The time has come for one of the best bodybuilding contests of the year, with the excitement rising as the official 2013 Arnold Classic invites list was announced today. Among the great competitors is Greek-Australian Mike "The King Of Conditioning" Kefalianos who will be competing for the second time at the prestigious Columbus show.

Mike who has just come off a 6th place finish at the 2012 Masters Olympia will be starting his official contest prep right after the holidays and is looking to follow the 2013 season with the Australian Grand Prix and the Arnold Classic in Brazil. Mike lives in Kos Island, Greece with his wife and 4 kids and considers it a great honor to be invited to one of the best bodybuilding shows in the world.

Here is the official press release from the 2013 Arnold Sports Festival:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dexter Jackson will try to win his record-tying fourth Arnold Classic title when he leads a field of 13 competitors at the 25th Anniversary Arnold Classic at the 2013 Arnold Sports Festival.

Jackson, who will compete in Columbus for the 14th time, won the Arnold Classic in 2005, 2006 and 2008. A win in 2013 would tie Jackson with the popular Flex Wheeler, who won the Arnold Classic in 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2000. Cedric McMillan, making his Arnold Classic debut; Ben Pakulski, fourth in 2012; Toney Freeman, fifth in the 2012 Arnold Classic Europe; Johnnie Jackson and Ronny Rockel are expected to challenge.
In the Ms. International, six-time champion Iris Kyle returns to the Veterans Memorial stage after not competing due to injury in 2012. Kyle will be challenged by five-time winner Yaxeni Oriquen, who won the title in 2012, and Deb Laszewski, who finished second a year ago.

Five-time Fitness International champ Adela Garcia will not compete in 2013, leaving the door open for Oksana Grishina, Bethany Cisternino, Tanji Johnson and Myriam Capes to battle for the title among a field of 12. Grishina beat Garcia heads up to win the 2012 Arnold Fitness Europe, while Cisternino (fourth), Johnson (fifth) and Capes (sixth) will look to improve on impressive showings in 2012.

A new champion will also be crowned in the Figure International. Three-time defending champion Nicole Wilkins will not compete, leaving 2012 Arnold Figure Europe champ Erin Stern as the favorite among a field of 18. Candice Keene, Ava Cowan and Heather Dees all return after top six finishes in 2012, while Camala Rodriguez will make her Figure International debut after finishing second in the Fitness International in 2012.

Nicole Nagrani, winner of the inaugural Bikini International in 2011; India Paulino, second in 2012; Jamie Baird, third in 2012; and Nathalia Melo, fifth last year, lead a pack of 18 in the Bikini International.

Olga Puzanova (Ms. International), Melinda Szabo (Fitness International), Olga Gallardo (Figure International) and Ashley Kaltwasser (Bikini International) earned automatic invites based on overall victories in their respective classes at the 2012 Arnold Amateur IFBB/NPC Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure & Bikini Championships.

The Bikini International, Fitness International and Figure International will be held on Friday, March 1, at Veterans Memorial, while the Arnold Classic, Ms. International and Arnold Strongman finals will be held on Saturday March 2. (Note that the Ms. International and Bikini International are on new nights in 2013.)

2013 Arnold Classic, Ms. International, Fitness International, Figure International and Bikini International Official Invite Lists:

Arnold Classic
Fouad Abiad
Darrem Charles
Toney Freeman
Marcus Haley
Dexter Jackson
Johnnie Jackson
Michael Kefalianos
Cedric McMillan
Ben Pakulski
Edward Nunn
Ronny Rockel
Fred Smalls
Hidetada Yamagishi

Ms. International
Brigita Brezovac
Kim Buck
Tazzie Colomb
Angela Debatin
Alevtina Goroshinskaya
Elena Kavva
Iris Kyle
Debi Laszewski
Cathy Lefrancois
Yaxeni Oriquen
Jeannie Paparone
Olga Puzanova

Fitness International
Myriam Capes
Bethany Cisternino
Regiane DaSilva
Nicole Duncan
Ryall Graber-Vasani
Oksana Grishina
Fiona Harris
Amanda Hatfield
Tanji Johnson
Melinda Szabo
Kizzy Vaines
Trish Warren

Figure International
Cheryl Brown
Ava Cowan
Heather Dees
Olga Gallardo
Mallory Haldeman
Aleisha Hart
Candice John
Candice Keene
Candice Lewis
Kamla Macko
Camala Rodriguez
Giada Simari
Nicole Sims
Erin Stern
Gennifer Strobo
Alea Suarez
Ann Titone
Natalie Waples

Bikini International
Noy Alexander
Jennifer Andrews
Jamie Baird
Tiffany Boydston
Abbie Burrows
Lacey DeLuca Lieto
Tawna Eubanks
Ashley Kaltwasser
Lexi Kauffman
Nathalia Melo
Justin Munro
Nicole Nagrani
Noemi Olah
India Paulino
Jessica Paxson
Yeshaira Robles
Marcela Tribin
Anna Virmajoki

The 25th Anniversary Annual Arnold Classic, Ms. International, Fitness International, Figure International and Bikini International contests will be held March 1-2, 2013 at Veteran Memorial and the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com for more information and www.ticketmaster.com/arnold or 800-745-3000 for ticket information. VIP Ticket Packages and individual event tickets are available. Daily EXPO tickets which are $10 in advance or $15 at the door of all Arnold Sports Festival venues. Children 10 and under free.

National Sponsors: GNC, MHP, AEP American Electric Power, All American EFX, Allmax Nutrition, American Airlines, Animal, Bodybuilding.com, bpi Sports, BSN, EAS Sports Nutrition, FIGHT! Magazine, Gaspari Nutrition, Hollywood Casino Columbus, Infinite Labs, Jan Tana, Justice & Brothers, MET-Rx, MRI, MusclePharm, Optimum Nutrition, Probiotica, Ricart.com, Subway, TEN.1 and Vitamin Shoppe.

Arnold Fitness EXPO Sponsors: Beach Body, BEAST, Bodybuilding.com, Europa Sports Products, Lonestar Distribution MRM, Oh Yeah!, power Crunch, PROLAB, and Rogue Fitness.

Local Sponsors: AEP American Electric Power, American Airlines, Chase, The Columbus Dispatch, Gold’s Gym, Metro Fitness, Nationwide, Ricart.com and Subway.