Mr. Olympia

Mr. Olympia
250px
The Mr. Olympia stage in 2008
LocationUnited States

Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League.[1] Joe Weider created the contest to enable the amateur Mr. Universe winners to continue competing and to earn money. The first Mr. Olympia was held on September 18, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, with Larry Scott winning his first of two straight titles.[2] The equivalent female title is Ms. Olympia.

The record number of wins is eight each by Lee Haney (1984–1991) and Ronnie Coleman (1998–2005).[3] Derek Lunsford currently holds the title.

In addition to the Mr. Olympia title in the Open division, other male divisions include the 212 division since 2012, the Men's Physique division since 2013, and the Classic Physique division since 2016.

The film Pumping Iron (1977) featured the buildup to the 1975 Mr. Olympia in Pretoria, South Africa, and helped launch the acting careers of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and Franco Columbu.[4]

As well as the Ms. Olympia title, female titles include Fitness Olympia and Figure Olympia for fitness and figure competitors. All four contests occur during the same weekend. From 1994 to 2003, and again in 2012, a Masters Olympia was also crowned.[5] Globally,[6] a version with amateur competitors is also presented, the Mr. Olympia Amateur.[7]

History[edit]

1960s[edit]

The 1965 and 1966 Mr. Olympia were won by Larry Scott, a famous bodybuilder of the time. Scott retired after his 1966 victory, and to date is the only Mr. Olympia champion to have never lost a Mr. Olympia competition.[8]

Harold Poole holds two Mr. Olympia distinctions : one is that he is the youngest ever competitor to have participated in the Olympia—in 1965 he competed in the first Mr. Olympia at the age of 21;[9] the other is that he was the only man to compete in all three of the initial Mr. Olympia contests.[10]

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The 1967 Mr. Olympia, won by Sergio Oliva, heralded a new era in bodybuilding competition. At 5 ft 10 ins and 240 lbs[11] Oliva, nicknamed "The Myth",[8] displayed an unforeseen level of muscle mass and definition, including a "V" shape of a large and a well-formed upper-body that tapered down to a narrow waist.[12]

Oliva would go on to win the Mr. Olympia competition in 1967, 1968 (uncontested),[8] and 1969—where he would defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger four to three,[8] marking Schwarzenegger's only loss in a Mr. Olympia competition.[13]

With the emergence of a performance enhancing drug called Dianabol in 1958, bodybuilders began experimenting more with the idea of unnatural ways to improve their physiques as well as intensify their training regimens. Dianabol was affordable, and the 1960's became a free-for all in terms of experimentation with many kinds of performance enhancing drugs. These steroids were not only used by bodybuilders, but also by Olympic athletes and NFL players. For example, Schwarzenegger and players on the Pittsburgh Steelers used performance enhancing drugs in the 1960's to 70's to improve both their physiques and performances. [14]

1970s[edit]

Schwarzenegger defeated Oliva at the 1970 Mr. Olympia after finishing second the year before, and also won in 1971 (being the only competitor). He defeated Oliva again in 1972, and went on to win the next three Mr. Olympia competitions, including the 1975 edition, which was highlighted in the 1977 docudrama Pumping Iron and featured other notable bodybuilders such as Lou Ferrigno, Serge Nubret, and Franco Columbu, who would go on to win the 1976 and 1981 competitions.[4]

From 1974 until 1979, a dual weight division system was used, splitting competitors into two categories: "Heavyweights" (over 200lbs) and "Lightweights" (under 200lbs). The winners of each division would then compete against each other to decide an overall champion.

After winning the 1975 competition, Schwarzenegger announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding; this was also depicted in Pumping Iron.[15]

Frank Zane won the 1977, 1978, and 1979 competitions.[8] 1976 was the first year the Sandow trophy was awarded.[8]

1980s[edit]

In 1980, Schwarzenegger came out of retirement to win the Olympia yet again, after a five-year hiatus. Schwarzenegger (who was supposedly training for his "Conan" movie) had been a late entry into the competition, and his competitors did not know of his intentions to compete. This seventh victory was especially controversial, as most fellow competitors and observers felt that he lacked both muscle mass and conditioning, and shouldn't have won over Chris Dickerson or Mike Mentzer. Several athletes vowed to boycott the contest the following year, and Mentzer retired for good.[16]

