mr. Olympia last year, better than ever I dare say. I gave Roelly a serious chance at the top three at the Arnold Classic this year.
Strength Roelly, we hope you can join us again soon! It sucks that you can’t compete together with your brother this year.
212 class
Yet there will be a Winklaar present. For the first time, there will also be a 212 class during the Arnold Classic for men weighing 212 pounds or less. Quincy Winklaar will participate in this class, yes, the brother of. He will mainly face competition from the big names in this class: Flex Lewis and David Henry.
Miss Fitness International, Figure International, and Bikini International
The ladies will also be back in action. In the Fitness International class, Tanji Johnson will defend her title.
In the figure international class, it’s Candice Keene who surprisingly won the title last year from Erin Stern. To do this, she will have to compete against three-time winner Nicole Wilkins (who did not compete last year) and Heather Dees who finished second last year.
In the bikini class, finally, India Paulino will defend her title. This crowd favorite expected more from her participation in the Mr. Olympia last year and will be eager to become the first to win the title two years in a row at the Arnold Classic in this class.
Preview Arnold Classic 2015
The Arnold Classic 2015 started yesterday. Will Dexter Jackson take his fifth title, or will the win go to Roelly, who was hindered last year by a motorcycle accident? With the current Mr. International, Dennis Wolf, not competing, the field is wide open.
If you can compare the Mr. Olympia to Wimbledon in tennis, then the Arnold Classic is Roland Garros. It is, after “Mr. Olympia,” the biggest title you can win in bodybuilding: “Mr. International.” In addition to the American competition, there is now also a European and South American version of the event and, as of this year, an Australian one.
However, the fair is much more than bodybuilding. Numerous sports are featured: From archery, soccer, “disc golf” (a type of frisbee golf), horseback riding, (show) wrestling, and the usual powerlifting events to boxing matches between police officers and firefighters and pole fitness. This year, there was also a special expo for “kids fitness.” About 50 different sports, 18,000 athletes, and 175,000 expected fans make the Arnold Classic a grand spectacle.
However, the focus is on the bodybuilding and fitness competitions in the various classes from Bikini and Physique to bodybuilding.
Perhaps more enjoyable than the Olympia?
In recent years, we have hardly seen any major surprises in the Mr. Olympia competitions. Also for this year, there is probably no one who doubts that Phil Heath will win. Except Kai Greene maybe. It would already be a surprise if Kai Greene did not finish second for once and/or if someone else managed to break into the top two (maybe Shawn Rhoden?). Because both gentlemen are already qualified for the Olympia for this year and therefore do not need to compete to earn points, they will not participate in the Arnold Classic.
This means an open field for the other participants, and the Arnold Classic often provides surprising results. Personally, I find the Arnold Classic therefore more enjoyable to watch.
Dexter Jackson
It is therefore difficult to name the real contenders. Dexter Jackson has won the Mr. International title four times already and is therefore a record holder along with Flex Wheeler. He has been competing in the Arnold Classic for 15 years and hopes for a record by winning the fifth title. Dexter is already 45 years old, but can still be considered a favorite. He finished fifth last year at the Mr. Olympia behind Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Shawn Rhoden, and Dennis Wolf, top names who all do not compete this weekend. Dexter did not compete in the Arnold Classic last year when Dennis Wolf took the title. However, Dennis is not competing this year because he wants to focus fully on the Olympia. So I think Dexter will take his fifth title.
Branch Warren
Another favorite is Branch Warren. Branch won the last two times he competed in the Arnold Classic (’11 and ’12). He never finished lower than fourth place. At last year’s Olympia, he finished just one place behind Dexter.
Branch is such a typical love-him-or-hate-him bodybuilder. He has a loyal fan base, but an even larger group wonders why he is one of the highest-paid bodybuilders. Since I still want to interview him, I will leave my personal opinion here in the middle;)
And what about Roelly?
I mentioned the Dutch-Antillean Roelly Winklaar last year as one of the contenders. His form seemed to be his best ever before the Arnold Classic. A motorcycle accident threw a spanner in the works, and it was already an achievement that he still managed to qualify for the Mr. Olympia last year. So this year is the second chance.
No William Bonac
I am very sorry that the Dutch-Ghanaian William Bonac is not competing. He looked fantastic last year in his debut at the Olympia, but in my opinion, he was placed much too low. Probably, he made the strategic choice to skip this competition to focus on other competitions where the chances of scoring points are higher. Another advantage is that you can focus on later competitions closer to the Olympia. You don’t have to cut twice a year (or more) towards a competition, so you can build more mass. The risk, however, is that you do not score enough points during the later competitions, and then there are no more opportunities to qualify.
