The 2021 Arnold Classic is scheduled to take place this Saturday, September 25th in Columbus, Ohio. When the competitor list was officially announced, 14 men were invited to take part in this year’s contest with hopes of winning the prestigious title as well as being interviewed by Arnold Schwarzenegger at the end of the evening. That list is officially down to 11.
2018 Arnold Classic Australia Champion Roelly Winklaar is now out of the Arnold Classic lineup due to an undisclosed medical issue. The Arnold Sports Festival confirmed the news to Muscle Insider on September 20th. Rumors had been speculating about Winklaar’s removal from the lineup when the blank scorecards were released earlier that day. Winklaar had yet to address the issue himself on any of his social media channels.
Winklaar’s absence follows the withdrawals of 2017 Arnold Classic winner Cedric McMillan, who will be on the webcast as an announcer, and Lionel Beyeke, who was unable to travel to the United States due to travel restrictions in his home country of France.
Many fans and experts had Winklaar as a lock for the top six with him potentially competing for the title this year. He had never placed higher than fourth at this contest in his pro career. He actually turned professional by winning the 2009 Arnold Amateur World HuChampionship contest, which was also held in Columbus, Ohio. Winklaar is also qualified to compete in this year’s Mr. Olympia contest in Orlando, Florida. That contest is scheduled to take place the weekend of October 7th through 10th. There is no word from Winklaar or the Olympia promoters if he will still compete in that contest. He was unable to compete in that contest last year due to testing positive for the coronavirus.
As for the Arnold Classic, the 11 men that remain in the lineup are as follows:
- William Bonac
- Maxx Charles
- Mohamed El Emam
- Steve Kuclo
- Seung Chul Lee
- Hassan Mostafa
- Sergio Oliva Jr.
- Justin Rodriguez
- Iain Valliere
- Nick Walker
- Akim Williams
Stay tuned to Muscle Insider for the latest developments regarding the 2021 Arnold Classic. Subscribe to our newsletter so you can keep up with the latest news in the world of bodybuilding and fitness.