By Kamal Elgargni Wins 2023 Masters Olympia as Contest Returns After 11-Year Hiatus
On the weekend of Aug. 26-27, 2023, the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) held its first Masters Olympia competition in 11 years. The return of the contest saw competitors appear in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and 51-year-old Kamal Elgargni captured the Men’s Open Masters Olympia championship.
Elgargni previously won the 2019 212 Olympia and has now become the second-ever pro bodybuilder to win titles in two Olympia divisions, alongside 2008 Mr. Olympia and 2012 Masters Olympia winner Dexter Jackson.
The 2023 Masters Olympia contest was also the first time participants in 10 physique divisions took the stage competing for a Masters Olympia title: Men’s Open, 212, Men’s Physique, Classic Physique, Women’s Bodybuilding, Women’s Physique, Figure, Fitness, Bikini, and Wellness. In prior Masters Olympia contests, only competitors in the Men’s Open, Figure, Fitness, and Bikini divisions participated.
As a Masters competition, all competitors were at least 40 years old at the time of competition, with the exception of the Men’s Open, 212, and Women’s Bodybuilding athletes who were required to be 45 or older.
In addition to their share of $229,000 — one of the largest prize purses in the sport — champions in each division also earned qualifications to compete in the Olympia contest on Nov. 3-5, 2023 in Orlando, FL. Here’s how each division in the long-awaited contest turned out.
Men’s Open
Kamal Elgargni — $20,000
Maxx Charles — $10,000
Phil Clahar — $5,000
Fred Smalls — $3,000
Kenneth B. Jackson — $2,000
212
Hidetada Yamagishi — $10,000
David Henry — $5,000
Anwar Darwish Ali Al Balushi — $3,000
Ahmed Fawzi — $2,000
Jonni Shreve — $1,000
Classic Physique
Alejandro Cambronero — $10,000
Kelvin Hinde — $5,000
Ross Caeser — $3,000
Luis Garcia Martinez — $2,000
Tom Connelly — $1,000
Men’s Physique
Arya Saffaie — $10,000
Sharif Reid — $5,000
Dajuan Rico Freeman — $3,000
Myron Griffin — $2,000
Andrea Mosti — $1,000
Women’s Bodybuilding
Reshanna Boswell — $10,000
Barbara Moojen — $5,000
Virginia B. Sanchez Macias — $3,000
Donna Salib — $2,000
Silvia Matta — $1,000
Women’s Physique
Ivie Rhein — $10,000
Caroline Alves Dos Santos — $5,000
Heather Grace — $3,000
Joanna Romano — $2,000
Susan Graham — $1,000
Figure
Jessica Reyes Padilla — $10,000
Donya (Dee) Jackson — $5,000
Gina Palma — $3,000
Corrie Morales — $2,000
Zulfiya Bitiyeva — $1,000
Fitness
Minna Pajulahti — $10,000
Stephanie Jones — $5,000
Tamara Vahn — $3,000
Jenny Worth — $2,000
Debbie Fowler — $1,000
Bikini
Jessica Wilson — $10,000
Janine Herrera — $5,000
Nucia Freitas Samo — $3,000
Kerryne Henich — $2,000
Elisangela Angell — $1,000
Wellness
Nerilde Garcia Strey — $10,000
Simara Walter — $5,000
Oana Marinescu — $3,000
Tania Isabel Cunha Viegas — $2,000
Casey DeLong — $1,000
The last Masters Olympia occurred in Miami, FL in 2012 when Dexter Jackson earned a victory in what was, at the time, the final Masters Olympia competition. The 2012 event was, itself, the contest’s return after not being held since 2003. At the time of this writing, the IFBB has not yet officially announced if the Masters Olympia will remain an annual competition or if it will again take an indefinite break from the contest calendar.
Regardless, the 2023 contest was a prime opportunity for experienced competitors to showcase their physiques as a way to potentially motivate similar-aged spectators and offer current (younger) competitors a look at their long-term potential in the sport.
Featured Image: @mastersolympiaofficial / Instagram
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