Arnold Classic, combat sports, bodybuilders & Schwarzenegger among highlights of festival
The Arnold Sports Festival is known worldwide for its bodybuilding and strength competitions, but the four-day event draws more than just onlookers there to see ripped and shredded bodies.
Though many will flock to the Greater Columbus Convention Center for the festival’s centerpiece, the Arnold Classic, as well as the weightlifting and Strongman/Strongwoman events, you needn’t be a fan of those exhibitions to attend. There’s an array of other attractions — including pillow-fighting (seriously) — to captivate all comers.
"I think the Arnold appeals to a wide variety of people because it features a wide variety of competitions and events — not only bodybuilding and weightlifting, but events like cheerleading and dance, even foosball," said Brent LaLonde, events director for the Arnold, which takes place Thursday through Sunday, primarily at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Arnold trivia: 3 things you didn't know about the Arnold Sports Festival
How did the Arnold Sports Festival begin?
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a bodybuilder in his early 20s when he met Jim Lorimer, then mayor of Worthington, at the 1970 Mr. World bodybuilding championship. The pair enjoyed a decades-long friendship and partnership that included founding the Arnold Classic — which eventually became the Arnold Sports Festival — in 1989.
In an Instagram post after Lorimer’s death in November 2022, Schwarzenegger referred to their “handshake agreement” to promote bodybuilding together and the Arnold’s growth “from a small bodybuilding show to a sports festival with 200,000 visitors and more athletes than the Olympics."
LaLonde echoed Schwarzenegger’s comments.
"The event has really grown over 36 years from a bodybuilding competition into a sports festival, one of the largest multi-sport festivals in the nation,” he said. “It’s a real highlight of the year for the athletes, attendees and sponsors.
“We’re just glad to be back again and we look forward to putting on a good show.”
Going to the Arnold Sports Festival?: Here's what you need to know
Arnold Schwarzenegger to appear Friday through Sunday
No Arnold is complete without its namesake and co-founder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who attends the sports fest each year. Spectators will spot him here and there Friday through Sunday, as well as at 5K Pump & Run, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the convention center.
If you want to see Schwarzenegger up-close and personal, you'll want to attend the Arnold Showcase, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the convention center’s Battelle Grand ballroom at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Schwarzenegger will be present for the second half of the showcase.
“The Arnold Showcase brings about 2,000 people to Battelle Grand. At the showcase, (Schwarzenegger) does a Q&A and touches on all aspects of his career from bodybuilding to movies and politics,” LaLonde said. “It’s the best opportunity to see Arnold, hear him speak and ask him a question.”
And no, LaLonde added, Schwarzenegger doesn’t mind being asked to say famous “Terminator” catchphrases like “I’ll be back” and “Hasta la vista, baby.”
Combat sports among popular Arnold Sports Festival events
In addition to the physique and lifting events, LaLonde said combat sports round out the “three pillars” of the Arnold’s biggest crowd-pleasers. This year’s combat sports include Muay Thai boxing, grappling, MMA fighting and a martial arts festival taking place Friday through Sunday at the Ohio Expo Center.
Also under the combat umbrella is medieval fighting, which LaLonde called the sports festival’s “most unique” event. In it, combatants use 14th- to 16th-century armor and weapons, competing to be the last one standing.
Guns & Hoses returns to festival boxing ring
Arguably the most popular combat attraction is the Guns & Hoses charity boxing event, which pits local police officers and firefighters against one another other. “It always draws a sold-out crowd. It’s a fun night of boxing and raising money for their charities,” LaLonde said.
This is the ninth year for Guns & Hoses and it's also a tiebreaker year since there's a 4-4 split between police and fire, according to Franklin County Sheriff's Office Deputy Troy Speakman, event director for Guns & Hoses.
Donovan Byas, who will represent the Columbus Division of Fire when he defends the heavyweight title he won last year, said he looks forward to both firefighters and police officers getting the chance to showcase talents people don't usually get to see.
Why Columbus?: Why a sports festival named after Arnold Schwarzenegger is held in Columbus every year
Byas, 35, signed up for his first Guns & Hoses at the suggestion of colleague Tony Cupe, a former professional fighter who also has competed in the Arnold boxing event. "I've always been a fan of boxing — of any sports growing up, really — and I've always wanted to box myself," he said.
"I (went) to the Barack Rec Center as much as possible and trained with E.J. Reed, another pro fighter with the (fire) department. I'm trying as much as I can to balance it with home life and work life to get some sparring in to get ready for this event."
Byas will raise his gloves against Franklin County Sheriff's Office Deputy Joe Smith, a first-time contender. Smith said he "jumped at the opportunity" to take part in Guns & Hoses after being approached by Speakman.
