When the Mr. Olympia and Amateur Olympia bodybuilding competitions were moved to this month from September because of covid-19 logistical concerns, Monroeville’s Ahmad Matour didn’t waver in his goal to compete at one of the world’s biggest events of its kind.

“I knew it would give me plenty of time to get ready,” said Matour, who, in March, punched his ticket to the Amateur Olympia by winning the lightweight title at the annual Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio.

Then last month, the Olympia competitions were moved from Las Vegas to Orlando because of crowd limitations enforced by the state of Nevada. Still, Matour was not swayed by the changes. He had victory on his mind.

On Dec. 16, those goals of victory were realized as he captured the Amateur Olympia lightweight title in front of a large gathering of spectators watching under covid protocols at the Orange County Convention Center.

“The show was amazing,” said Matour, a native of the Kingdom of Jordan who turned 27 in September. “It was so organized both in planning and on time. That was the first time I competed at a show where that was the case. It was a great experience.”

The lightweight division is for those competitors weighting 143 to 156 pounds. In Orlando, Matour weighed in at 152.

With his wife, Stephanie, and friends rooting him on, Matour then entered the men’s overall against the winners of the super heavyweight, heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight and bantamweight divisions.

He placed fourth, edging out the winners at middleweight and bantamweight. He just missed out on his International Federation of Bodybuilding pro card, which was presented to the top three in the overall competition.

Many parts of the competition from Orlando are on the Olympia TV You Tube channel. The entire event can be viewed at olympiaproductions.com.

Matour also celebrated the title with his mother, Sonia, who is visiting New York City and Pittsburgh for several weeks from her home in Jordan.

Now, with the Arnold and Amateur Olympia titles under his belt, Matour, a personal trainer with seven years of competition experience, has his eyes set on a pro career.

“I heard feedback from the judges about taking about a year off from competition and getting bigger so I am ready to turn pro,” Matour said.

“To qualify for the pro shows, I need to be at least 160 to 165 pounds. The only way to do that is to concentrate on proper weight training and nutrition, put on some good size and come back stronger.”

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