The Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH is one of the biggest fitness events of the year, and fans were shocked when Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the expo—an event that was set to bring 250,000 people together—would be postponed due to concerns over the coronavirus.
It was a responsible, if somewhat last-minute, decision, but the good news is that the shows will go on. More specifically, the much-anticipated sports competitions, including the Arnold Classic bodybuilding and Strongman shows, are still taking place as scheduled Thursday through Sunday.
Athletes will be screened for symptoms, and spectators will be limited to attending Friday and Saturday night’s IFBB finals events. For those who planned on attending any number of the competitions, you can still watch your favorite bodybuilding and Strongman athletes battle it out live on the Arnold Sports Festival’s YouTube channel. Check out the full Arnold Sports Festival Schedule here to see when everything from weightlifting to tennis is taking place.
Here’s the schedule of events that will be streamed live on the festival’s channel in more than 90 hours of coverage, as posted on the Arnold Sports Festival’s website:
Battelle Grand Stage
Thursday, March 5
Noon: Arnold Amateur NPC Day #1
Masters Figure – Semifinals + Finals
Masters Bikini – Semifinals + Finals
Fitness – Semifinals
Figure – Semifinals
Bikini – Semifinals
Wellness – Semifinals & Finals
Masters Figure Awards
Masters Bikini Awards
Wellness Awards
Men’s Physique – Eliminations + Semifinals
Friday, March 6
9 a.m: Arnold Amateur NPC Day #2
Women’s Physique Semifinals
Men’s Classic Physique Semifinals + Finals
Men’s Classic Physique Awards
Men’s Bodybuilding Semifinals
7 p.m.: Arnold Classic Physique, Fitness International, Figure International and Women’s Physique International Finals
Saturday, March 7
Noon: Arnold Pro Wheelchair Prejudging + Finals
1 p.m.: Arnold Classic, Bikini International, Men’s Physique Prejudging
7 p.m.: Arnold Classic, Bikini International, Men’s Physique Finals & Arnold Strongman Classic Final Event
Sunday, March 8
10 a.m.: Arnold Sunday Showcase
Strongman Arena
Friday, March 6
9:30 a.m.: Amateur Strongman
Noon: Pro Strongwoman
1:30 p.m.: Arnold Strongman Classic & Rogue Record Breakers
Saturday, March 7
9:30 a.m.: Amateur Strongman
11:15 a.m.: Arnold Strongman Classic & Rogue Record Breakers
3:30 p.m.: Amateur Strongman
Sunday, March 8
10 a.m.: Arnold Disabled Athletes
1 p.m.: Amateur Strongman Finals
Aside from the main livestream, other sporting events will be streamed by their respective organizations. One notable event is the USA Weightlifting American Open Series 1, an Olympic qualifying event. Fans can watch the competition at usaw.live, according to the Team USA website.
Another major event during the weekend is powerlifting, where many spectators line up to watch some of the strongest athletes around pick things up and put them down. The USA Powerlifting events, which have seen plenty of records broken in past years, will be streamed at live.usapowerlifting.com.
