Traditional bodybuilding is the most popular event in the mr olympia 2020 competition, with most of the competitors being "Beasts". But it is the men's classical bodybuilding, which is considered by many to be the best expression of strength and beauty, that has the best of the best, with athlete chen kang in the top five in 2019.
Generally, most of the attention for mr olympia comes from the men's open category (traditional bodybuilding), and even more so with the return of heath this year.
Having said that, men's classical bodybuilding is still exciting, and this is because of the fierce competition from many of the best such as fitness stars who are extremely sought after by young people. This has also put the emerging (as opposed to traditional) discipline of men's classical fitness in the spotlight.
A total of 33 athletes qualified for the mr olympia men's classical fitness event this year, but arash rahbar has withdrawn from the competition. Even if he is not present, there are still a large number of athletes to go on the lookout for who will certainly perform at a high level. So who is likely to be in the top 10 of this competition, today we will analyse a couple of them.
No. 10: Dean wilson
After spending some time settling down, men's classical bodybuilder dean wilson is back in a big way in 2020. After finishing second in the tampa pro, he made a quick turnaround to win the lunda murray pro and pick up a spot at the olympia. He will certainly try to go further this year after his 16th place finish in 2018.
Dean wilson has a lot of potential, he has a pretty good arm and a nice midsection. His legs and shoulders are kind of a relative disadvantage, but if he continues on his current trajectory they won't be much worse than anyone else. So it's quite possible that he could make it into the top 10 this year.
No. 9: Deontre campbell
Since winning the tampa pro last july, people have quickly started to remember his name. The up-and-comer looked solid in the tournament and was able to beat other, more experienced players. This made people quickly realise that he was competitive.
Campbell's calves and pecs have a lot going for them and they could easily be his strengths. While there is plenty of room for improvement in his abdominals, he is getting better each time. As such, he seems very capable of making the top ten and is expected to be in ninth place.
Eighth: Wesley weathers
Few athletes have looked as impressive as wesley vissers in his preparation for this year's olympia. The dutch bodybuilder didn't start his career that impressively, scoring 14 points in the 2019 olympia points competition. However, the progress has been noticeable over the past few months, which proves that he is working hard to become one of the best athletes around.
At the start of vissers' career, it very much felt like he was born with that talent, with thick arms and a slim waist. We can expect him to make history this year.
No. 7: Logan franklin
Things have been going well for logan franklin since he switched from men's bodybuilding to men's classical bodybuilding in 2019. His apparent indication that he wants to take on current olympia champion chris banstead has caused a stir, with fans speculating what the two of them would look like standing together. People noticed a lot of similarities between the two men.
When he won the new york pro last september, logan attracted attention with his strong body and balanced muscles. This will be his first time competing in the olympia men's classic bodybuilding, so let's look forward to it.
Sixth place: Brian jones
Brian jones will be making his olympia debut. However, he won the chicago pro earlier this year. He was able to beat a number of others to qualify for this year's olympia and he has proven himself to be at the top of his game.
It may be a little controversial to say that jones has the ability to finish in the top six at his first olympia, but all signs point to him being a fairly mature athlete. His upper abdominal muscles still have some room for improvement, but his back, biceps and the contours of his legs may be enough to impress the judges. The future looks quite bright for this young man.
Fifth place: Terence ruffin
In 2014, terence ruffin became the youngest athlete to win an ifbb pro card at the time, which put him in the limelight. He has developed into one of the most mature and competitive men's classical bodybuilders. After finishing second at the arnold classic earlier this year, he seems poised to take off before the olympia.
Ruffin is the kind of man who shows great strength in true fasted form. This accentuates his slim waist and broad chest. This year he has shown some significant growth and he will be a real threat on the stage.
Fourth place: Dani younan
Men's classical bodybuilding veteran dani younan is looking better and better. After a seventh place finish at the 2019 olympia, the performance has bounced back after a recent period of adjustment. This brought him to this year's olympia where he hopes to continue to show his growth.
When dani younan steps onto the stage he will showcase all his strengths. His legs, which have been an issue in past races, should allow him to easily finish in the top four if he can improve.
Third place: Alex cambronero
He changed noticeably when winning this year's arnold classic. Alex cambronero is an extremely competitive athlete. Although he started his career not long ago, he has a lot of experience of olympiads, most of which comes from the men's 212 event. However, in his new event he has been steadily improving, even finishing sixth in 2019.
His growth has led him to the olympia again. He has made some improvements to his legs and arms, which used to be his shortcomings. With that in mind, we can foresee him having the ability to finish in the top three.
Second place: Brian ainslie
When brian ainslie lost to chris banstead in 2019, fans of both men argued endlessly. He had previously won the tournament two years in a row and it seemed like a new era was beginning to emerge. Despite this, he lost to chris by a point and many felt he deserved his third olympia title.
He is now one of the greatest athletes in the class and he has even considered returning to his old class. Having said that, his goal this year is still to reclaim his title. Unfortunately, the competition is still fierce.
Winner: Chris banstead
When chris banstead won the 2019 olympic men's classical bodybuilding title, he said it was because the judges saw a new direction and favoured his physique over brian ainslie's. The verdict is still out, but there seems to be a bit of truth in his words. In any case, his rivalry with brian ainslie was certainly the biggest attraction of the competition.