The following year, Franco Columbu was victorious for the second time. Chris Dickerson won his only title in 1982, making him the first openly gay Mr. Olympia,[2] and Samir Bannout won his only title in 1983.[17] Then in 1984 Lee Haney won the first of 8 straight Mr. Olympia titles.[18]

1990s[edit]

Haney retired from competitive bodybuilding after his last Mr. Olympia victory in 1991.[19] Having placed second to Haney the previous year, Dorian Yates won the competition six straight times from 1992 until 1997. Dorian is given credit for revolutionizing the sport during his reign as Mr. Olympia by combining larger mass than seen before with what was dubbed "granite hardness".[20]

In the 1990s, the use of growth hormones by bodybuilders was reported, and they started to appear in competitions with an increasing physical size. Writing for Men's Health in 2016, journalist Lou Schuler questioned whether Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman competed "naturally" or used hormones.[21]

Yates retired from competitive bodybuilding after his 1997 victory, having accumulated several injuries. Ronnie Coleman, who placed 9th in 1997, surprised everyone with a much improved physique in 1998, winning the first of 8 consecutive titles.[8]

In 1994, a separate Masters Olympia competition for professional bodybuilders was created, to compete at the highest levels in their later years.[22]

2000s[edit]

Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie Coleman won the Mr. Olympia competition eight consecutive times,[8] tying the record set by Lee Haney. Coleman, nicknamed "The King", is widely regarded as the greatest bodybuilder in Olympia history and began the mass monster era. Coleman returned in 2006 to try to beat the record for Olympia wins but was unable even to defend his title, instead placed second to Jay Cutler, who won his first title after four consecutive years of finishing second to Coleman. Cutler successfully defended his title in 2007. Coleman came in fourth place and announced his retirement from competition,[23] ending one of the biggest rivalries in the competition's history.

In 2008, Dexter Jackson defeated Jay Cutler and became Mr. Olympia.[8] In 2009, Jay Cutler returned and regained the title.[24]

2010s[edit]

In 2010, Cutler returned to claim his fourth Mr. Olympia title, becoming the fifth competitor in Olympia history to win the title more than three times. In 2011, Phil Heath defeated Cutler for the title, beginning a winning streak that lasted until 2018.[8] From 2012 to 2014, the Olympia was dominated by the rivalry between Kai Greene and Heath, with Heath winning all three and Greene placing second.

Starting in 2016, a new division called Classic Physique was introduced. Danny Hester was the inaugural champion in Classic Physique division.[25]

Heath won his seventh-consecutive Mr. Olympia in 2017,[8] with Mamdouh Elssbiay taking second. With his 2017 win, Heath tied Arnold Schwarzenegger for second most Olympia victories, behind Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman who won eight.[8]

Shawn Rhoden defeated Phil Heath in 2018, snapping Heath's streak of seven victories.[8] The 2019 Mr. Olympia was won by Brandon Curry.[8]

Starting in 2018, a new division called Wheelchair Olympia was added.[26]

2020s[edit]

In 2020 Phil Heath returned for an attempted record-tying eighth title,[27] but Mamdouh Elssbiay won the Olympia for his first title.[28] Elssbiay won for the second time in 2021.[29] Hadi Choopan took home the title in 2022. Derek Lunsford was victorious at the 2023 contest, with Hadi Choopan taking second and 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry placing fourth.

Qualifying[edit]

The IFBB selects Olympia contestants from among the highest-placed competitors at various qualifying competitions, collectively referred to as the Olympia Qualifying Season. The qualifying season for each Olympia runs for a year, and ends a few months before the competition. Under updated qualifying rules announced by the IFBB in 2019, to qualify for most divisions at the Olympia an IFBB athlete must meet one of the following criteria:[30]

  • Place in the top three in their division at the previous Olympia
  • Win any of the IFBB qualifying contests
  • Rank among the top three in total points awarded for second through fifth place at qualifying competitions

For certain divisions with more than 25 qualifying competitions, slightly different rules are used: The previous Olympia winner is automatically qualified, plus the winner of each qualifying competition and the top five in total points.

