Olympia 2026: New "Fit Model" Division Debuts in Las Vegas as Fredua-Mensah Defends Fitness Title
At the 2026 Olympia in Las Vegas (September 24–27), bodybuilding added a brand-new Fit Model division, won by Shealynn Burnett, while defending champion Michelle Fredua-Mensah leads the Fitness division into prejudging.
Olympia weekend in Las Vegas
The 2026 Olympia, one of the world's biggest bodybuilding and fitness events, is taking place September 24–27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Champions are being crowned across 12 divisions over the weekend.
A brand-new division: Fit Model
For the first time, the Olympia lineup includes a new division called Fit Model. The IFBB Pro League announced it in December 2024, and the NPC introduced it at the amateur level in 2025. According to Muscle & Fitness, the division was created as an alternative to Bikini, whose muscularity and conditioning standards have risen steadily over the years. Fit Model competitors are judged on showing less muscle development in the legs, glutes, arms and delts than Bikini athletes, with a less-detailed midsection; the source reports that the federation's rules cite three-time Bikini Olympia champion Ashley Kaltwasser's 2015 physique as the visual benchmark.
Prejudging and finals were held in a single morning session on September 26. Per Fitness Volt, American athlete Shealynn Burnett became the first-ever Fit Model Olympia champion, ahead of Gabriela Queiroz in second and Jane Jones in third. The inaugural lineup featured 18 competitors; heading into the Olympia, Burnett, Queiroz and fifth-place finisher Misty Yang had each already won two pro shows this season.
Fitness division heads into prejudging
In the Fitness division — where the freestyle routine round carries major weight alongside the physique round — reigning champion Michelle Fredua-Mensah, who won her first Olympia title in 2025, is looking to defend it. Generation Iron reports that ten women are competing in this year's prejudging. Jaclyn Baker finished runner-up for a second straight year, with Taylor Learmont placing third last year. Anna Fomina and Amber Steffen, who placed fifth and fourth respectively in 2025, are also back, alongside Abby Bolton, Andrea Glass, Sophie Gregory, Stephanie Jones, Allison Kramer and Samantha Radzai. Because the routine round still has to be scored, the final standings remain open.
