ASC am 4.-6. März 2010

in Columbus, OHIO

Open
Preisgeld: $344,000
Mr. O 2010 Qulifiaktion: 6







WHA 2010 ARNOLD CLASSIC
WHEN: March 6, 2010
WHERE: Columbus, OH
FOR MORE INFO: GO HERE

ARNOLD CLASSIC
Melvin Anthony
Tarek Elsetouhi
Toney Freeman
Kai Greene
Phil Heath
Dexter Jackson
Johnnie Jackson
Robert Pietrkowicz
Ronny Rockel
Sergey Shelestov
Branch Warren
Roelly Winklaar
Hidetada Yamagishi



Melvin Anthony Jr.
Age 40
Height 5'8"
Weight 242 pounds
Country of Birth United States
Current Residence Rancho Cucamonga, California
ARNOLD History 2001, 7th; 2003, 8th; 2005, 5th; 2006, 5th; 2008, 8th


This is Anthony’s sixth Arnold Classic appearance. He has placed as high as fifth in 2005 and 2006. Anthony took fourth place at the 2009 IFFB Atlantic City Championships. He believes that this is the year in which he’s ready to make a run for top honors. Look for a jaw-dropping, gravity-defying posing routine from “Marvelous.”


Roelly Winklaar
Age 32
Height 5'7"
Weight 247 pounds
Country of Birth Netherlands
Current Residence Netherlands
Arnold History 2009, Arnold Classic Amateur Championships, 1st

In winning the Arnold Classic Amateur Championships in 2009, Winklaar looked like a pro athlete already. Now he puts his physique to the test against the most seasoned veterans of the IFBB sport. The international athlete shows other amateur athletes that it is possible. With all the hard work of any professional athlete, Winklaar is thick and proportioned with arms, and especially triceps, as good as any you will see this weekend.


Branch Warren
Age 35
Height 5'7"
Weight 245 pounds
CountrY OF BIRTH United States
Current Residence Euless, Texas
Arnold History 2006, 2nd; 2007, 7th; 2008, 4th; 2009, 3rd

By taking the runner-up spot to Jay Cutler at the 2009 Mr. Olympia, Warren established himself as a frontrunner in Columbus on the 2009 Arnold Classic stage. He has placed as high as second in the past and is looking to move up a couple of spots from his third-place finish last year to gain the 2009 Arnold Classic title. No one elicits louder cheers of appreciation in this sport than the incredibly muscular and always-entertaining Warren.


Dexter Jackson
Age 40
Height 5'6½"
Weight 235 pounds
Country of Birth United States
Current Residence Jacksonville, Florida
Arnold History 1999, 7th; 2000, 5th; 2001, 5th; 2002, 3rd; 2003, 4th; 2004, 3rd; 2005, 1st; 2006, 1st; 2007, 2nd; 2008, 1st

With this being his 11th Arnold Classic appearance Jackson is the most seasoned competitor in the show. Not only is he a three-time winner at the Arnold Classic, but he’s also the 2008 Mr. Olympia, making him the contest’s most highly decorated athlete. After a year in which he skipped the Arnold and placed an unexpectedly-low third at the Olympia, Jackson is eager to reestablish his dominance. Get ready for Jackson’s battle to get back on top.


Hidetada Yamagishi
AGE 36
HEIGHT 5'5"
WEIGHT 220 pounds
COUNTRY OF BIRTH Japan
CURRENT RESIDENCE Santa Clarita, California
ARNOLD HISTORY 2007, 13th

This is just Yamagishi’s second Arnold Classic appearance; he placed 13th on the Arnold Classic stage in 2007. He’s expected to do better at the 2010 contest, as he’s made dramatic improvements to his physique. While Yamagishi takes great personal pride in his onstage achievements, as Japan’s greatest bodybuilder, he also carries the collective pride of his home nation on his mighty shoulders.

Johnnie Jackson
Age 39
Height 5'9"
Weight 245 pounds
Country of Birth United States
Current Residence Fort Worth, Texas
Arnold History 2006, 13th; 2008, 9th; 2009, 9th

Jackson currently lays claim to the title of World’s Strongest Bodybuilder, a claim substantiated after he won a showdown with Ben White at this past Olympia Weekend. As he performs his posing routine, make note of his impressive back, traps and pecs, the result of 500-plus pound bench presses and 800plus pound deadlifts. In 2009, Johnnie placed ninth on the Arnold Classic stage and is aiming to move up the ranks in 2010.

