The prestigious Arnold Classic Championship 2024 has been scheduled to return this year from March 1st to 3rd. This show was founded by one of the greatest former bodybuilding champions Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1989. Numerous bodybuilders who wished to make it big at the highest showdown, Mr. Olympia are given a chance to perform at this event. This year, fans expect a star-studded lineup at this year’s event with predictions running down on the champion’s potential crown.
In a recent podcast on the YouTube channel of Muscle and Fitness, elite bodybuilders discussed with each other and revealed their top-5 predictions for this year’s Arnold Classic. In the podcast, bodybuilders like Dennis James, Milos Sarcev, Chris Cormier, and James Hollingshead were present talking about various matters.
When it came down to the prediction of this year’s Arnold Classic champions, they had a fun yet debated argument. During the podcast, they unveiled their respective top five predictions for the 2024 Arnold Classic. Though many names came up, it was Hadi Choopan who was a common name among them at the top position. The breakdown of each of their predictions is below.
Milos Sarcev’s Top 5 Predictions
- Samson Dauda
- Hadi Choopan
- Horse MD
- James Hollingshead
- Rafael Brandao
However, Milos also feels that Akim Williams and Justin Rodriguez also stand a chance as they have put some size and structure. And Williams is a monster, who came at the top 6 of the Olympia before.
Chris Cormier’s Top 5 Predictions
- Samson Dauda
- Hadi Choopan
- Horse MD
- Rafael Brandao
- James Hollingshead
Chris Cormier, however, was more confused during the podcast on whom to choose in his top 5 as compared to the last time he predicted.
Dennis James’ Top 5 Predictions
- Hadi Choopan
- Samson Dauda
- James Hollingshead
- Rafael Brandao
- Horse MD
James Hollingshead’s Top 5 Predictions
- Samson Dauda
- Hadi Choopan
- James Hollingshead
- Rafael Brandao
- Horse MD
Hollingshead hesitantly put himself third, but he is confident that he can put up a performance of the classics this year. Though these predictions can change and have changed due to athletes pulling out of the competition last minute, everyone is confident in Samson Dauda and Hadi Choopan being the strongest competitions.
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This year has witnessed a few of the athletes pullout last minute due to personal and other reasons giving other competitors a better chance at winning. Who are these athletes who will not be seen at the Arnold Classic Championship 2024?
Athletes who pulled out of the Arnold Classic 2024
Arnold Classic, an equally strong counterpart of Mr Olympia with a lineup of strong contenders saw Andrew Jacked’s withdrawal recently. The star cited the reason to focus on personal matters. Dennis James, Milos Sarcev, Chris Cormier, and Ron Harris discussed Jacked’s decision to pull out and its effects at the Menace Podcast.
Moreover, as per reports, Jacked was to appear for both Arnold’s Sports Festival and Arnold’s Expo in the UK, but he pulled out of both as he had multiple things to focus his energy on and not enough time to prep. Reports also suggest that players like Emile Walker and Rubiel Mosquera have pulled out of the competitions.
The elite bodybuilder’s lineup discussed the decision and its consequences. James commented about Jacked’s prep not being up to par with other contenders like Hadi Choopan. Cormier affirmed that it would have been a hard bet to win over players like Choopan and Samson Dauda with their respective performances in Olympia.
However, most often, players withdraw from the competition after confirming their presence for various reasons. This incident is not an isolated one.