As if the egos of the Big Ten Champion Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams and Rose Bowl champion football team aren’t already enough for Columbus, the egos of those participating in this year’s annual Arnold Sports Festival at the Greater Columbus Convention Center will take over this weekend.
The competitions call for beautiful bodies, extreme talent and visible strength. While different from the football and basketball teams in many ways, there are similarities between the competitors. Contestants take pride in their appearance and compete to be the best. Their time is devoted to bettering themselves in their competitions.
The festival hosts events for men and women, and over the years the amount of events has grown large enough to make it the most popular profitable competition in bodybuilding.
The Arnold Classic brings more than 170,000 people a year from all over the world as spectators and competitors, making it the largest multi-sport event in the nation. Events for women include Ms. International, Fitness International and Figure International. An immaculate figure might make the difference between the winner and loser, but it is not the only requirement. Past contestants have stressed tan, blemish-free bodies and oiled-up skin. The competitions are so competitive that a winner is often decided by only one or two points.
The title of “Arnold Classic” is the title of the winner in the men’s competition. It is an honor named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, and although he is currently the governor of California, he is still looked upon for his multitude of awards in the world of body-building competition.
There are six events in the “Arnold Classic” that include heavy lifting, high-counting repetitions and utter strength. Throughout the six events, the men contend not only for the title, but the prizes as well. The extravagant final prize consists of a Hummer and $10,000.
Contestants are walking billboards for the booths set up throughout the convention center. Tanning products, protein bars, weight supplements, work-out equipment and various products related to the well-being of the body will be on sale throughout the event.
If the competitions between the athletes or the booth shopping aren’t of interest, visitors can watch gymnastics, cheerleading, fencing, table tennis, yoga, martial arts, wrestling, figure skating and various other competitions planned for the weekend in hopes to entertain and engage.