Phil Heath
Age 30
Height 5'9"
Weight 240 pounds
Country of Birth United States
Current Residence Arvada, Colorado
Arnold History 2007, 5th; 2008, 2nd

They call him “The Gift” and for good reason. With impeccable lines, crisp musculature and a level of presentation that’s second to none, Heath was born to be a bodybuilder. After placing fifth and second at the Arnold Classic and a most recent fifth place at the Olympia, Heath is working towards adding an Arnold Classic title to his growing list of victories.

Kai Greene
Age 34
Height 5'8"
Weight 255 pounds
CountrY OF BIRTH United States
Current Residence Brooklyn, New York
Arnold History 2008, 3rd; 2009, 1st

Winning the 2009 Arnold Classic, Australian Pro Grand Prix and the NPC Eastern USA contests, Greene has been at the top of his game. Competing in just his third Arnold Classic, Greene is the contest’s defending champion, following a third place finish in his rookie performance. Packing as much muscle on his frame as any man in history, Greene isn’t just a great bodybuilder; he’s also one of the most entertaining posers the sport has ever seen.

Robert Piotrkowicz
AGE 36
HEIGHT 5’8”
WEIGHT 250 pounds
COUNTRY OF BIRTH Poland
CURRENT RESIDENCE Poland
ARNOLD HISTORY 2008, Arnold Classic Amateur Championships, 2nd

Poland’s Piotrkowicz has competed here before, as an amateur when he placed second to Tarek Elsetouhi in the amateur division in 2008. Thickly muscled with an impressive back, Piotrkowicz brings a degree of raw muscle to the stage that Arnold fans have traditionally favored. Once again, Piotrkowicz and Elsetouhi stand on the same stage but this time as professional athletes making their personal bodybuilding history.


Ronny Rockel
Age 37
Height 5'6"
Weight 225 pounds
Country of Birth Germany
Current Residence Reinsdorf, Germany
Arnold History 2007, 8th; 2008, 13th; 2009, 10th

Although Rockel’s highest placing at the Arnold Classic to date is eighth, he’s expected to bring a revamped physique this weekend. At last year’s Mr. Olympia contest Rockel stunned judges and audience alike by achieving a level of conditioning he’d never displayed before. Rockel nabbed a seventh place in a stacked lineup during the Olympia. Look for Rockel to steal some thunder from the behemoths in Columbus, striving for a title at the Arnold Classic.

Tarek Elsetouhi
Age 33
Height 5'10"
Weight 240 pounds
Country of Birth Egypt
Current Residence Germany
ARNOLD History 2008, Arnold Classic Amateur Championships, 1st

After winning the Arnold Classic amateur overall title in 2008, Elsetouhi quickly made an impact in the pro ranks, placing as high as fifth in his rookie year (Europa Super Show). He also placed in the top ten at the New York and Tampa professional contests. Now he’ll see if the luck he had as an amateur here in Columbus will carry through to the Arnold Classic pro show. Elsetouhi is ready to take the historic Arnold Classic stage as a professional athlete.

Toney Freeman
Age 43
Height 6'2"
Weight 292 pounds
CountrY OF BIRTH United States
Current Residence Canton, Georgia
Arnold History 2005, 10th; 2006, 9th; 2007, 3rd; 2008, 7th; 2009, 4th

At 43, always-popular Freeman is the Arnold Classic’s oldest competitor, but as you’ll recognize from the moment he hits the stage, age is just a number for him. Freeman is also the show’s tallest contestant and, with his broad shoulders, wasp waist and flaring quads, X-Man is sure to cut a figure you won’t soon forget. Freeman placed fourth in 2009 at the Arnold Classic and first at the 2009 Sacramento – showing that this mature physique is preparing to be at the top.


Sergey Shelestov
Age 39
Height 5'11"
Weight 272 pounds
Country of Birth Russia
Current Residence Moscow, Russia
Arnold History 2007, 15th; 2009, 8th

Shelestov makes his third Arnold Classic appearance this weekend, coming all the way from Moscow to do so. In 2009, Shelestov moved into the top ten ranks, placing eighth at the Arnold Classic. Shelestov also increased his placing taking fourth place at the Europa Show of Champions . Big, thickly muscled and sporting some of the best thighs in the business, he is always a crowd pleaser who has the potential to do real damage in any lineup.