The 16th Annual Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Classic is coming to Columbus in a big way.
With more than $400,000 in prize money and 11,000 athletes competing in 18 events, the Arnold Classic has proven to be the world’s largest fitness event to take place in our backyard.
“There are many ways people use to stay in shape, and we try to have diverse events for these people,” said James Lorimer, co-founder of the Arnold Classic.
The 2004 Fitness Weekend has added four new events that will make for its biggest year. The new events include Yoga for Sports, which presents instructions and demonstrations on how to use the body to improve athletic performance, the Arnold Strength Summit, featuring the world’s top professionals to share their knowledge on fitness methods and techniques, the Table Tennis Competitions and the Arnold Fencing Classic.
Despite its diverse competitions, the Arnold Classic always has brought numerous attendees to the show just for a visit with Schwarzenegger. Kathryn Lorz, spokeswoman for the Arnold Classic, said Schwarzenegger will be attending.
“Last year, he told us ‘I’ll be back,’ and he has kept to his word,” Lorz said.
The Arnold Classic has returned to Columbus for the16th year because of Schwarzenegger’s attachment to Columbus, Lorimer said.
“When Arnold first competed in Columbus, it was for the Mr. World competitions I was running in the 70s. After the event, he told me it was one of the best events he had been to and that he would be back in a couple of years to promote the sport here in Columbus with me,” Lorimer said. “Five years later, he came back from South Africa and shook my hand to start a partnership in promoting fitness and the sport of weightlifting.”
Lorimer, a former member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, first partnered with Schwarzenegger in 1976 to produce the popular Mr. Olympia. The Arnold Classic began in 1989 through the combined efforts of both Lorimer and Schwarzenegger in an effort to bring bodybuilding events to Columbus, Ohio. After a quarter of a century, the two are still working together to bring the Arnold Classic back to Columbus in 2004.
Sylvester Stallone and Tom Arnold will also serve as judges during the Arnold Classic. Other guest appearances expected this weekend are Ohio State’s gymnastic stars Raj Bhavsar, Paul and Morgan Hamm and Blaine Wilson, winner of the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Championship from 1996 to 1999. Wilson will compete and demonstrate in the Arnold Gymnastics Challenge, which expects to draw 3,000 women and 500 men to create the largest mixed gymnastics meet in the country.
“(Wilson) will also be doing a demonstration for the Yoga for Sports events,” Lorz said. In addition to the Arnold World Martial Arts Games, attendees can view one of the world’s largest Bruce Lee exhibits and meet Linda and Shannon Lee.
The Arnold Strongest Man Contest should prove to be another fan favorite, as five top athletes compete for over $65,000 and a Hummer SUV.
“The chance to win the free vehicle really makes these guys look forward to the Arnold Strongman competition,” Lorimer said. Contestants must toss a 70-pound medicine ball into the air, lift an 870-pound railroad tie up a 15-meter incline and deadlift a bar that is connected to the Hummer.
After 16 years, the Arnold Fitness Weekend has become the pinnacle of success for fitness fans, as well as Columbus commerce.
“This event will fill 50 hotels and usually bring in about $20-25 million in business for the area,” Lorimer said.
Jeff Maxwell, catering manager for the Columbus Convention Center, works in connection with all local hotels.
“The hotels will sell out their rooms for next year’s fitness weekend by the end of this weekend,” Maxwell said. “We are expecting 80,000 visitors.”
OSU students have an advantage in attending the fitness weekend because of their proximity to downtown and their free admittance on COTA transportation.
“Ohio State students could just hop on the bus and head right downtown. They would not have to worry about any parking difficulties,” Lorz said.
The Arnold Fitness Weekend begins today and continues through Sunday. All events will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Veterans Memorial. Tickets are $10 per day for Arnold Fitness Expo events, $50 to $75 for final competition events and $350 for a VIP package. The package includes a personal photo with the ex-Terminator, as well as a ticket to the buffet and dance party following Saturday night’s competitions.
