Why is William Bonac taking a break from 2023 bodybuilding season?

William Bonac (via Instagram/@william_bonac)
William Bonac (via Instagram/@william_bonac)

William Bonac, an IFBB Pro bodybuilder from Ghana, gained the limelight after his incredible victory in the 2020 Arnold Classic. However, over the last three years, he tasted nothing but heartbreak except his win at the 2022 Boston pro.

Earlier in December, Bonac competed in the 2022 Mr. Olympia and ended up in ninth position. He last competed in the 2023 Arnold Classic and placed seventh. After his poor outing at AC, he announced a break from bodybuilding to focus on his family and non-sporting endeavors.

William Bonac announced his break via an Instagram post in which he wrote,

"Well that was a long season for me!!"

Later in the caption, he shared his Arnold Classic competitive history,

  • *2018 first attempt 1st place
  • *2019 second attempt 2nd place
  • *2020 third attempt 1st place
  • *2021 fourth attempt missed
  • *2022 fifth attempt 2nd place
  • *2023 sixth attempt 7th place

In the end, he announced that he would take a break and return to the 2024 Arnold Classic.

"I can honestly say I won’t missed my diet for a while Time to focus on family & other business aside from bodybuilding. Will see you all next year in Columbus Ohio I’ll be back!!"

In the 2023 Arnold Classic, which was won by Samson Dauda, "The Conqueror" placed seventh against a tough Open category. It appears that Bonac will not have the same quick turnaround in bodybuilding competitions as he had the previous year.

William Bonac wants to take a vacation from bodybuilding for the rest of the year. He stated that his family and other businesses are his top concerns right now.

Days later, Bonac denied having kidney issues and said that his statements had been misquoted in a video with IFBB AMA. He underwent blood testing before competing in the Arnold Classic and stated that his health was good.

William Bonac will not be eligible to participate in the 2023 Mr. Olympia due to his ninth-place performance. He acknowledged that there were certain errors in judgment in his performance,

"Like I said, [2022 Mr. Olympia] was a miscalculation. Unfortunately, my body is so sensitive. Sometimes you just have to wait a little bit more, understand, and see how things react…"

William Bonac's career

Since winning the Arnold Classic twice, Bonac has distinguished himself as one of the best men's open athletes in the world (in 2018 and 2020). In addition to winning professional competitions, Bonac showcased his talent against top competitors on the Mr. Olympia stage. He came closest to capturing the Sandow trophy in 2019 when he came in second place to champion Brandon Curry.

In 2022, William Bonac wanted to win the Arnold Classic three times. Despite playing with one of his highest levels of conditioning to date, he was beaten by Curry in the rankings. Bonac wasted little time and entered the Boston Pro in 2022 a week later, winning. As a result, he was guaranteed a spot in the December 2016 Olympia competition, where he placed ninth.


Bonac's competitive wins

  • 2014 Golden State Pro
  • 2015 Dayana Cadeau Pro
  • 2015 Nordic Pro
  • 2016 Prague Pro
  • 2016 Nordic Pro
  • 2018 Arnold Classic
  • 2019 Arnold Classic Australia
  • 2020 Arnold Classic
  • 2022 Boston Pro

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