Bumstead extends his reign for another year.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
Saturday’s Olympia prejudging on Dec. 17, 2022, saw three-time reigning champion Chris Bumstead in pole position to capture another Classic Physique division title. Ultimately, he only really faced significant resistance from challenger Ramon Rocha Queiroz, as the two were the last athletes standing in Las Vegas, NV. In the end, to no one’s surprise, Bumstead won the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia championship to extend his ongoing reign.
Here are the top five athletes in the Classic Physique division at the 2022 Mr. Olympia and the respective prize money they earned:
2022 Classic Physique Olympia Results
- Chris Bumstead — $50,000 | 2022 Classic Physique Olympia Champion
- Ramon Rocha Queiroz — $20,000
- Urs Kalecinski — $10,000
- Breon Ansley — $6,000
- Mike Sommerfeld — $4,000
Bumstead’s win gives him his fourth straight Classic Olympia title (2019-2022) as he continues to dominate a bodybuilding division that was only established in 2016. With such a timeline, that means Bumstead has won two-thirds of the available Classic Physique Olympia titles in history. Notably, in his last Classic Physique appearance before a transition to the 212 in the year 2023, former two-time champion (2017-2018) Breon Ansley notched a fourth-place result.
With the field narrowed down to 10 participating athletes, here are the results of the callouts from the Finals of the Classic Physique division at the 2022 Olympia:
Callout 1
- Michael Daboul
- Fabian Mayr
- Wesley Vissers
- Alex Cambronero
Callout 2
- Breon Ansley
- Urs Kalecinski
- Ramon Rocha Queiroz
- Terrence Ruffin
- Mike Sommerfeld
- Chris Bumstead
Bumstead and Rocha Queiroz held the center position in the last callout. The top five athletes would then work through their own usual individual posing routines to push for the Classic Physique Olympia title. Here was that group of five in no particular order:
- Breon Ansley
- Mike Sommerfeld
- Chris Bumstead
- Urs Kalecinski
- Ramon Rocha Queiroz
With the routines concluded, it was evident the title would come down to Bumstead and Rocha Queiroz. As a part of the lead commentary team, Phil Heath asserted he believed Bumstead would win his fourth straight title before the final judgment passed through, and that assertion, likely rooted in Heath’s own Olympia experience, came true.
Here is the entire Saturday Finals schedule for the 2022 Olympia weekend, and here’s how to keep up with the action. (Note: All listed times are in Pacific Standard time.)
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022
7:00 p.m. — Finals
- Mr. Olympia
- Men’s Physique Olympia
- Bikini Olympia
- Classic Physique Olympia
As the Olympia draws to a close in Las Vegas, with an exhilarating Finals on hand for the remaining divisions, Bumstead has written yet another illustrious chapter for himself in the lore of bodybuilding’s flagship competition.
Featured image: @w_wittmannphoto on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).