Arnold Sports Festival 2018: Dates, Event Schedule and More for Arnold Classic

The field for this year's Arnold Classic, the highlight of the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, is set to be one of the best the event has seen in recent years.

Taking place on Saturday, March 3, three past champions will take part, while several outside contenders will also have their eye on the top prize.

Pre-judging will be from noon to 4 p.m. ET, with the finals taking place between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. Both events will be at the Battelle Grand ballroom of the Columbus Convention Center.

For a full list of the competitors and payouts, click here. Tickers for the Classic, as well as the other events of the festival, can be found here.

       

Preview

Cedric McMillan finally won his first-ever Arnold Classic last year, marking the fourth consecutive edition of the event with a different winner.

The 40-year-old had long been a fan favourite due to his length, classic form and remarkable symmetry, but his definition often lagged behind the top contenders in the sport, and he had struggles with posing in the past as well.

That all changed in 2017, when he used an old-school routine―and a sense of humour―to impress the judges at the Classic and add the world's second-biggest bodybuilding title to his resume. Here's a look at that routine:

Ron Harris of Muscular Development is one of many who have compared the defending champion to Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, noting McMillan's classic build, as opposed to the giants of the sport today.

Schwarzenegger is also said to be a fan of McMillan―and notably got out of his seat to take a selfie with the champ during his routine last year―and that can only help his chances in the competition.

He's up against some serious competition, however. Dennis Wolf is the 2014 champion and another fan favourite, and the ageless Dexter Jackson―48 years old―has won the Classic no fewer than five times and as early as 2005.

Three-time champion Kai Greene is not on the list of competitors―he's taking part in a live-stream event―but there are other contenders to be reckoned with outside of the former champions.

Roelly Winklaar took fifth place at last year's Mr. Olympia, and William Bonac did even better, with a third-place medal.

The Dutchman looks bigger than ever heading into the competition, with his arms popping in particular:

Jackson's consistency makes him a threat in every competition he enters, but McMillan's focus on classic forms, rather than pure mass, appears to be the direction the Classic will favour moving forward.

That means the defending champion enters the competition with a solid chance to repeat. Keep an eye on Bonac as well―if the latter can be perfect with his posing, his natural progression perhaps makes him the favourite at this stage.

Wolf is the wildcard: The German has struggled with injuries since his win in 2014 but is back to full health and could spring a surprise in Columbus.

from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2HSb3GK