The Brief
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The 2026 Arnold Sports Festival was held over the weekend in Columbus, Ohio.
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Among the winners was Chinedu Andrew Obiekea, commonly referred to as Andrew Jacked, who took home $760,000 for winning the Arnold Classic as well as the Best Poser award.
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Dexter Jackson’s legacy was also celebrated. He was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday night.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (KTTV) – The Arnold Sports Festival hosted athletes and fans from all over the world in Columbus, Ohio this weekend.
What we know
The event honors the legacy of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former California governor won 19 bodybuilding titles in his career, including seven Mr. Olympia wins. After retiring from the sport, Schwarzenegger founded the prestigious show in 1989.
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The three-day event is a celebration of health and fitness, which also features the Arnold Strongman Classic and IFBB Pro League contests.
One of the biggest moments of the evening was when Schwarzenegger brought 22 living legends on stage, calling them some of the best bodybuilders of all-time.
The moment included Lee Haney, Jay Cutler, Dexter Jackson, Ronnie Coleman, and Kai Greene.
Several defending bodybuilding champions did not return for the 2026 event, which left several categories wide open to crown new champions.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
See who took the prestigious Arnold stage and a full list of winners below.
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Who won the Arnold 2026?
(Gilco Productions)
Arnold Classic (Men’s Open)
Lineup:
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Chinedu Andrew Obiekea AKA Andrew Jacked (UAE)
Winner: Chinedu Andrew Obiekea AKA Andrew Jacked
Bikini International
Lineup:
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Sharon Ramos (Dominican Republic)
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Marie-Eve Duchesneau (Canada)
Winner: Aimee Delgado
Classic Physique
Lineup:
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Wesley Vissers (Netherlands)
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Matheus Menegate Piccioli (Brazil)
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Joaquim Camps Angel (Spain)
Winner: Wesley Vissers
Men’s Physique
Lineup:
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Brandon Hendrickson (USA)
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Alessandro Cavagnola (Italy)
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Emmanuel Jesus Oliveira de Costa (USA)
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Dilson Espindola Silva (Brazil)
Winner: Brandon Hendrickson
Pro Wheelchair
Lineup:
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Josue Fabiano Barreto Monteiro (Brazil)
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Jan Povýšil (Czech Republic)
Winner: James Berger
“Don’t be a half-empty or a half-full kind of person. Be someone that’s happy to have a glass so you’re happy to fill others,” Berger said. “We’re all family.”
Wellness International
After sweeping the Arnold and Olympia last year, Eduarda Bezerra will not compete in 2026.
Lineup:
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Elisa Alcantara (Dominican Republic)
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Valquiria Telles Lopes (Brazil)
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Raeli Pereira Dias (Brazil)
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Kassandra Gillis (Canada)
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Danai Theodoropoulou (Australia)
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Laysha Yireth Benitez Millan (Mexico)
Winner: Rayane Fogal
Fitness International
Lineup:
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Michelle Fredua-Mensah (UK)
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Michaela Pavleova (Slovakia)
Winner: Michelle Fredua-Mensah
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dexter “The Blade” Jackson received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments in the sport, as well as continuing to give back.
“One thing I love about bodybuilding is that the world with so much division, this sport brings people together. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you look like, or what language you speak. When we come to these events, we come together as one bodybuilding family,” Jackson said during his speech Saturday night.
“Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger – to win it five times here in Columbus and nine times worldwide. I now stand here receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from you. It truly means the world to me and I want to thank you and God bless you and everybody in here,” he concluded.
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Arnold Strongman and Strongwoman
Mitchell Hooper won the Arnold Strongman Classic for the fourth consecutive year, while Olga Liashchuk was crowned the Strongwoman Classic Champion.
The Source
Lineups and schedule information are based on official competitor lists and event details released by the Arnold Sports Festival.