The 2024 Arnold Classic Physique contest featured two past champions. Two-time defending champion Ramon Rocha Querioz and inaugural winner Breon Ansley were joined by several elite competitors of the Classic Physique division for the competition in Columbus, OH. Among them was Urs Kalecinski, who had one of the longest lines in the Meet and Greet on Feb. 29, 2024.
All the athletes who ventured to Columbus gathered on the Arnold Expo stage for the opening round of the competition on Friday, March 1, 2024. There was a lot of buzz during the contest’s buildup, and the athletes were ready to deliver.
The Classic Physique competitors were introduced to the crowd in the following order:
2024 Arnold Classic Classic Physique Roster
Urs Kalecinski
Damien Patrick
Ramon Rocha Querioz
Kandahl Richmond
Emanuele Riccotti
Eric Brown Jr.
Darren Farrell
Breon Ansley
*Antoine Loth and Courage Opara were on the roster, but neither athlete was on stage. No reason for their absence was given.
With formal introductions out of the way, it was time for the judges to get to work. These callouts helped the judges determine who the front runners for the title are heading into the finals, scheduled to occur later the same eventing. Below are the callouts:
Callout One
Urs Kalecinski
Wesley Vissers
Ramon Rocha Querioz
Breon Ansley
Callout Two
Kandahl Richmond
Emanuele Riccotti
Damien Patrick
Michael Daboul
Darren Farrell
Eric Brown Jr.
Callout Three
Urs Kalecinski
Ramon Rocha Querioz
Wesley Vissers
Breon Ansley
Kalecinski had supporters in the crowd, but the loudest cheers were for the defending champion. Both were in the first call-out, which also featured Vissers and Ansley.
Those four were the clear front runners in the judges’ eyes. Kalecinski, Querioz, Vissers, and Ansley competed through two posing rounds in the first call-out. Fans saw them again in the final callout that featured Querioz and Vissers in the center. It appears the larger Vissers made a strong charge at the champ on the judges’ scorecards.
Stay tuned to BarBend for continuing coverage of this and all seven IFBB Pro League contests of the 2024 Arnold Classic weekend. The show is free to watch on the Arnold Sports livestream via registering on their website.
Featured image: @ramondinopro on Instagram
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