The 2023 Flex Weekend Pro bodybuilding show is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Milan, Italy. Three IFBB Pro League divisions will host contests, with the Men’s Open as the main event. The winners of all three contests will qualify to compete in the 2023 Olympia Weekend in Orlando, FL, on Nov. 2-5, 2023.
2023 Flex Weekend Pro Rosters
The rosters for all three divisions are below:
Men’s Open
- Khaled Al Kazem (Kuwait)
- Ali Jalil Naser Al-Zarqani (Iraq)
- Blessing Awodibu (USA)
- Giovanni Azpeitia (Italy)
- Simone Bassanelli (Italy)
- Andrea Bolzoni (Italy)
- Tim Budesheim (Germany)
- Maik Ciesla (Germany)
- Nathan De Asha (United Kingdom)
- Roman Fritz (Germany)
- Regan Grimes (USA)
- Theo Leguerrier (France)
- Mikhail Maslov (Russia)
- Andrea Muzi (Italy)
- Artem Pakhniuk (Russia)
- Dennis Reinhold (Germany)
- Bruno Oliveira Santos (Brazil)
- Tomas Tabaciar (Slovakia)
- Jan Turek (Czech Republic)
- Liang Yan (China)
- Guosheng Yuan (China)
Men’s Physique
- Aryan Ali (Germany)
- Mohammad Ali (Austria)
- Andrea Antonelli (Italy)
- Adeyemi Awoyemi (United Kingdom)
- Simon Pietro Arena (Italy)
- Ali Bilal (Denmark)
- Luca Biolo (Italy)
- Alessio Foschi (Italy)
- Febo Gambacorta (Italy)
- Lenny Massouf (France)
- Chao Peng (China)
- Maxime Petrov (Bulgaria)
- Kenny Privet (Switzerland)
- Ali Raza (Australia)
- Giuseppe Riserbato (Italy)
- Alessio Sbizzera (Italy)
- Khalid Ahmed Shewiter (Qatar)
- Marcel Treichler (Switzerland)
- Emile Walker (England)
Bikini
- Milena Bonio (United Kingdom)
- Kristina Brunauer (Austria)
- Noemi Cosentino (Italy)
- Valerya Fedorenko (Ukraine)
- Jessica Kavanagh (Ireland)
- Noemi Lavacca (Italy)
- Ottavia Mazza (Italy)
- Sarah Neuheisel (Germany)
- Ines Neves (Portugal)
- Lisa Reith (Germany)
- Henrieta Skupekova (United Kingdom)
- Giuditta Taccani (Italy)
- Regina Tan (Singapore)
- Margherita Todeschini (Italy)
- Patrizia Vaccaro (Italy)
- Jade Kelsie Wolfenden (United Kingdom)
- Marisa Woo (USA)
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Men’s Open Athletes to Watch
Below are three athletes in the Men’s Open contest likely to contend for the top spot in first callouts:
Blessing Awodibu
2022 New York Pro winner Blessing Awodibu has been seeking redemption since he finished outside the top 15 at the 2022 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, NV. He entered the 2023 Chicago Pro but finished fourth behind winner Justin Shier.
With one month before the Olympia qualification cutoff date of Oct. 9, 2023, Awodibu must win one of the final shows leading up to the Olympia to reach the big stage in Orlando.
Nathan De Asha
Nathan De Asha is making his 2023 season debut. A win would garner his 10th pro career victory. His last pro win was the 2021 Yamamoto Cup Pro.
Despite being qualified for the 2022 Olympia, De Asha didn’t compete due to injury. If he wins in Milan and competes in the 2023 Mr. Olympia, it will be his first time on that stage since 2018.
Roman Fritz
Germany’s Roman Fritz is in a different position than the others in the lineup. He already has an Olympia qualification thanks to his win at the 2023 Bigman Weekend. Regardless of his finish at this contest, that qualification is secure. If he wins this show, no one else will receive an Olympia invite, as only show winners qualify for the 2023 Olympia.
Bikini Division Athletes to Watch
Below are some of the top contenders heading into the Bikini contest:
Ottavia Mazza
Ottavia Mazza already secured a trip to Orlando, thanks to her win in the 2023 T.R.U. Athlete Pro. That will be her second straight Olympia appearance. If she wins in Milan, no qualification will be passed down, meaning she can block a rival from reaching the Olympia stage.
Kristina Brunauer
Kristina Brunauer will make her seventh contest appearance of the 2023 season. Her most recent show was a bronze-medal finish at the 2023 T.R.U. Athlete Pro. The third-year pro wants to qualify for the Olympia for the third consecutive year. She finished outside the top 15 in the 2021 and 2022 Olympias.
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Lisa Reith
Lisa Reith is one of a handful of athletes who have been onstage more often than Brunauer. This will be her ninth show of the 2023 season. She was runner-up in that T.R.U. Athlete Pro show and hopes to take that final step to the top to make her Olympia debut in Orlando.
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Featured image: @blessing_awodibu on Instagram
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