Olympia 2021 Classic Physique Prejudging: Will Chris Bumstead Three-peat?

Chris Bumstead appears to be a shoe-in for Olympia 2021 Classic Physique.

The Olympia 2021 Classic Physique prejudging has come to a close and we are starting to get a clearer look on how the finals will play out. It was an intense battle with many competitors seeming to gain and lose favor with the judges. One thing was clear though – Chris Bumstead was the far leading standout for first place at the Olympia 2021 Classic Physique prejudging.

Chris Bumstead originally came to be Olympia champion via underdog status. Breon Ansley was formerly the reigning Olympia champion – with Bumstead trailing shortly behind. In 2019, this all changed with Bumstead’s first Olympia victory. It was a close battle – and many thought Ansley would have a chance to get revenge the following year. Instead, Breon Ansley placed third in 2020 behind Terrence Ruffin and repeat winner Bumstead.

It seems now in 2021 that Bumstead will continue to expand his reign as Olympia champion. Nothing is ever set in stone – but from what we saw during the prejudging, Bumstead was a standout. Instead this seems to have become a battle for second place. That’s where things start to get interesting.

We break it down in our official Olympia 2021 Classic Physique prejudging analysis and predictions below:

Olympia 2021 Classic Physique Pre-Judging Breakdown

During the first callout, we got to see the top competitors that the judges were initially favoring. The expected favorites were all there – Chris Bumstead, Breon Ansley, Terrence Ruffin, and Alex Cambronero seeming to stand out in the bunch. Most interestingly, Ruffin and Bumstead were squarely in the middle with Breon Ansley slightly off to the side next to them.

After the judges moved a few people around – this remained the same. Breon Ansley did not inch in to replace the center spot. It seemed that our top 2 of the moment was Chris Bumstead and Terrence Ruffin.

1st Callout Lineup

• Alex Cambronero
• Breon Ansley
• Terrence Ruffin
• Mike Sommerfeld
• Fabian Mayr
• Chris Bumstead
• Urs Kalecinski
• Ramon Rocha Querioz

Callouts two through four of the Olympia 2021 Classic Physique prejudging featured competitors fighting for the lower ranking spots. Most notable here was Wesley Vissers in the second callout and Robert Timms. Both athletes were hyped to bring in something special this year. Timms himself had claimed he would bring a physique like never before. This ultimately didn’t turn out to be quite the case. Both were unable to break into the predicted top spots during callouts.

2nd Callout Lineup

• Bryan Jones
• Peter Molnar
• Courage Opara
• Wesley Vissers
• Divine Wilson
• Dani Younan
• Robert Timms

3rd Callout Lineup

• Sabur Favors
• Gabriel Zancanelli Machado
• Tony Taveras
• Darwin Andres Uribe

4th Callout Lineup

• German Pastor Cueto
• George Kawalawu
• Seonghwan Kim
• Brady King
• Abtin Shekarabi
• In Seong You

Next for the Olympia 2021 Classic Physique prejudging – things started getting interesting in the fifth callout. While not the final callout, this appeared to be our top six in the competition. Chris Bumstead remained in center with Terrence Ruffin by his side. Breon Ansley stayed slightly off to the side right next to them. This remained the same for the full callout.

What is interesting to note – is that Alex Cambronero was also close to center at the start of the callout. Eventually, he was moved to the outer edge. It seemed that as the prejudging went out, Cambronero was starting to lose favor with the judges.

5th Callout Lineup

• Breon Ansley
• Alex Cambronero
• Urs Kalecinski
• Terrence Ruffin
• Ramon Rocha Querioz
• Chris Bumstead

The sixth callout seemed to be a battle for sixth or seventh place. Robert Timms was a standout here against the three other competitors in the lineup. Would he be able to make his way into the final callout?

6th Callout Lineup

• Fabian Mayr
• Bryan Jones
• Robert Timms
• Mike Sommerfeld

Ultimately, this was not the case. Our final callout of the Olympia 2021 Classic Physique prejudging, featuring our presumed top six, did not include Robert Timms. Instead, the judges brought out our usual top players for a third run through. The athletes were put through some extreme paces during the prejudging – to the point where head judge Steve Weinberger paused to ask our top six if there were okay to continue.

What is most exciting about this final callout – was a change that came at the end. Breon Ansley, after staying off to the side of the center lineup – was brought in next to Chris Bumstead at the center. Terrence Ruffin was moved further out. The final lineup ended with this order.

It seemed as the competition went out, Ansley continued to gain favor with the judges as he continued to be compared (through three different callouts). The extra paces worked in Ansley’s favor – as he looks to possibly be the top contender for second place.

Again, it seems that Ansley might not be able to hold a candle against Chris Bumstead – who stood out immensely here. On top of that, these athletes do not get a full 24 hours to improve – instead having to compete yet again in just a few hours later tonight. Could enough change to work in Ansley’s favor?

Final Callout Lineup

• Alex Cambronero
• Breon Ansley
• Terrence Ruffin
• Ramon Rocha Querioz
• Chris Bumstead
• Urs Kalecinski

Ultimately, it seemed as if Chris Bumstead is the breakaway leader of the pack of the Olympia 2021 Classic Physique. We predict that he will land a third victory continuing his reign. Unless something spectacular happens between now and the finals – we can’t see this going any other way.

That being said, the beauty of bodybuilding and excitement of all live sports is that anything can happen. Nothing is set in stone until the awards are announced. We look forward to seeing the final batter tonight at the finals.

Make sure to stick around the Generation Iron Fitness Network as we continue to provide updates and coverage for the Olympia 2021.