Cedric McMillan
I saw Cedric McMillan as the emerging favorite since he won the New York Pro in 2011. Someone who, together with Shawn Rhoden, formed the new guard to threaten the top two. Beautiful symmetry, mass with a narrow waist, and no protruding belly. Unfortunately, he is quite inconsistent, and it is impossible to predict in
what form he will appear on the podium this year. He finished third last year.
Result Arnold Classic 2015
Dexter Jackson won the Arnold Classic 2015 yesterday. With this, he set a new record with five Mr. International titles. Roelly Winklaar made it to the final where he finished sixth.
Dexter Jackson winner
O.K., it may have been a bit silly in my preview last Friday to write that the Arnold Classic is enjoyable because of the unpredictable outcome, but then accurately predict the winner. Dexter Jackson won his fifth title at the Arnold Classic and can therefore call himself “Mr. International” for the fifth time, a record.
Branch Warren second, Justin Compton third
Branch Warren finished second with newcomer Justin Compton performing well with a third-place finish during his debut at the Arnold Classic. He reminds me a bit of Jay Cutler with his upper body. So, he’s someone to keep an eye on with such mass at 26 years old. On the other hand, I’m sorry to see that his belly is already starting to protrude, which doesn’t bode well if he wants to build even more mass.
Roelly Winklaar is doing well on the road with a sixth-place finish. An extra treat for the audience was the backflip he did, impressive with such weight.
Result ladies
Since last year, there is no longer a bodybuilding class for the ladies at the Arnold Classic. In the ladies, it was Oksana Grishina who won the title in the fitness class. The ladies also know how to captivate the audience. Oksana had the theme Black Swan for her routine, showing a beautiful combination of strength and flexibility.
Camala Rodriguez-McClure used to compete in the Fitness class, but now in the Figure class. While the Fitness class also revolves around the athletic tricks you show (like Oksana balancing on one hand), in the Figure class, it’s all about your physique and presence. You still need to pose well, but you don’t have to do splits or flips or anything like that.
In the rapidly growing Bikini class, it was once again Ashley Kaltwasser who successfully defended her title. This makes her both Miss Bikini International and Miss Bikini Olympia (which she won last year).
Result Arnold Classic 2017
Cedric McMillan has finally won the Arnold Classic. “Finally” because Arnold himself wanted to see him win two years ago. The Arnold Classic in Columbus Ohio is the most prestigious competition in bodybuilding after the Mr. Olympia. In addition to the American version, there are now Arnold Classics on every continent. Last year, Kai Greene won no less than three Arnold Classics. Kai Greene also won the title in 2015. This prompted Arnold Schwarzenegger to complain about the lack of symmetry and aesthetics in the shapes of contemporary bodybuilders. As an exception, he mentioned Cedric McMillan, whom he would have liked to see rank higher.
This needs to be put into perspective, of course. Even Cedric is large compared to the bodybuilders from the Arnold era. However, in the lineup of today’s top bodybuilders, his physique still resembles that time the most. He was one of the few whom I could immediately recognize at the Olympia in Las Vegas last year just by his silhouette.
New iron generation
The competition mainly came from the new generation of bodybuilders. In second place, Dallas “Big Country” McCarver finished. Whereas I had enough with Cedric McMillan’s silhouette to recognize him, I had no idea who Dallas was when he appeared on the Mr. Olympia stage (my bad). It was his first participation in Las Vegas, and he immediately finished in 8th place.
His second place this weekend at the Arnold is not very surprising. All the bodybuilders who finished higher than Cedric (who placed 6th) and Dallas at the Olympia 2016 were not present at the Arnold Classic. If you eliminate all those names, you end up with Cedric and Dallas.
For Cedric, I expect this to be his best performance ever. For 25-year-old Dallas, I foresee a very successful future.
Kai was absent
Kai Greene chose not to participate in the Mr. Olympia for the past two years and participated in multiple Arnolds last year. However, he did not participate in the main Arnold event this year, where he was only present as a presenter. No Olympia, no Arnold, what’s up Kai? Focusing on a film career? Is the ‘Predator’ following the ‘Terminator’?
3rd Maxx Charles
4th Lionel Beyeke
5th Juan Morel
6th Fouad Abiad
