Topic: News: Arnold Classic celebrates 20 years

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Arnold Classic celebrates 20 years

The Arnold Sports Festival is shutting down Columbus once again this year, bringing 150,000 spectators to ogle 17,000 athletes in 37 different events at four different venues throughout the city tonight through Sunday.

The monstrous affair was built on the shoulders of the movie star turned governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and an 81-year-old Worthington vice-mayor, more than 30 years ago.

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“It all started in 1970 when I was organizing the World Weightlifting Championships here,” said Jim Lorimer, now the festival’s main producer. “I invited a young Austrian to compete and five years later he came back. We’ve been partners ever since.”

Schwarzenegger was impressed with the caliber of Lorimer’s work and promised they’d one day be in business together, Lorimer said. With the famous bodybuilder’s acting career in full swing, their debut crowd in 1988 numbered nearly 10,000.

Since then, 30 other sports events — from cheerleading and archery to the festival’s signature weightlifting and bodybuilding competitions — were added, and the crowd grew by the thousands each year.

This year proves no different in the growth department, with the 20th anniversary hosting, for the first time, official tryouts for weightlifting in the Olympics.

“We’ve offered a substantial weightlifting competition for five years and they were very favorable to our bid,” Lorimer said.

The festival is even attracting celebrities. Famed actor Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell,” “Dancing with the Stars”) will make an appearance Saturday at the Arnold Youth Dancesport Classic in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom, 350 N. High St., and the event’s famous sports expo at Veteran’s Memorial, 300 W. Broad St.

After devoting his life to sports and fitness, Lorimer said the goal of the festival has become providing motivation and encouragement.

“We try to demonstrate through the wide variety of activities that there’s something for everyone,” Lorimer said. “Fitness is not only healthy it’s also fun.”

The festival kicks off Thursday with preliminary bodybuilding events but officially opens to the public Friday morning and will run through Sunday at Nationwide Arena, the Greater Columbus Convention Center and Veteran’s Memorial. Ticket prices vary per day per event, but a VIP pass can be purchased for $350. For more information, call (614) 431-3600 or visit www.arnoldclassic.com.