Kamal Elgargni is one of the headline competitors at the 2023 Arnold Classic (AC). The Columbus, OH, contest will see Elgargni try to topple Men’s Open mountains like Nick Walker and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay. However, when the dust settles on the AC for this 212 third-place finisher at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, there’s still an entire 2023 competitive season to run through. Elgargni is already thinking ahead.
On Feb. 28, 2023, Elgargni was a guest on the Muscular Development podcast with Ron Harris. The conversation saw the former 212 Olympia champion (2019) discuss his bodybuilding ambitions for 2023. In the process, Elgargni revealed that he isn’t ruling out the upcoming 2023 Masters Olympia later this summer. The contest is scheduled for Aug. 26-27, 2023, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. With the competition returning for the first time in 11 years, this would be Elgargni’s first appearance.
At 51 years old, Elgargni is eligible for both the Men’s Open and 212 divisions at the 2023 Masters Olympia. (Note: Athletes must be at least 45 to compete under both classifications). At the time of this writing, Elgargni maintains he will compete in the Men’s Open to stay relatively consistent with his training and nutrition.
What’s more, Elgargni was frank about why he’d even consider competing at the Masters Olympia: he expects the prize money to be enticing. (Note: The show’s organizers have revealed that the overall prize purse is $229,000.)
“You never know what’s going to happen down the road but, yes, it is a good title [the 2023 Masters Olympia],” Elgagrni said. “We don’t hear much about it at the moment. We don’t know what the prize money is. I hope they do something good that makes people [want to compete]. At the end of the day, it’s a business. It’s work. It’d be silly if you’re spending more than what you’re getting. It’s a good title, but it should still be a decent amount of prize money.”
As for what else lies ahead this year, Elgargni is ruling out featuring in the Men’s Open at the 2023 Mr. Olympia. Because of his perception that the judges favor size, he will stick to a 212 pursuit at the flagship competition instead. Then, after finishing up his 2023 AC appearance, the Tampa Bay, FL, resident plans to feature at the next Tampa Pro and potentially set his sights on the Masters Olympia.
Across the board, the athlete’s rationale was rather simple:
“I would love to do Tampa [Pro] again because I live in Tampa [Bay],” Elgargni said. “I would love to do it and maybe win it. To do the Olympia [Men’s] Open, no. No, no, no. I’m not thinking about the Olympia Open because the judges are not going to judge small, young, whatever they call me in the 212. Then, they’re going to judge mass monsters. If the way they judging changes, maybe you give it a try but I don’t think so. At the moment, I’ll do the Arnold [Classic], maybe the Tampa Pro in the Men’s Open, and then the Masters Olympia. That’s it. If everything goes well, I’ve done what I have to do.”
It’s been a little while since Elgargni stood at the top of any Olympia podium. In the event of a fruitful 2023, the superstar could find himself standing on two iterations of the podium.
Featured image: @ifbb_pro_kamal_elgargni on Instagram
