2017 Arnold Classic Fitness And Bodybuilding Results Overview

The 2017 Arnold Sports Festival, held from March 2nd to 5th in Columbus, Ohio, featured a series of prestigious IFBB events, including the Arnold Classic Pro Bodybuilding, Arnold Strongman Classic, and various fitness competitions. These events showcased top athletes from around the world, competing for substantial cash prizes and titles. While the primary focus of these competitions is athletic performance and professional bodybuilding, the source materials provide detailed results and prize distributions that highlight the competitive nature of the events. For U.S. consumers interested in fitness, wellness, and related promotional opportunities, understanding these results can offer insights into the brands and sponsors involved in the fitness industry, which often extend to sample programs and promotional offers in health and nutrition categories.

The Arnold Sports Festival is a multi-day event held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Battelle Grand Ballroom, celebrating its 29th anniversary for the IFBB Arnold Classic and the 11th Arnold Amateur Championships. The event is presented by Classic Productions, with key sponsors including Europa Sports Products and Optimum Nutrition. These sponsors are prominent in the health and nutrition sector, and their involvement suggests potential for consumer-focused promotions, though the provided sources do not detail any specific free samples, trials, or mail-in programs directly tied to the event. Instead, the materials focus on competition outcomes, prize money, and athlete rankings across categories such as Men's Open Bodybuilding, Men's 212 Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Bikini, Men's and Women's Physique, and Pro Wheelchair.

In the Fitness International category, Oksana Grishina of North Hollywood, California, secured her fourth consecutive victory, earning a $25,000 prize, a champion's trophy from Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Tony Nowak Official Champions Jacket, and congratulations from sponsors Jeff Howe of Optimum Nutrition and Catherine Colle of Midway Labs USA. Grishina did not announce retirement despite rumors. The top six finishers in this category were:

• 1st place: Oksana Grishina, $25,000
• 2nd place: Regiane Da Silva (Germany), $13,000
• 3rd place: Whitney Jones (Chandler, Arizona), $8,000
• 4th place: Bethany Wagner (Somerset, New Jersey), $5,000
• 5th place: Fiona Harris (Canada), $3,000
• 6th place: Ariel Khadr, $2,000

These prizes were supplemented with trophies from sponsors such as Ultimate Nutrition, ROGUE Fitness, Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Quest Nutrition, Nutrex, The Columbus Dispatch, Gold's Gym, and Ricart Automotive. For fitness enthusiasts in the U.S., these sponsors represent established brands in nutrition supplements and gym equipment, which may offer promotional trials or product samples through their official channels, though no such offers are mentioned in the provided data.

In the Pro Men's Bodybuilding division, the Arnold Classic champion was Cedric McMillan from the United States, who improved from second place the previous year. He received a $25,000 check, a champion's trophy from Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Tony Nowak Official Champions Jacket, and sponsor congratulations. The top six in this category were:

• 1st place: Cedric McMillan (USA)
• 2nd place: Dallas McCarver (USA)
• 3rd place: Maxx Charles (USA)
• 4th place: Lionel Beyeke (France)
• 5th place: Juan Morel (USA)
• 6th place: Fouad Abiad (Canada)

Additional rankings extended to 10th place, including athletes like Michael Lockett (USA), Luke Sandoe (UK), Vitaly Fateev (Russia), and Will Harris (USA). The event's presenting sponsors, Europa Sports Products and Optimum Nutrition, are key players in sports nutrition, potentially offering consumers access to product trials or free samples via their websites, although the sources do not provide details on such programs.

