2023 Olympia Predictions
Prime 10 Picks From Giles Thomas
By Giles “Tiger” Thomas
As a muscle journo, even TYPING that subheading offers me a giant ol’ shiver down my backbone. I’ll be trustworthy, we pundits, reporters, no matter you wish to discuss with us as, actually wait all 12 months to leap on this topic. All these dozens of professional reveals all around the planet, all these professional qualifiers that result in these professional reveals, they ALL lead a method – to the highest of Mount Olympia. The easiest of the perfect, solely winners of those professional reveals get to stroll on THAT specific and prestigious stage, just like the music goes “we’re the champions, no time for losers,” it’s the crème de la crème guys, it’s crushed many, many, MANY a dream of aspiring Olympia champions throughout all divisions, however happily/sadly (relying in your standpoint), there can solely be one. Just one winner to name himself the perfect of the perfect every year. So, right here’s my take of how I really feel it should come down, I’m fairly certain it should upset just a few athletes, however hey, I really like being confirmed fallacious. OK, it doesn’t occur fairly often, however guys, don’t stress, I’ve zero management of the end result, that my keen warriors, it comes right down to you and also you alone. You possibly can management the end result (to a level) by coming in at your best possible, the remainder is right down to the judges and fairly probably, destiny itself. (Rattling that was deep, I feel I must lie down now.)
Mr. O Prime 3
It’s mighty uncommon that I don’t change my thoughts a dozen instances as the professional present calendar wears on, however this 12 months I’ve been fairly sure of what I felt the highest three guys could be for this coming Olympia. Should you may recall within the June version of MD (Blessing Awodibu on the duvet), on this very right here column, I acknowledged that I – The Mystic Tiger – had foreseen that the ultimate three males could be present – and defending – Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan, 2021 Olympia 212 champ and final 12 months’s runner-up Derek Lunsford, and the present Arnold Basic USA champ, Samson Dauda. Do I actually need to record all their physique attributes right here, once more? No, for if you happen to do comply with the game, then you definately’ll know that these at the moment are probably the most talked about three as of not good now, however for just about the final seven to eight months. Relying on who has improved probably the most and who nails the situation the perfect will rely upon what order that high three will go. However I’ll say it right here once more, it’s going to come back right down to one in every of them – that, I really feel, you’ll be able to assure.
Rounding Out the Prime 6
OK, right here’s the place Mystic Tiger actually has to focus onerous and visualize (hnnnn). I’m going with Nick Walker, Andrew Jacked and Brandon Curry. Nick’s placings have been fifth in 2021 and third in 2022, personally I really feel Samson, after beating Nick on the Arnold in March, together with the actual fact in my eyes he has made extra important enhancements since that occasion in March, that he’ll keep in entrance of Nick. Then there’s Brandon Curry, the 2019 Mr. Olympia, whose placings since had been 2020 and 2021; runner-up and final 12 months (2022) got here in fourth. Brandon, I feel it’s honest to say, is within the tail finish of his profession, he’s over 40 now, has been competing within the Olympia for nicely over a decade, however! I do suppose he nonetheless has not less than one other two years of holding on to that top-six spot on the “O.” He was big final 12 months, however not fairly as onerous as we’ve seen him, but nonetheless managed to seize a extremely respectable fourth spot. Not unhealthy. I’m predicting he’ll are available in sharper this 12 months – and for that motive alone I can’t see him falling out of the highest six. Additionally within the high six, I see final 12 months’s eighth placer Andrew Jacked shifting up right here, he’s been competing very repeatedly and enhancing considerably with every present, he’s huge, balanced, his conditioning has continued to rise with every occasion – and for that I do see him in that first callout.
The Remainder of the Prime 10
Once more, it’s getting slightly more durable, however Mystic Tiger has searched deep into the long run and 4 worthy names have come again from the ether and are as follows. Michal “Krizo” Krizanek from Slovakia, final 12 months’s rookie, positioned twelfth. However the physique he displayed in Spain earlier this 12 months – identical to “different” 2022 rookie, Andrew Jacked – has in 2023 taken issues to a completely new stage, once more. Big strides in conditioning and general polish as he makes additional enhancements to his general steadiness, has rendered him a major “code pink” menace to all the remainder of his fellow opponents. I see “Kaiju Krizo” (my new nickname for him) pushing for seventh place on this Olympia.
Personally, as I stated on MD’s weekly present “The Energy Hour” with MD On-line Editor Ron Harris, I do consider the highest is “on lock” with the chaps talked about above. I may see Hunter Labrada in eighth; he was a surprising fourth in 2021 and seventh in 2022, he displayed critical enhancements on the Tampa (first) and Texas Professional (positioned second to Andrew Jacked) and suppose he’ll proceed his extremely respectable top-10 placement. In ninth, nicely I feel Italy’s Andrea Presti has proven us with all his professional wins and continuous and constant enhancements, that he can lastly transfer up into the coveted high 10. He’s huge, he’s all the time extremely conditioned and I feel it’s lastly his time to rise into the ultimate 10.
Rounding out the highest 10, I see this one as a straight-out struggle between three males. Egypt’s Hassan Mostafa – he has the scale, however will he nail his situation once more? If he does, then he’s an element. Or it’s final 12 months’s Olympia “finest conditioned” – and plenty of thought-about to be, wildly ignored, Charles Griffen. Or it might be France’s “Mr. Constant” himself, Theo Leguerrier.
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