The 2023 Figure Olympia is set to be held on the weekend of Nov. 2-5, 2023, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, as a part of the 2023 Olympia. Twenty-five IFBB Pro League athletes representing 11 countries will be featured in pre-judging. The top 10 advance to the finals to determine the champion. The roster is below in the order that they qualified for the contest:
2023 Figure Olympia Roster
- Cydney Gillon (USA) — Six-Time Defending champion
- Jessica Reyes Padilla (Puerto Rico)
- Lola Montez (Canada)
- Bojana Vasiljevic (USA)
- Donya Jackson (USA)
- Gabriela Consolmagno (USA)
- Madison Dinges (USA)
- Cherish Richardson (USA)
- Maria Luisa Baeza Diaz Pereira (USA)
- Natalia Soltero (Mexico)
- Jennifer Zienert (Germany)
- Kristen McGregor (Jamaica)
- Adela Ondrejovicova (Slovakia)
- Gina Palma (USA)
- Autumn Cleveland (USA)
- Ericka Morales Morgan (Guatemala)
- Jossie Nathali Alarcon Becerra (Mexico)
- Queren Pacheco (Mexico)
- Oyku Basar (Turkey)
- Tereza Linhartova (Czech Republic)
- Wendy Fortino (USA)
- Gabriela Linhartova (Czech Republic)
- Nicole Zenobia Graham (USA)
- Rhea Gayle (United Kingdom)
- Lena Ramsteiner (Germany)
[Related: 2023 Women’s Physique Olympia Preview]
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How They Qualified
The top three finishers from the 2022 Figure Olympia were automatically invited to compete in the 2023 Olympia. The rest of the field is filled with champions who earned qualification by winning a pro show during the 2023 Olympia qualifying season, which concluded on Oct. 9, 2023. Unless the IFBB Pro League or Olympia promoters offer a special invite to another competitor, no other contenders will be added to the roster.
Past Champion
The only past winner in this show is the six-time defending champion Cydney Gillon. As soon as she accepted her 2022 title, she put the division on notice that she pursue her seventh title in 2023. Many people who follow the division consider her the favorite to do just that.
Top Contenders
Figure division fans also feel that there is an established number two in the division: Jessica Reyes-Padilla, who ranked second to Gillon in 2022. Reyes-Padilla has had a great 2023 season, winning the 2023 Masters Olympia and the 2023 Texas Pro this season. If Gillon makes a mistake in her prep or final adjustments leading up to the Olympia, Reyes-Padilla will be there to scoop up the crown.
Another contender to watch out for is Canadian Lola Montez, who ranked third in the 2022 Olympia. Montez won the 2023 Toronto Pro Supershow and showed the bodybuilding world that she would be ready to climb to the top of the Olympia as well. This will be Montez’s third consecutive Olympia appearance.
Dark Horses
Jossie Nathali Alarcon Becerra ranked fourth in the 2022 Olympia and returns to the lineup in 2023, as does Natalia Soltero, who rounded out the top five in Las Vegas, NV. Soltero has been as high as second in this contest in 2020 and 2021. The other top-10 finishers from 2022 returning are Nicole Zenobia Graham (sixth), Maria Luisa Baeza Diaz Pereira (eighth), and Ericka Morales Morgan (ninth).
Those contenders could hold onto their top-10 positions and may even move up the standings if a rival is off the mark. 2023 Arizona Pro winner Rhea Gayle could be in the mix with them. She ranked 12th at the 2022 Olympia but has shown significant improvement since then.
Olympia Debuts
There are several newcomers to Figure Olympia aiming to break into the top 15 or even the top 10 if the opportunity presents itself. Masters competitor Donya Jackson placed second to Reyes-Padilla in the 2023 Masters Olympia and won the Tri-City Classic Pro to make her Olympia debut in Orlando.
Queren Pacheco has been a pro for over a decade and will also see the Olympia lights for the first time. Other contenders making their Olympia debuts are Oyku Basar, Gabriela Consolmagno, Madison Dinges, Kristen McGregor, Gina Palma, and Cherish Richardson.
Fans who won’t be in Orlando to watch the Olympia in person can still catch all the competitions live by purchasing the 2023 Olympia pay-per-view livestream on the Olympia Productions website.
Featured image: @vytamin_c on Instagram
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