For the primary time since 2012, a Masters Olympia champion was crowned.

Written by Chris Colucci Last updated on August 27, 2023

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 competition 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 turn into the second-ever pro bodybuilder to win titles in two Olympia divisions, alongside 2008 Mr. Olympia and 2012 Masters Olympia winner Dexter Jackson.

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The 2023 Masters Olympia contest was also the primary 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 within the Men’s Open, Figure, Fitness, and Bikini divisions participated.

As a Masters competition, all competitors were at the least 40 years old on the time of competition, except for the Men’s Open, 212, and Women’s Bodybuilding athletes who were required to be 45 or older.

Along with their share of $229,000 — one in every of the biggest prize purses in the game — champions in each division also earned qualifications to compete within the Olympia contest on Nov. 3-5, 2023 in Orlando, FL. Here’s how each division within the long-awaited contest turned out.

Men’s Open

1. Kamal Elgargni — $20,000
2. Maxx Charles — $10,000
3. Phil Clahar — $5,000
4. Fred Smalls — $3,000
5. Kenneth B. Jackson — $2,000

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212

1. Hidetada Yamagishi — $10,000
2. David Henry — $5,000
3. Anwar Darwish Ali Al Balushi — $3,000
4. Ahmed Fawzi — $2,000
5. Jonni Shreve — $1,000

Classic Physique

1. Alejandro Cambronero — $10,000
2. Kelvin Hinde — $5,000
3. Ross Caeser — $3,000
4. Luis Garcia Martinez — $2,000
5. Tom Connelly — $1,000

Men’s Physique

1. Arya Saffaie — $10,000
2. Sharif Reid — $5,000
3. Dajuan Rico Freeman — $3,000
4. Myron Griffin — $2,000
5. Andrea Mosti — $1,000

Women’s Bodybuilding

1. Reshanna Boswell — $10,000
2. Barbara Moojen — $5,000
3. Virginia B. Sanchez Macias — $3,000
4. Donna Salib — $2,000
5. Silvia Matta — $1,000

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Women’s Physique

1. Ivie Rhein — $10,000
2. Caroline Alves Dos Santos — $5,000
3. Heather Grace — $3,000
4. Joanna Romano — $2,000
5. Susan Graham — $1,000

Figure

1. Jessica Reyes Padilla — $10,000
2. Donya (Dee) Jackson — $5,000
3. Gina Palma — $3,000
4. Corrie Morales — $2,000
5. Zulfiya Bitiyeva — $1,000

Fitness

1. Minna Pajulahti — $10,000
2. Stephanie Jones — $5,000
3. Tamara Vahn — $3,000
4. Jenny Price — $2,000
5. Debbie Fowler — $1,000

Bikini

1. Jessica Wilson — $10,000
2. Janine Herrera — $5,000
3. Nucia Freitas Samo — $3,000
4. Kerryne Henich — $2,000
5. Elisangela Angell — $1,000

Wellness

1. Nerilde Garcia Strey — $10,000
2. Simara Walter — $5,000
3. Oana Marinescu — $3,000
4. Tania Isabel Cunha Viegas — $2,000
5. Casey DeLong — $1,000

The last Masters Olympia occurred in Miami, FL in 2012 when Dexter Jackson earned a victory in what was, on the time, the ultimate Masters Olympia competition. The 2012 event was, itself, the competition’s return after not being held since 2003. On the time of this writing, the IFBB has not yet officially announced if the Masters Olympia will remain an annual competition or if it’s going to again take an indefinite break from the competition calendar.

Regardless, the 2023 contest was a first-rate opportunity for knowledgeable competitors to showcase their physiques as a technique to potentially motivate similar-aged spectators and offer current (younger) competitors a take a look at their long-term potential in the game.

Featured Image: @mastersolympiaofficial / Instagram