The IFBB Professional League also has the discretion to extend special invitations to other competitors.[citation needed]

Winners[edit]

Chronologically[edit]

# Year Winner(s)[a] Award Venue
1 1965 United States Larry Scott[31] $1,000 United States New York, United States
2 1966
3 1967 Cuba Sergio Oliva[32]
4 1968
5 1969
6 1970

Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger[32]

7 1971 France Paris, France
8 1972 West Germany Essen, West Germany
9 1973 United States New York, United States
10 1974
 
Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger[32]
(Heavyweight & overall)
Italy Franco Columbu
(Lightweight)
11 1975
 
$2,500 Union of South Africa Pretoria, South Africa
12 1976
 
Italy Franco Columbu[32]
(Lightweight & overall)
United States Ken Waller
(Heavyweight)
$5,000 United States Columbus, United States
13 1977
 
United States Frank Zane[32]
(Lightweight & overall)
United States Robby Robinson
(Heavyweight)
14 1978
 
$15,000
15 1979
 
United States Mike Mentzer
(Heavyweight)
$25,000
16 1980 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger[32] Australia Sydney, Australia
17 1981 Italy Franco Columbu[32] United States Columbus, United States
18 1982 United States Chris Dickerson[32] United Kingdom London, United Kingdom
19 1983 Lebanon Samir Bannout[32] West Germany Munich, West Germany
20 1984 United States Lee Haney[32] $50,000 United States New York, United States
21 1985 Belgium Brussels, Belgium
22 1986 $55,000 United States Columbus, United States
23 1987 Sweden Gothenburg, Sweden
24 1988 Unknown United States Los Angeles, United States
25 1989 Italy Rimini, Italy
26 1990 $100,000 United States Chicago, United States
27 1991 United States Orlando, United States
28 1992 United Kingdom Dorian Yates[32] Finland Helsinki, Finland
29 1993 United States Atlanta, United States
30 1994
31 1995 $110,000
32 1996 United States Chicago, United States
33 1997 United States Los Angeles, United States
34 1998 United States Ronnie Coleman[32] United States New York, United States
35 1999 United States Las Vegas, United States
36 2000
37 2001
38 2002
39 2003
40 2004 $120,000
41 2005 $150,000
42 2006 United States Jay Cutler[32] $155,000
43 2007
44 2008 United States Dexter Jackson[32]
45 2009 United States Jay Cutler[32] $200,000
46 2010
47 2011 United States Phil Heath[32]
48 2012 $250,000
49 2013
50 2014 $275,000
51 2015 $400,000
52 2016
53 2017
54 2018 Jamaica Shawn Rhoden[33]
55 2019 United States Brandon Curry[34]
56 2020 Egypt Mamdouh Elssbiay[35] United States Orlando, United States
57 2021
58 2022 Iran Hadi Choopan United States Las Vegas, United States
59 2023 United States Derek Lunsford United States Orlando, United States


  1. ^ Competition was split into two weight classes from 1974 through 1979, with one division winner then named the Overall champion.

Number of overall wins[edit]

Rank Mr. Olympia champion Year(s) Number of wins
Overall Heavyweight Lightweight
1 United States Ronnie Coleman 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 8 0 0
United States Lee Haney 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 8 0 0
3 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 (overall & heavyweight), 1975 (overall & heavyweight), and 1980 7 2 0
United States Phil Heath 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 7 0 0
5 United Kingdom Dorian Yates 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 6 0 0
6 United States Jay Cutler 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010 4 0 0
7 United States Frank Zane 1977 (overall & lightweight), 1978 (overall & lightweight), 1979 (overall & lightweight) 3 0 3
Cuba Sergio Oliva 1967, 1968, and 1969 3 0 0
9 Italy Franco Columbu 1974 (lightweight), 1975 (lightweight), 1976 (overall & lightweight), and 1981 2 0 3
Egypt Mamdouh Elssbiay 2020 and 2021 2 0 0
United States Larry Scott 1965 and 1966 2 0 0
12 United States Chris Dickerson 1982 1 0 0
Lebanon Samir Bannout 1983 1 0 0
United States Dexter Jackson 2008 1 0 0
Jamaica Shawn Rhoden 2018 1 0 0
United States Brandon Curry 2019 1 0 0
Iran Hadi Choopan 2022 1 0 0
United States Derek Lunsford 2023 1 0 0
17 United States Robby Robinson 1977 (heavyweight) and 1978 (heavyweight) 0 2 0
United States Kenny Waller 1976 (heavyweight) 0 1 0
United States Mike Mentzer 1979 (heavyweight) 0 1 0