The Pro 212 division, which features lighter bodybuilders competing at a 212-pound weight limit, saw Ahmad Ashkanani from Kuwait take first place. The top six were:

• 1st place: Ahmad Ashkanani (Kuwait)
• 2nd place: David Henry (USA)
• 3rd place: Jose Raymond (USA)
• 4th place: Guy Cisternino (USA)
• 5th place: Zane Watson (Canada)
• 6th place: Hidetada Yamagishi (Japan)

Prize money for this category included $10,000 for second place (David Henry), $6,000 for third (Jose Raymond), $4,000 for fourth (Guy Cisternino), $2,000 for fifth (Zane Watson), and $1,000 for sixth (Hidetada Yamagishi). Medals and sponsorships were provided by Midway Labs USA, Optimum Nutrition, MHP, Ultimate Nutrition, Ricart Automotive, Columbus Dispatch, Laura's Lean Beef, Nutrex, and Gold's Gym. These brands, particularly in nutrition and lean beef, could be relevant for U.S. consumers seeking health-focused samples, such as protein supplements or lean meat promotions, though the sources do not confirm any active sample programs.

The Arnold Strongman Classic, part of the same festival, crowned Brian Shaw from the USA as the winner for his third title, with a score of 47.5 points. The top competitors were:

• 1st place: Brian Shaw (USA), 47.5 points
• 2nd place: Hafthor Bjornsson (Iceland), 41.5 points
• 3rd place: Jerry Pritchett (USA), 39.5 points
• 4th place: Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland), 31 points
• 5th place: Mikhail Shivlyakov (Russia), 29 points
• 6th place: Vytautas Lalas (Lithuania), 25 points
• 7th place: Dimitar Savatinov (Bulgaria), 22.5 points
• 8th place: Martins Licis (USA), 20.5 points
• 9th place: Zachary Hadge (USA), 12.5 points
• 10th place: Krzysztof Radzikowski (Poland), 3 points

The event included highlights like the Austrian Oak competition and awards ceremony. Strongman events often involve sponsorships from fitness brands, which might extend to promotional offers for consumers, but the provided data does not include details on free trials or samples related to these sponsors.

Other categories at the festival included Pro Men's Physique, won by Ryan Terry from the UK, and Pro Wheelchair, won by Harold Kelley from the USA. The event also recognized Betty Weider with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Rafael Santonja of the IFBB and Fitness and Jim Manion of the IFBB Pro League. These recognitions underscore the event's role in the fitness industry, where brands like Optimum Nutrition and Europa Sports Products play a significant role in promoting health and wellness products. For U.S. consumers, these sponsors may offer trials or samples through official programs, but the sources lack specific information on such initiatives.

The Arnold Sports Festival's coverage, as detailed in the sources, emphasizes the competitive structure and outcomes rather than consumer promotions. However, the involvement of major nutrition and supplement brands suggests that attendees and followers might access related offers via brand websites. For instance, Optimum Nutrition, a key sponsor, is known for product trials, but no details are provided here. Similarly, Muscle & Fitness Magazine and Quest Nutrition are mentioned, which could imply potential for subscription-based samples or promotional content, though this is not explicitly stated.

In summary, the 2017 Arnold Classic results highlight elite fitness and bodybuilding achievements, with significant prize money distributed across categories. The event's sponsors, including Optimum Nutrition, Europa Sports Products, and others, are integral to the health and nutrition landscape, potentially offering U.S. consumers avenues for free samples or trials, but the provided materials do not detail any such programs. Fitness enthusiasts interested in these brands should consult official brand websites for current promotional opportunities, as the event data focuses solely on competition outcomes.

Conclusion

The 2017 Arnold Sports Festival provided a platform for top athletes in bodybuilding, strongman, and fitness to compete for titles and cash prizes, with notable winners like Oksana Grishina in Fitness, Cedric McMillan in Pro Bodybuilding, and Brian Shaw in Strongman. Sponsors such as Optimum Nutrition and Europa Sports Products highlight the event's connection to the health and nutrition industry, which may offer consumer promotions like free samples or trials. However, the provided sources do not include specific details on such offers, emphasizing the need for consumers to seek information directly from brand websites for any available programs.

Sources

1. 2017 Arnold Classic Fitness Results
2. 2017 Arnold Classic Pro Bodybuilding & Strongman
3. 2017 Arnold Sports Festival Coverage
4. 2017 Arnold Classic Results