Kalecinski will compete in some of the biggest shows of the year.
Bodybuilder Urs Kalecinski is now competing in the Men’s Open division and has high hopes moving forward. His debut is complete and now he can prepare to take the next step in competition. During a recent appearance on The Art of Bodybuilding, coach Stefan Kienzl shared Kalecinski’s next shows for the 2026 season.
[RELATED: Urs Kalecinski Believes it is “Going to be Possible” to Win Mr. Olympia]
“When you want to go to the top, you need to challenge the top. As Arnold said, think big. That’s how it goes.”
Kalecinski made the move to Men’s Open so he could bring his best physique possible to the stage with no restrictions and that is exactly what he did. Right away, he impressed with a victory in Italy before being crowned champion once again during the Europa Pro Championships. Kalecinski would go onto compete in the 2025 Olympia, where he finished 13th in Open.
Kienzl believes that bodybuilders must compete and compete against the best to truly improve. This is why Kalecinski is preparing to compete at two of the top shows on the calendar.
“The schedule of the show is as it is. Would I’ve liked to have it one or two months later? Probably yes, but it is what it is. You are not the guy who hides from the favorites. You are a guy who challenges the favorites.
That’s why you’re going to Pittsburgh and New York.”
Jay Cutler Believes Urs Kalecinski Is Future Olympia Champion
4x champion Jay Cutler is on record saying that he believes that Urs Kalecinski is a future Mr. Olympia. He doubled down on this notion recently, but made his original comments in October following Kalecinski’s move.
“I really, truly think in time that you can win the Mr. Olympia in the Open. Which you couldn’t do in the Classic unfortunately but I think you’re going to be at this division than you were at the Classic division.”
Before his move to Open, Urs Kalecinski carved out a reputation as one of the top Classic Physique competitors in the world. He won the Tampa Pro in 2021, which led to his first Olympian appearance. Kalecinski secured fourth place in the competition. He followed this with a third-place finish at the Arnold Classic in 2022 behind runner-up Ramon Rocha Queiroz and 2022 winner Terrence Ruffin. He burst into the top three in 2023 and remained there in 2024.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