Number of consecutive wins[edit]

Rank Mr. Olympia champion Years Number of consecutive wins
Overall Heavyweight Lightweight
1 United States Ronnie Coleman 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 8 0 0
United States Lee Haney 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 8 0 0
3 United States Phil Heath 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 7 0 0
4 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 6 2 0
United Kingdom Dorian Yates 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 6 0 0
6 United States Frank Zane 1977, 1978 and 1979 3 0 3
Cuba Sergio Oliva 1967, 1968 and 1969 3 0 0
8 United States Jay Cutler 2006 and 2007, 2009 and 2010 2 0 0
9 United States Larry Scott 1965 and 1966 2 0 0
Egypt Mamdouh Elssbiay 2020 and 2021 2 0 0

Top 3[edit]

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place
1965 United States Larry Scott United States Harold Poole Barbados Earl Maynard
1966 United States Larry Scott United States Harold Poole United States Chuck Sipes
1967 Cuba Sergio Oliva United States Chuck Sipes United States Harold Poole
1968 Cuba Sergio Oliva
1969 Cuba Sergio Oliva Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger
1970 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger Cuba Sergio Oliva United States Reg Lewis
1971 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger
1972 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger Cuba Sergio Oliva France Serge Nubret
1973 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger Italy Franco Columbu France Serge Nubret
1974 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger Italy Franco Columbu United States Lou Ferrigno & United States Frank Zane
1975 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger Italy Franco Columbu France Serge Nubret & United States Ed Corney
1976 Italy Franco Columbu United States Ken Waller United States Mike Katz & United States Frank Zane
1977 United States Frank Zane United States Ed Corney United States Robby Robinson
1978 United States Frank Zane United States Robby Robinson Barbados Roy Callender
1979 United States Frank Zane United States Mike Mentzer United States Dennis Tinerino & United States Boyer Coe
1980 Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger United States Chris Dickerson United States Frank Zane
1981 Italy Franco Columbu United States Chris Dickerson United States Tom Platz
1982 United States Chris Dickerson United States Frank Zane United States Casey Viator
1983 Lebanon Samir Bannout Egypt Mohamed Makkawy United States Lee Haney
1984 United States Lee Haney Egypt Mohamed Makkawy Germany Jusup Wilkosz
1985 United States Lee Haney Barbados Albert Beckles United States Rich Gaspari
1986 United States Lee Haney United States Rich Gaspari United States Mike Christian
1987 United States Lee Haney United States Rich Gaspari United States Lee Labrada
1988 United States Lee Haney United States Rich Gaspari Netherlands Berry DeMey
1989 United States Lee Haney United States Lee Labrada United States Vince Taylor
1990 United States Lee Haney United States Lee Labrada United States Shawn Ray
1991 United States Lee Haney United Kingdom Dorian Yates United States Vince Taylor
1992 United Kingdom Dorian Yates United States Kevin Levrone United States Lee Labrada
1993 United Kingdom Dorian Yates United States Flex Wheeler United States Shawn Ray
1994 United Kingdom Dorian Yates United States Shawn Ray United States Kevin Levrone
1995 United Kingdom Dorian Yates United States Kevin Levrone Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Nasser El Sonbaty
1996 United Kingdom Dorian Yates United States Shawn Ray United States Kevin Levrone
1997 United Kingdom Dorian Yates Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Nasser El Sonbaty United States Shawn Ray
1998 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Flex Wheeler Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Nasser El Sonbaty
1999 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Flex Wheeler United States Chris Cormier
2000 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Kevin Levrone United States Flex Wheeler
2001 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Jay Cutler United States Kevin Levrone
2002 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Kevin Levrone United States Chris Cormier
2003 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Jay Cutler United States Dexter Jackson
2004 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Jay Cutler Venezuela Gustavo Badell
2005 United States Ronnie Coleman United States Jay Cutler Venezuela Gustavo Badell
2006 United States Jay Cutler United States Ronnie Coleman Dominican Republic Víctor Martínez
2007 United States Jay Cutler Dominican Republic Víctor Martínez United States Dexter Jackson
2008 United States Dexter Jackson United States Jay Cutler United States Phil Heath
2009 United States Jay Cutler United States Branch Warren United States Dexter Jackson
2010 United States Jay Cutler United States Phil Heath United States Branch Warren
2011 United States Phil Heath United States Jay Cutler United States Kai Greene
2012 United States Phil Heath United States Kai Greene Jamaica Shawn Rhoden
2013 United States Phil Heath United States Kai Greene Germany Dennis Wolf
2014 United States Phil Heath United States Kai Greene Jamaica Shawn Rhoden
2015 United States Phil Heath United States Dexter Jackson Jamaica Shawn Rhoden
2016 United States Phil Heath Jamaica Shawn Rhoden United States Dexter Jackson
2017 United States Phil Heath Egypt Mamdouh Elssbiay Netherlands William Bonac
2018 Jamaica Shawn Rhoden United States Phil Heath Curaçao Roelly Winklaar
2019 United States Brandon Curry Netherlands William Bonac Iran Hadi Choopan
2020 Egypt Mamdouh Elssbiay United States Brandon Curry United States Phil Heath
2021 Egypt Mamdouh Elssbiay United States Brandon Curry Iran Hadi Choopan
2022 Iran Hadi Choopan United States Derek Lunsford United States Nick Walker
2023 United States Derek Lunsford Iran Hadi Choopan United Kingdom Samson Dauda