"It's a good opportunity for police and firefighters to come out and have a little bit of competition against each other and battle it out instead of talking trash about each other all the time," Smith said, joking about the friendly rivalry between police and fire.
The 40-year-old officer said Guns & Hoses also is a chance for the competitors to do something aside from their "normal" jobs. "It's a good opportunity for people to come out and see police and firefighters doing something for the community," said Smith, who has done mixed-martial arts in the past.
"It's also an opportunity to represent who you're working for in a non-professional atmosphere, to have fun and step out of the normal day-to-day routine."
This year's pugilistic competition will benefit the Fraternal Order of Police Foundation and the International Association of Firefighters to help police officers and firefighters injured in the line of duty, Speakman said.
Gymnasts to spring into action at the Arnold Sports Festival
Looking for a less contact-intensive sport? Integrity Athletics of Plain City will jump back into the Arnold this year for the gymnastics competition, which brings contenders from gyms across the country to participate in trampoline and tumbling as well as women’s artistic gymnastics.
Integrity gymnast Raf Bryant has competed internationally for several years, but his next contest will be on home turf when he makes his Arnold debut. “I’ve never been before, so it’s going to be a different experience for me, something new,” the 21-year-old Worthington resident said.
As a power tumbler, Bryant will be tasked with executing difficult mid-air twists, back-to-back series of single and double flips and more. Although a newcomer to the festival, he’s an old hand at facing off against other athletes, having begun gymnastics at an age when many kids are struggling to color inside the lines.
From foosball to 'Wheel of Pain': 5 great moments in Arnold Sports Festival history
"I’ve been competing since I was 4. I started at Buckeye Gymnastics, doing the baby program with my dad. Then one day, we were watching (other gymnasts) and my dad said, 'Raf, why don't you try that? It looks fun.’
"I joined a team when I was about 4 or 5. When I got to a level where my coaches could only take me so far, I ended up switching to Integrity. I've been there for eight years; they've helped me to develop and become an international athlete to where I am now," said Bryant, whose athletic career has taken him to many countries including Japan, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and England.
Arnold Classic, Strongman/Strongwoman anchor festival
Touting the Arnold Classic as “the marquee event of the weekend,” LaLonde said contestants’ physiques are judged on criteria including shape, size and muscularity.
Of the 90 or so total bodybuilders who will participate in this year’s sports fest, 11 will be oiled up and posed for the Classic. Representing the U.K., defending champion Samson Dauda — also known as “the Nigerian Lion” — will return to compete for a second title.
While the Arnold Classic and other bodybuilding competitions focus on appearance, other events are judged on physical strength, LaLonde noted.
“In the Arnold Strongman Classic and the Arnold Strongwoman Classic, these are athletes who are judged on how much they can lift, not how they look,” he said.
Challenges in the strength competitions include the elephant bar deadlift of up to 1,100 pounds and the Dinnie Stone carry of more than 700 pounds. The stones are replicas of the Dinnie Stones, a 733-pound pair of granite lifting stones in Potarch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
More must-see events at the Arnold Sports Festival
If you're looking for the latest in sports gear, apparel and nutrition, there's a good chance you'll find it at the Arnold Expo. The fitness exposition will return to the convention center with hundreds of vendor booths, three stages of nonstop competitions and entertainment. Stop by and snag an autograph or get your photo taken with your favorite pro bodybuilder or strongman.
Expo hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Children 14 and younger get into the expo free with a paying adult.
LaLonde said women’s bodybuilding events are increasingly popular each year at the Arnold, where there will be Fitness International, Bikini International and Wellness International competitions. “Each division is judged a little bit differently,” LaLonde said. “They create new divisions by demand every few years so more women can get onstage and compete.”
History in photos: The Arnold through the years, from bodybuilding to speedcubing
He also recommended checking out the pro wheelchair bodybuilding event at 10 a.m. Saturday, when prejudging and finals will take place. The contenders include reigning champ Harold Kelley, who has won the competition every year since 2016 except in 2022, when Gabriele Andriulli (who also is returning) was the victor.
“These athletes, for whatever reasons, are confined to wheelchairs and have done incredible upper body building,” LaLonde said. “It’s very inspiring to watch them compete.”
You don’t have to go pro to take part in the Arnold since there are amateur competitions for bodybuilders, strongmen and strongwomen. Registration is still open for the Arnold Amateur, which takes place Thursday and Friday. The event attracts about 250 bodybuilders each, LaLonde said. For rules and eligibility information, visit arnoldamateur.com.
At a glance
The Arnold Sports Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St., Some events will take place at the Ohio Expo Center, Columbus Athenaeum, Hilton Columbus and Hyatt Regency. See website for specific event times, locations and ticket prices. (arnoldsports.com)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Arnold Schwarzenegger to be on hand at Sports Festival in Columbus
