Choopan wants a repeat, and he appears to be all systems go.
After years of competing at the very best level of bodybuilding, and coming so near capturing a Mr. Olympia title, Hadi Choopan finally claimed the throne because the vaunted Mr. Olympia in December 2022. Leading as much as probably the most recent iteration of bodybuilding’s flagship competition, the Iranian athlete had notched several top-level finishes, standing on the rostrum twice (2019, 2021) but never quite finished the job. Now, as Choopan looks to defend his first profession Olympia title and enter rare air as a repeat winner, he appears to be wasting no time preparing for continued glory.
On Jan. 21, 2023, Choopan posted a pic to his Instagram showing off a pumped chest and piston-like arms price every bit the profile of a defending Mr. Olympia. Given an appropriate written caption of “repeat all the things to repeat,” it appears clear that Choopan is dead set on training and eating well so as to add one other Mr. Olympia trophy to his mantel.
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Together with his long journey to the highest in account, and the reflective status of his peers like ousted two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, Choopan undoubtedly understands how tenuous an Olympia defense might be. In a sport with various mammoth-like titans seemingly at all times gunning for the highest and keeping their eyes on the prize, if one is the defending champion, they may as well have an enormous goal on their back.
On the time of this writing, it’s unclear precisely how Choopan plans to attack his off-season and preparation for the 2023 Mr. Olympia with roughly nine months to go. Nevertheless, certainly one of his first public physique updates of the 2023 calendar is a potentially illuminating insight into an athlete that may likely not rest on his laurels.
Within the weeks and months ahead, a spate of challengers for Choopan’s crown will, possibly, proceed to make their presence known. For one, the 2022 Olympia runner-up in Derek Lunsford, is planning on skipping the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic (AC), so he might be prepared to topple Choopan on Nov. 3-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. There’s also the third-place 2022 Olympia finisher, Nick Walker, who, though participating within the 2023 AC in early March, seems to consider he didn’t leave his best on stage in Las Vegas, NV, in December.
When considering recent changes to the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League’s qualification for the 2023 Olympia — which eliminates a past comprehensive points system — a recent battle-tested challenger might even emerge who greater than pushes Choopan. It’s clear this edition of the competition could, unsurprisingly, present itself as a gauntlet.
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By the point the 2023 Olympia rolls around, it seems apparent Choopan might be primed to take the perfect shots from any contenders for his title. In any case of his labor and dedication over time, this doesn’t appear to be a competitor able to release his grasp on greatness any time soon.
Featured image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram