It appears that athletes will have one more chance to qualify for the 2020 Arnold Classic. It has been announced that the Arnold Strongman USA will be making a return, early next year.
The initial thought was that the Arnold Strongman Europe would be the last chance for strongman competitors to qualify for the Arnold Classic. This was due to the fact that at the time of the event, no other qualifiers had been announced. Moreover, this was disappointing considering the fact that there were still some big names that had not qualified.
However, that all changed on Wednesday, when the Arnold Sports Festival made a huge announcement. In a message via Instagram, they announced the return of the Arnold Strongman USA competition. Additionally, they said it will take place at the beginning of 2020. This is the second time this will event will be taking place, with the first being earlier this year.
This was their post:
“We told you we’d be back!!! The Arnold Strongman USA Championship returns to the Santa Monica Pier on January 18, 2020. The top strongmen in the world and some of the toughest firefighters in the world will compete in a one of a kind contest with the proceeds going to support our California firefighters. Tickets available soon!! Be there.”
This is good news for the likes of Brian Shaw and Martins Licis, both of whom have yet to qualify. Shaw, the former World’s Strongest Man, also won a previous Arnold Classic. However, unlike other competitions, this does not automatically secure you a spot in the following years. Subsequently, his 7th place showing in Barcelona was not enough to get him in.
On the other hand, Licis was supposed to compete at the Europe event. However, he was forced into a refereeing position, following an injury. Therefore he too does not have a spot at the Arnold Classic. Licis won the WSM contest this year, beating out current Arnold Classic champ Thor Bjornsson. This was especially surprising, considering Thor had bested Martins at the previous Arnold.
Seeing as how the Arnold Strongman USA will likely be the last chance for these athletes to qualify, hopefully, both men will earn enough points. Either way, the action will take place this January!
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