It is that time of the year again when almost every fitness enthusiast, coach, guru, pandit, fan, and even the competitors themselves are out giving Olympia winner predictions.
But to be honest, the people best equipped to give out predictions (after sorcerers, obviously) are the ones who have been unbiasedly following every athlete, competition, and jury throughout the year. In short, I mean – ahem-we-ahem are the best people to be giving out Olympia winner predictions.
I tried being humble. Did it work?
The 2021 Bodybuilders’ Disneyland aka Olympia Weekend is scheduled for October 7-10 live on Pay-Per-View (PPV) from Orlando, Florida. It’s less than a week away, and we cannot wait to see our favorite athletes battle it out for the top spot in their respective divisions.
With that said, we have mad respect for every athlete competing at the Olympia weekend. It takes years of hard work and persistence to earn a chance to compete at the prestigious Olympia weekend. It is the Olympics of bodybuilding, after all.
212 Olympia 2021 Contestant List
Here is the list of qualified athletes who will go head to head for the world’s best bodybuilder (under 212lbs) title:
- Shaun Clarida (USA)
- Kamal Elgargni (Libya)
- George Peterson (USA)
- Derek Lunsford (USA)
- Ahmad Ashkanani (Kuwait)
- Angel Calderon Frias (Spain)
- Noel Adame (USA)
- Kerrith Banjo (USA)
- Piotr Borecki (Poland)
- Tonio Burton (USA)
- Lucas Coelho (Brazil)
- Pasquale D’Angelo (Italy)
- Ahmed ElWardany (Egypt)
- Nathan Epler (USA)
- Vladimir Iacovlev (Moldova)
- Junho Kim (South Korea)
- Keone Pearson (USA)
- John Jewett (USA)
- Steve Benthin (Germany)
- Naser Mohammed (Kuwait)
Related: 2021 Mr. Olympia List of Qualified Athletes in Every Division
212 Olympia 2021 Winner Prediction Criteria
Ladies and gentlemen, sit tight as we cast a few spells, look into our crystal ball, and tell you the fortune of the twenty men who will be stepping on the 212 Olympia stage on 8th October.
We are just kidding. Here is how we came up with the 212 Olympia 2021 winner predictions:
1. Performance Leading Up To 2021 212 Olympia
While most online publications do nothing more than taking a wild guess at predicting a winner, we at Fitness Volt take great pride in doing our research before settling on our top pick.
We follow all the pro bodybuilding shows throughout the year and use relevant data (athletes’ physiques and results) to predict their placings at the Olympia showdown.
2. Social Media Updates
We follow all the qualified 212 Olympia athletes on social media and regularly check for their status updates (official and unofficial). We then cross analyze their progress pictures to narrow down our prediction.
Related: 2021 Mr. Olympia: Top Athletes Look Sharp 7 Weeks Out
3. News
If a qualified athlete gets injured or catches the flu before the Olympia weekend, we are amongst the first to know. You are in luck because we do not keep the information to ourselves. You’re welcome.
4. Performance at The Last Showdown
Like a mutual fund, the past performance of a bodybuilder is not necessarily indicative of his future performance. But it can help you access their placing if they were to maintain their size and conditioning and work on their weaknesses.
Final 212 Olympia 2021 Winner Prediction
Without further ado, let’s get to our 212 Olympia 2021 prediction:
6. Ahmad Ashkanani
Ahmad Ashkanani was a 212 favorite in 2016 and 2017 when James “Flex” Lewis was at his peak and flirting with the idea of retirement from the division. He placed second both years.
He finished 4th in 2018 and 5th in both 2019 and 2020. The Kuwaiti bodybuilder won his last pro show in 2019 – New York Pro Show.
Owing to the entry of a stronger contender for the 2021 212 Olympia crown, we predict a further one place fall in Ahmad’s placing.
