March 8, 2026, 1:30 p.m. ET
- The Arnold Sports Festival, a major multisport event, recently held its 38th annual competition in Columbus, Ohio.
- Central Ohio native Sam Sulek made his professional bodybuilding debut in the Classic Physique division.
- Wesley Vissers won the Classic Physique competition, with Sulek congratulating him on social media.
For the 38th year, athletes from all over the world came to compete in multiple sporting events in Columbus, Ohio.
Widely considered the largest multisport festival in the world, the Arnold Sports Festival attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to Columbus from March 5-8, and of course, the Arnold Schwarzenegger always makes his appearance.
One central Ohio native has made his mark though: Sam Sulek.
After winning the Arnold Amateur competition in 2025, earning him an IFBB Pro Card, Sulek competed as a professional March 6 in the Classic Physique division.
The Delaware-area native first began bodybuilding at age 16, but it was his gymnastics that introduced him to the Arnold Sports Festival when he was 13, The Dispatch previously reported.
Now a big name in the bodybuilding community, with over 7 million followers on Instagram, a lot of eyes were on Sulek as he took the stage for his first professional competition.
Sulek had an impressive performance, placing in the top 10 out of 12 competitors. Wesley Vissers took home the gold and Sulek took eighth place.
In an Instagram announcement spotlighting Vissers’ win, Sulek, as a good sport, commented, “Absolute beast,” congratulating his competition.
Emily Rohozen is the entertainment and things-to-do editor for The Dispatch and can be reached at erohozen@dispatch.com
