James Hollingshead boosted by runner-up finish in Milan, with the British bodybuilder now full steam ahead for the 2026 Mr Olympia

By Gary Chappell

JAMES HOLLINGSHEAD was given a huge lift with his second-place finish at the Italy Pro in Milan – but the British veteran is already turning his attention to the final weeks of preparation for the 2026 Mr Olympia.

Hollingshead finished runner-up to Regan Grimes at the PROMUSCLE Italy Pro, with at least one former IFBB Pro believing the Brit should have taken the victory.

That vote of confidence came from Lee Priest but, rather than spend the aftermath analysing what might have been, Hollingshead was already looking ahead to the big one in Las Vegas.

Following the show, Hollingshead posted from Milan alongside coach Zac Fotheringham, describing a relatively quiet recovery day before the serious work began again.

He said: "A walk. Coffee. A solid lunch. Then back to business.

“Tomorrow full Mr Olympia preparation for the next two weeks and a few days. I'm legitimately honoured to be going and to be able to stand in the biggest stage in bodybuilding

"I'm also privileged to be able to see the corners of this word as part of my living. It’s a dream. It doesn’t come without its difficulties at times but it’s rewarding in so many ways that can not be measured. I am strong willed but even so I lean on my loved ones at times – and so should you.

"Me and Z [Zac Fotheringham] are constantly working towards being the best we can and the Olympia is the big one. Let’s see what we can muster up for the last dance of the season. The grand finale."

Fotheringham added: "Three week's time we put on a show and give the stage the best Shed yet. Very fucking proud of you. Proud of us. TEAM."

You see, Milan was not the destination. It was another checkpoint on the road to Las Vegas.

Breed takes positives from eighth

Lewis Breed's night in Milan ended with an eighth-place finish, but his assessment of the show was considerably more positive than the result alone might suggest.

Breed said he had endured a “challenging week” after dealing with inflammation early in the week, before making adjustments with coach Martin Winston.

The changes helped him arrive onstage with the look they wanted.

But for Breed, the most important development was not necessarily his placing. It was his presentation.

“Despite the placing I feel my presentation massively improved,” he said.

That matters because Breed has previously identified presentation as an area he wanted to develop and he clearly believes Milan represented progress.

The British bodybuilder also highlighted the experience of sharing the stage with fellow Brit Sasan Heirati, who finished seventh.

His immediate conclusion was simple: “Now we plan for the next…”

Heirati looked incredible, as usual, and it was a surprise to see him so low down the placings. Indeed, former IFBB Pro Fouad Abiad agreed, saying: "You looked awesome Sas! Thought you should have been higher."

Heirati posted the simple caption: "You win some. You learn some. On to the Olympia."

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