Medals[edit]

Men's Open[edit]

A total of 274 bodybuilders have represented 47 nations across 59 competitions as of 2023.

Rank[a] Country[b] Bodybuilders Best Gold [c] Silver [c] Bronze [c] Total
1st  USA 126 1st 41 48 40 129
2nd  Austria 3 1st 7 1 8
3rd  United Kingdom 16 1st 6 1 1 8
4th  Italy 8 1st 4 1 5
5th  Cuba 1 1st 3 2 5
6th  Egypt 5 1st 2 3 5
7th  Iran 4 1st 1 1 2 4
8th  Lebanon 8 1st 1 1
9th  Barbados 6 2nd 2 2 4
10th  France 8 2nd 1 2 3
11th  Netherlands 6 2nd 1 2 3
12th  FR Yugoslavia (1992–2002) 2 2nd 1 2 3
13th  Dominican Republic 1 2nd 1 1 2
14th  Australia 6 2nd 1 1
15th  Germany (Unified) 15 3rd 2 2
16th  Venezuela 1 3rd 2 2
=17th  Curaçao 1 3rd 1 1
=17th  Hungary 1 3rd 1 1
19th  United Arab Emirates 2 5th
20th  Algeria 1 5th
21st  Poland 4 6th
22nd  Canada 11 7th
=23rd  Slovakia 3 7th
=23rd  Spain 3 7th
25th   Switzerland 2 7th
26th  Trinidad and Tobago 1 7th
27th  Czech Republic 3 8th
28th  Nigeria 1 8th
29th  Japan 1 9th
30th  Brazil 3 10th
31st  Jordan 2 10th
32nd  Puerto Rico 1 11th
33rd  Ukraine 2 13th
34th  Denmark 1 13th
35th  Russia 3 16th
=36th  Finland 2 16th
=36th  Norway 2 16th
=36th  Sweden 2 16th
=39th  Czechoslovakia (1989–1991) 1 16th
=39th  Greece 1 16th
=39th  India 1 16th
=39th  Ireland 1 16th
=39th  Morocco 1 16th
=39th  SFR Yugoslavia (1991) 1 16th
=39th  Bahamas 1 16th
46th  Turkey 1 17th
 Libya 1 TBC 2023

Classic Physique[edit]

Chronologically[edit]

