Arnold Classic UK: Incredible battle for the open category win! Full results and report

The two-day bodybuilding feast in the form of Arnold Classic UK is inevitably over. While the first day was primarily classic physique, where we informed you that Wesley Vissers achieved his second victory, the highlight of the second day was of course the open category, which brought together some of the most outstanding bodybuilders of today. What the second day of one of the most prestigious bodybuilding competitions held in Birmingham, UK, brought, we decided to map out for you in this report.

Bodybuilding Open offered a great show!

Let's start with the most important thing. Since the only way to get to the Arnold Classic UK was to receive an invitation from the organizers, we can't say that the starting field was bursting at the seams. On the contrary - after some justified absences there were only seven fighters on the boards. On the other hand, there were only a few big names. On paper, of course, the starting field was dominated by Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda, who took the first two places at the recent American Arnold Classic 2024. But besides them, Jon Delarosa, James Hollingshead or Akim Williams could also have entered the medal fight.

Since the starting field consisted of only the mentioned 7 riders, the races were not unnecessarily stretched and the riders had enough time to show what they had in them. For the first callout, the judges called James Hollingshead, Jon Delarosa and the just mentioned Choopan-Dauda duo, who held the coveted center callout.

It was clear, however, that the battle for the top spot was considerably more evenly matched than in the previous event. Hadi only turned up at the last minute due to visa problems he has repeatedly had when entering competitions, and of course this was reflected in his form, which was considerably worse this time around. Samson, on the other hand, was in surprisingly good form, despite the fact that he has recently finished working with his current coach and is also taking antibiotics.

The judges didn't want to underestimate anything, so after the 2nd and 3rd call-ups, which were mainly dominated by Akim Williams, Jon Delarosa and James Hollingshead, they invited both athletes on stage again, but this time without the other competitors. At this point it was apparent that Samson's huge disadvantage was his weak back, which spoiled the overall impression of his physique.

This is what cost him the victory in the end. This was undoubtedly the most evenly matched contest of these athletes to date and Samson was in great shape, with a full frame and brutal volume. Unfortunately, however, he'll have to work on his back, without which he'll probably never get to the top.

So the order after the results were announced was as follows:

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Physique of men

The men's physique also brought an interesting show, in which Diogo Montenegro, who won the Arnold in Ohio, USA, a fortnight ago, was undoubtedly the paper favourite, and therefore the competitor was brimming with confidence on the stand. Correy Morris, who finished fifth in the USA, was not going to give him anything for nothing, but this time he showed perhaps the form of his life. He worked to give a more complete impression of his physique, his mid-body was completely dry and his massive chest really gave the impression that this athlete had a chance to win. And that's exactly what the judges ultimately resorted to when they decided the following order:

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Bikini

Another category that took place on the second day of the Arnold Classic UK was the bikini category, where this time there was definitely something to see. Many of the female athletes came in absolutely great shape and their figures were really balanced, so even the judges themselves were unclear for a long time who should actually win. It was clear that they were deciding between Vania Auguste and Tara Grier. However, the first contestant looked a bit more aesthetic and subjectively we can say that her presentation on the stand was a bit better, which earned her the victory in the end.

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Wheelchair Bodybuilding

Two wheelchair athletes also got their chance to show their skills and showed very good forms considering their handicap. In the end, Italian competitor Gabriele Andriulli took his Olympia qualification and the associated prize money, while the silver was taken by local Nick Hewitt, who, at least for a good feeling, took 10 points for the Olympia qualification ranking in addition to his medal, as the rules left the possibility for wheelchair athletes to qualify additionally for the most prestigious bodybuilding competition.

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