{"id":16668,"date":"2026-03-30T01:55:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T01:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=16668"},"modified":"2026-03-30T01:55:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T01:55:09","slug":"arnold-classic-2021-nick-walker-scores-an-important-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=16668","title":{"rendered":"Arnold Classic 2021 – Nick Walker scores an important victory!"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Yesterday, Saturday 25th September, Columbus, North America, hosted this year’s Arnold Classic, which is considered the second most prestigious competition in the world of professional bodybuilders competing in the IFBB Jim Manion Professional League, after the Mr. Olympia competition.<\/p>\n

What made this year’s event unusual was not its venue, as it has been held here since its inception in 1989, but its date! Until now, we have been used to the fact that the competition, which is backed by bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, is always held during the months of February or March, thus kicking off the season of the aforementioned federation every year.<\/p>\n

However, this year was different. There were two options in play to deal with the restrictions and measures imposed in the USA, and consequently in the states themselves, to combat the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic.

\nOne option was to cancel the competition altogether, the other was to postpone the date on the understanding that it would not be as spectacular an event as had been the custom in previous years.<\/p>\n

However, Arnold himself did not want to hear about the first option! He didn’t want the competition, which has been held continuously since 1989, to be interrupted in any way! And this despite the fact that this year’s edition of this event will not be as profitable as it used to be, and not as crowded with competitors, or exhibitors and visitors of the otherwise connected EXPO fair, which is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Arnold Classic will be held in September!<\/a><\/h3>\n
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And how did this year’s 33rd edition of this competition turn out? The following lines of our report are about that.<\/p>\n

Fourteen representatives of the Open category were invited to participate in this year’s competition. But as you could learn<\/strong><\/a> from us, not all of them presented themselves on the stage.

\nCedric McMillan<\/strong><\/a> is still recovering from his hand injury, the pair of Lionel Beyeke and William Bonac<\/strong><\/a> could not deal with the conditions necessary to travel to the USA in time, and Roelly Winklaar decided to focus on the highlight of the season, Mr. Olympia 2021!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sergio Oliva Jr., Nick Walker and Iain Valliere train ahead of the 2021 Arnold Classic!<\/a><\/h3>\n
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10 fighters fought for the triumph, and thus also for the qualification for the Mr. Olympia 2021 competition, while in the absence of the former winners of this event, which were the aforementioned pair Cedric McMillan – the winner of the Arnold Classic 2017<\/strong> and William Bonac – the winner of the Arnold Classic <\/strong>2018<\/strong><\/a> and <\/strong>2020<\/strong><\/a>, a completely new, the 19th champion should have emerged!<\/p>\n

Right from the start, the semi-final bouts suggested it could be one of the foursome of Steve Kuclo, Luis Rodriguez, Iain Valliere and Nick Walker. In fact, these four fighters were given the opportunity in the first semi-final comparison!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dF1m-2kKFyw<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

Arnold Classic 2021 – 1. semifin\u00e1lov\u00e9 vyvol\u00e1v\u00e1n\u00ed – Luis Rodriguez, Steve Kuclo, Nick Walker a Iain Valliere<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The second semi-final call-up consisted of the rest of the starting field, namely Akim Williams, Sergio Oliva Jr, Max Charles, Hassan Mostafa, Mohamed El Emam and Lee Seung Chul.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xaroiIWwvSg<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

Arnold Classic 2021 – 2. semifin\u00e1lov\u00e9 vyvol\u00e1v\u00e1n\u00ed – Akim Williams, Hassan Mostafa, Sergio Oliva Jr., Mohamed El Emam, Lee Seung Chul a Max Charles<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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For the third semi-final comparison, in which the Top 5 was contested, the judges kept the pair of Sergio Oliva Jr. and Akim Williams on the podium, which was completed by the pair from the first call-up consisting of Iain Vallier and Luis Rodriguez.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Arnold Classic 2021 – 3. semifin\u00e1lov\u00e9 vyvol\u00e1v\u00e1n\u00ed – Akim Williams, Luis Rodriguez, Iain Valliere a Sergio Oliva Jr.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The last semi-final call was only for the pair of Nick Walker and Steve Kuclo. It was more than clear that one of them would be the new Arnold Classic champion!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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