Hadi Choopan (right) strikes a front double bi with Samson Dauda. / Arnold Sports
Hadi Choopan won the Arnold Classic on his first try. Of course, the Persian Wolf is already Mr. Olympia. He won bodybuilding’s most prestigious title in 2022 and was a close second to Derek Lunsford in that show last year. Now, he’s added bodybuilding second most prestigious prize to his resume and collected a cool 300 grand, too.
This one went according to plan: a duel between Mr. O Choopan and last year’s Arnold champ, Samson Dauda (3rd place at last year’s Olympia). It was a contrast in types with the taller, more classically balanced Dauda against the more compact and denser Choopan. However, it wasn’t a close contest. Iran’s Choopan was in much better condition, most evident in his deeply separated and zippered quads. Nigerian-Englishman Dauda was a bit blurry, but he continues to fill out his big frame while keeping his trademark narrow middle.
Speaking of filling out, after spending 2023 off stages to grow, Brazil’s Rafael Brandao had added some noteworthy size to his aesthetic package and was firmly in third place. With his mass with class, look for Brandao to qualify for the Mr. Olympia this year and contend for a top six placing. Jonathan De La Rosa turns 40 in May, and with some forgettable placings in recent years, it was easy to count him out. But not so fast! Sporting a lot of mass on his compact frame, the New Yorker’s surprising fourth here was his highest Arnold finish.
But, again, this was a two-man show. How much so? Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda even split the extra $10,000 prizes. Dauda won the Ed Corney best poser award. Choopan won the Franco Columbu most muscular award. We’ll next see them going at it, probably side by side in the first callout again, at the Mr. Olympia in Vegas in October. Who, if anyone, from this Arnold Classic will win a pro show this year and join them at the O? Stay tuned.
2024 ARNOLD CLASSIC RESULTS
March 1-2, 2024 / Columbus, Ohio
1. Hadi Choopan ($300,000)
2. Samson Dauda ($120,000)
3. Rafael Brandao ($70,000)
4. Jonathan De La Rosa (37,500)
5. James Hollingshead ($20,000)
6. Akim Williams ($12,500)
7. Antoine Valliant ($2000)
8. Justin Rodriguez ($2000)
9. Marcello De Angelis ($2000)
10. Mohamed Shaaban ($2000)
2024 ARNOLD CLASSIC SCORECARD