5. Derek Lunsford
Derek Lunsford is probably the biggest bodybuilder on the list. He is looking insane in his progress update pictures and is one of the few athletes who are not afraid of posting their progress updates on social media four weeks out of a contest.
Lunsford placed second at 212 Olympia in 2018 (behind Flex Lewis) and 2019 (behind Kamal Elgargni). He beat Kamal in 2018 but lost to him in 2019 because of his poor conditioning.
Derek Lunsford’s fourth-place finish at the 2020 showdown was both – disappointing and surprising. Although we see him doing better in the future 212 Olympia contests, we don’t see him in the top four this year.
4. Keone Pearson
Keone Pearson is a Classic Physique competitor who is making a switch to the 212 division. He showed immense potential as a Classic Physique competitor and scored a fourth-place finish in his debut at the 2019 Classic Physique Olympia.
Pearson did not compete at Olympia 2020 because he had his eyes set on the 2021 212 Olympia crown. Looking at his latest progress pictures, there is no doubt in our minds that switching to the 212 division was the right call.
We cannot wait to see the package he brings to the 212 stage at Olympia weekend 2021.
3. George Peterson
George Peterson is another former Classic Physique competitor who is making a dent in the 212 universe. He finished third at Classic Physique Olympia for three consecutive years – 2017, 2018 and, 2019.
Although Da Bull won the 2019 Arnold Men’s Classic Physique title, he announced his decision to switch to the 212 division shortly after his third-place finish at the 2019 Olympia Classic Physique.
After making the switch, he won the 2020 Tampa Pro 212. He finished third at 2020 Olympia 212, and we are predicting he will repeat the feat this year.
2. Kamal Elgargni
The Libyan bodybuilder is the 2019 212 Olympia champion. Kamal is known for his symmetry and conditioning and can out-shadow bigger athletes like Derek Lunsford. He has been dominating the 212 space since his Arnold Classic win in 2018.
Elgargni planned to retire after his 2019 212 Olympia win, but we weren’t surprised to see him on stage at the 2020 Olympia weekend. His willingness to work with the king of 212 division, Flex Lewis, in 2020 shows his intent to win and openness to learning.
Although we are predicting a second-place finish for Kamal Elgargni at 212 Olympia 2021, our little birds (yes, this is a Game of Thrones reference) tell us it will be a close contest between him and our top pick.
1. Shaun Clarida
Standing at just 5′ 2″, Clarida has had remarkable success on the bodybuilding stage, earning him the nickname ‘The Giant Killer‘.
Shaun Clarida is Lee Labrada, Shawn Ray, and Flex Wheeler molded into one. His win at 2020 212 Olympia came as a surprise to many after his third-place finish at the 2019 showdown.
Clarida has had quite a career. He placed 16th at his first 212 Olympia showdown in 2015, 13th in 2016, 9th in 2017, and 7th in 2018.
Clarida’s recent training videos are proof that he will be bringing his best package to the 2021 212 Olympia stage. We believe he will successfully defend his crown this year.
212 Olympia Past Winners
| 2020 | Shaun Clarida | Orlando, FL |
| 2019 | Kamal Elgargni | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2018 | Flex Lewis | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2017 | Flex Lewis | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2016 | Flex Lewis | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2015 | Flex Lewis | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2014 | Flex Lewis | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2013 | Flex Lewis | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2012 | Flex Lewis | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2011 | Kevin English | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2010 | Kevin English | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2009 | Kevin English | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2008 | David Henry | Las Vegas, NV |
212 Olympia Schedule
FRIDAY 10/8/2021
- 212 Olympia Pre-judging (9:00 am)
- 212 Olympia Finals (7:00 pm)
Related: How To Watch Mr. Olympia 2021 Online
Wrapping Up
Although we will be waiting for our told-you-so moment, we wouldn’t mind being proven wrong. We will be hooked to our screens throughout the Olympia weekend.
Stay tuned to Fitness Volt for updates and coverage of the 2021 Mr. Olympia.
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