In the world of professional bodybuilding, competition is fierce and the slightest details can make or break a competitor’s chances of winning. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding the results of the 2023 Arnold Classic, where Nick Walker placed second to Samson Dauda.People are questioning how Samson could have beaten Nick in certain rounds when Nick appeared to dominate in other judging criteria.
I disagree with the judges’ decision to award Samson the win over Nick. They point out that Nick outperformed Samson in most categories, such as muscularity, conditioning, and presentation. However, Samson won in the Symmetry round, which apparently was enough to secure him the overall win. This is extremely confusing and frustrating, wondering how it’s possible for one round to outweigh all the others.
To shed some light on the judging process, Bob Chicarello explains the placement system and how the judges score the athletes. Bob points out that there are more than seven judges at big shows, and they cut out two highs and two lows when tallying up the scores. He also emphasizes that the judges’ opinion is what ultimately counts, and there is no way to know how they are scoring the assessment round, since there is no actual score given for it.
I totally disagree with this approach. Bodybuilding needs more transparent scoring so that we can better understand how the judges are making their decisions.They should separate the rounds and have a scoring system in place for each one, so that it’s clear who wins each category and how they are being judged. Without this, the judging process can be confusing and unfair.
Bob’s explanation of how Samson beat Nick in the Symmetry round was also confusing. They point out that Nick was more muscular and conditioned than Samson, so it doesn’t make sense that Samson would win based on his superior shape alone. It’s also nonsensical to place Andrew in third, given that his hamstrings and glutes were not as defined as Nick’s.The judging seems very inconsistent and it’s hard to know how the judges are making their decisions.
Overall, I am frustrated with the judging process in bodybuilding and we need more transparency and fairness. While the controversy around the Arnold Classic results may continue, it’s clear that there are passionate voices of fans and critics alike in the bodybuilding community who are pushing for change and accountability.
