James Hollingshead has proven that resilience can lead to results, qualifying for the 2026 Mr. Olympia final on his fourth attempt over the weekend. The British bodybuilder made history at the Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Supershow, winning its first ever Open division contest and joining a stacked, eleven category show.
“I’m very honored,” said Hollingshead, who admitted to being a little starstruck during his post win interview with Lenda Murray, the female bodybuilding legend that amassed eight overall Ms. Olympia titles, and has now hosted five Atlanta Pro shows. “Atlanta is going to hold a place in my heart for the rest of my life now, because of you Lenda.”
Punching his ticket to the 2026 Olympia had required some serious patience however, as Hollinghead made runner-up at the Portugal Pro, China Pro, and Tampa Pro in the last few weeks, before finally acing it in Atlanta.
James Hollinghead says that resilience leads to results
Struck by Hollinghead’s recent journey, Murray said, “That says a lot. It means you really want it.”
The big man agreed. “Yeah, I’m quite resilient. It’s a good attribute, and a bad attribute,” said Hollingshead. “But for bodybuilding it’s a good attribute. For the wife, not so good sometimes,” he joked.
Murray felt that Hollinghead was a worthy winner on the night, beating Regan Grimes to the top spot. “Well, you held your conditioning, you’re in great shape, and there was no question about it,” said Murray. “You were the tightest, the biggest. You just brought the whole package.” Hollingshead noted that he’d brought a better package to Atlanta than he had to Tampa. “I think being on U.S. soil for an extra week (after Tampa) has helped us, just like, acclimatize,” explained the big Brit. “And, I’m a massive fan of conditioning. I know, I’ don’t have the biggest muscle bellies, I’m quite balanced, so for me, it’s just about being hard, and full enough to present it.”
To celebrate, Hollinghead told Murray that he was looking forward to a well-earned breakfast at First Watch, before the hard work begins on the road to Las Vegas.
Full List of 2026 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Winners by Division
The 2026 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Supershow featured 11 IFBB Pro League divisions, with each winner earning a direct qualification to the 2026 Mr. Olympia weekend.
- Men’s Bodybuilding Winner: James Hollingshead
- Men’s 212 Bodybuilding Winner: Juan Aleman
- Classic Physique Winner: Gabriel Zancanelli
- Men’s Physique Winner: Corey Morris
- Women’s Bodybuilding Winner: Alida Opre
- Women’s Fitness Winner: Abby Bolton
- Women’s Figure Winner: Nicole Zenobia Graham
- Women’s Bikini Winner: Mahsa Akbarimehr
- Women’s Physique Winner: Lenka Ferencukova
- Wellness Winner: Rosemary Rodriguez
- Fit Model Winner: Misty Yang
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