# Year Winner Award Venue
1 2016 United States Danny Hester[36] $12,500 United States Las Vegas, United States
2 2017 United States Breon Ansley[37][38] $20,000
3 2018
4 2019 Canada Chris Bumstead[39][40] $30,000
5 2020 United States Orlando, United States
6 2021 $50,000
7 2022 United States Las Vegas, United States
8 2023 United States Orlando, United States

Top 3[edit]

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place
2016 United States Danny Hester Iran Arash Rahbar Bosnia and Herzegovina Sadik Hadzovic
2017 United States Breon Ansley Canada Chris Bumstead United States George Peterson
2018 United States Breon Ansley Canada Chris Bumstead United States George Peterson
2019 Canada Chris Bumstead United States Breon Ansley United States George Peterson
2020 Canada Chris Bumstead United States Terrence Ruffin United States Breon Ansley
2021 Canada Chris Bumstead United States Terrence Ruffin United States Breon Ansley
2022 Canada Chris Bumstead Brazil Ramon Queiroz Germany Urs Kalecinski
2023 Canada Chris Bumstead Brazil Ramon Queiroz Germany Urs Kalecinski

Men's (202-212) division[edit]

# Year Winner Venue
1 2008 United States David Henry United States Las Vegas, United States[41]
2 2009 United States Kevin English
3 2010 United States Kevin English
4 2011 United States Kevin English
5 2012 United Kingdom James "Flex" Lewis
6 2013
7 2014
8 2015
9 2016
10 2017
11 2018
12 2019 Libya Kamal Elgargni
13 2020 United States Shaun Clarida United States Orlando, United States[41]
14 2021 United States Derek Lunsford
15 2022 United States Shaun Clarida United States Las Vegas, United States
16 2023 United States Keone Pearson United States Orlando, United States

Men's Physique[edit]

# Year Winner Venue
1 2013 United States Mark Anthony Wingson United States Las Vegas, United States[42]
2 2014 United States Jeremy Buendia[42]
3 2015
4 2016
5 2017
6 2018 United States Brandon Hendrickson[42]
7 2019 United States Raymont Edmonds[42]
8 2020 United States Brandon Hendrickson United States Orlando, United States[42]
9 2021
10 2022 United States Erin Banks[42] United States Las Vegas, United States[42]
11 2023 United Kingdom Ryan Terry United States Orlando, United States[42]

Mr. Olympia Amateur[edit]

Mr. Olympia Amateur is a competition that globally awards the best amateur competitors with an IFBB Pro Card,[43] bringing them closer to competing in the main Mr. Olympia.[7] According to the official website as of March 2022, the event is presented in regions with a specific organization around the world: India, Pakistan, Eastern Europe, Beijing (China), Spain, Portugal, Brazil, South Korea, Italy, Japan, South America, Las Vegas (USA).[6]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Ranking is determined first by the total number of gold medals, secondly by total number of silver medals, thirdly by total number of bronze medals, fourthly by best position each country has placed and then lastly by total number of athletes have represented a country at Mr Olympia.
  2. ^ It is common for bodybuilders to represent countries they were not born in. This table only includes the countries officially represented at Mr Olympia by open category bodybuilders. For example, Shawn Rhoden was Jamaican born but only represented the United States at Mr Olympia. Therefore his results were officially recorded as representing the United States on each final results paper. Jamaica has never been officially represented on paper at Mr Olympia to date so far. This is the same way in which results are recorded in every other major international sporting event.
  3. ^ a b c Includes both the heavyweight and lightweight categories between 1974 and 1979.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "IFBB.com - History of Mr. Olympia". Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  2. ^ a b "Every Winner of the Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Competition". Barbend. December 20, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Haney and Coleman: A Pair of Eights". Muscle and Fitness. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Why the 1980 Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Contest Was So Controversial". Barbend. April 10, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "IFBB 2012 Masters Olympia". Muscle and Fitness. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Home". Olympia Amateur. Archived from the original on 2022-03-13. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "We Give You The Lowdown On The Mr. Olympia Amateur That's Happening In India This Year". Men's Xp. 8 September 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "10 Fun Facts About Mr. Olympia". Muscle and Fitness. 3 September 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "Every Winner of the Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Competition". Bafbend. 17 December 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "The 10 Most Aesthetic Physiques from Bodybuilding's Golden Era". Muscle and Fitness. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  11. ^ Merritt, Greg (21 April 2016). "The Physiques and Journeys of Sergio Oliva Sr. and Jr". Muscle and Fitness. Retrieved July 23, 2021. In all of bodybuilding's long and rich history there is no pose more associated with one person than Sergio Oliva's victory pose. It's his. Standing tall and straight with colossal arms overhead, fists balled and turned outward, and lats flaring above his wispy waist, his upper body formed a V for victory atop a base of abundant legs. His rendition at the '72 Olympia is our sport's most indelible image. The victory pose is so associated with the Myth and so difficult for even the best bodybuilders to pull off that few have even attempted it.
  12. ^ "Retired Chicago cop dies, only bodybuilder to beat Schwarzenegger". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  13. ^ Bateman, Oliver (Summer 2017). "Steroid Solidarity: The Culture of Juicing at the Mr. Olympia Competition". The Virginia Quarterly Review. 93: 60–72. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  14. ^ "The Ultimate Arnold Schwarzenegger Training Guide". Muscle and Fitness. 26 October 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  15. ^ Hansen, John (27 December 2011). "The 1980 Mr. Olympia Controversy | Iron Man Magazine". www.ironmanmagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  16. ^ "Olympia Legend: Samir Bannout". Muscle and Fitness. August 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  17. ^ "8x Mr. Olympia Lee Haney Shares His Secret to Quality Muscle". Muscle and Fitness. 27 June 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  18. ^ "Is It Worth It?". Muscle and Fitness. 20 July 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  19. ^ "27 Best Backs in Bodybuilding History". Fitness Volt. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  20. ^ "See the Dramatic Changes In Bodybuilders' Physiques Over the Past 125 Years". Men's Health. 12 May 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "Ed Corney Rolls Back the Years at the Masters Olympia". Muscular Development. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Ronnie Coleman Worked Out With a Herniated Disc for 10 Years". Muscle and Fitness. 15 June 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  23. ^ "The Greatest Olympia Comebacks Ever". Muscle and Fitness. 21 July 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  24. ^ "Danny Hester wins the first ever Classic Physique Olympia". Evolution Bodybuilding. 18 September 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  25. ^ "Wheelchair Olympia". Mr. Olympia. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  26. ^ "The Historical Significance of Phil Heath and the 2020 Mr. Olympia". Barbend. 8 August 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  27. ^ "Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay Wins the 2020 Mr. Olympia". Barbend. 20 December 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  28. ^ "Mr. Olympia prize money breakdown: How much do the winners make in 2021?".
  29. ^ IFBB Pro League Staff (August 20, 2019). "2020 Olympia Qualification System". IFBB Professional League. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
  30. ^ Slotnik, Daniel E. (17 March 2014). "Larry Scott, Bodybuilder Who Inspired Schwarzenegger, Dies at 75". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "These Are All the Winners of the Mr. Olympia Competition". Men's Health. December 20, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  32. ^ "Bodybuilder Shawn Rhoden Banned from Olympia". Barbend. 15 July 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  33. ^ "Brandon Curry Wins 2019 Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Title". Barbend. 15 September 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  34. ^ "Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay Wins the 2020 Mr. Olympia". Barbend. 20 December 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  35. ^ "2016 Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend". Muscle & Fitness. 15 September 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  36. ^ "RESULTS: Breon Ansley wins the 2017 Classic Physique Olympia". Evolution of Bodybuilding. 16 September 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  37. ^ "RESULTS: Breon Ansley wins the Classic Physique 2018 Olympia". Evolution of Bodybuilding. 15 September 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  38. ^ "Canada's Chris Bumstead wins 2019 Classic Physique Olympia". Barbend. 20 December 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  39. ^ "Chris Bumstead 2019 Classic Physique Olympia Win Draws Serious Drama". Fitness Volt. 18 September 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  40. ^ a b "212 Division". Mr Olympia. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h "Men's Physique". Mr. Olympia. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  42. ^ "IFBB Pro™ Card Winners 2019". NPC News Online. 19 November 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2021.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]