One Step Away: The History of Mr. Olympia’s Runners-Up – PART 3
The Mr. Olympia is bodybuilding’s most popular event, with the winner receiving all the praise and focus from all the media, but what about the runners-up?
The Mr. Olympia will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024. A truly incredible accomplishment for an event, that was created by Joe and Ben Weider while having dinner, way back in 1964.
During the 59 events that have taken place since 1965, only 18 men have won this prestigious title. Of the 18 champions, five have unfortunately passed on. Larry Scott, Sergio Oliva, Franco Columbu, Chris Dickerson, and Shawn Rhoden have all passed away.
We all know who the winners are, and the bodybuilding world continues to celebrate and discuss their victories.
All the winners have gone on to have very successful careers after they retired from the sport. The majority of winners have gone on to become movie stars, politicians, successful business owners, and prominent figures within the bodybuilding industry.
What about the runners-up? Bodybuilding historians and dedicated fans know who they are, but the younger generation has absolutely no idea who pushed the 18 Mr. Olympia champions to the limit.
The Runners-Up
The 18 men who won the Mr. Olympia title, are phenomenal athletes, there have been some controversial decisions in the past, and even some believe the 2023 decision could have gone either way.
From 1965 to 2017, the Mr. Olympia was dominated by 12 athletes, with 10 of them defending their title for several years. Between 2018 and 2023, there have been five different winners.
Just as there were multiple winners, there were also athletes placing second consecutively for several years, never managing to win the title.
Every bodybuilder climbed the amateur ranks winning several prestigious titles, such as Mr. America, Mr. Universe titles within IFBB and NABBA, plus World and European Championships.
Let’s take a look at the runners-up during the 59-year history of the Mr. Olympia.
Check out Part 1: One Step Away: The History of Mr. Olympia’s Runners-Up – PART 1
Check out Part 2: One Step Away: The History of Mr. Olympia’s Runners-Up – PART 2
Part 3 of the “One Step Away” series covers the Mr. Olympia events from 1997 to 2015.
Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler needs no introduction, he has established himself as one of the most successful and popular bodybuilders in the sport of bodybuilding.
Cutler is a four-time Mr. Olympia winner, taking home the title in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.
Before dominating the sport, Jay Cutler had to fight his way to the top, and know what it feels like to place second at the Mr. Olympia.
Cutler placed second at the Mr. Olympia against three different winners.
The first taste of defeat was against the mighty Ronnie Coleman at the 2001 Mr. Olympia. Cutler believed he should have won the title, against Coleman, who has already been dominating the sport for three years.
Cutler decided to skip the 2002 Mr. Olympia, and went on to win the Arnold Classic.
Deciding to return to the Mr. Olympia stage in 2003, Cutler would have to settle for second place for another three years.
Finally, in 2006, all the hard work paid off for Cutler, and he would go on to beat Ronnie Coleman, ruining his plans to be the first bodybuilder to win nine consecutive Mr. Olympia titles.
Cutler would defend the Mr. Olympia title for two years, until he suffered a shock defeat to Dexter Jackson in 2008. Cutler would have to face defeat and settle for second place.
Never giving up, Cutler would fight back and win back his title in 2009, by dominating the event.
The 2010 Mr. Olympia would be Cutler’s final victory, until he passed on the torch to Phil Heath in 2011. Cutler would finish second in 2011, against a young Phil Heath, who would go on to dominate the sport for seven years.
Cutler would make a comeback in 2013, but he was past his best and finished in sixth place.
After retiring from the sport, Cutler would continue to be successful with his popular social media channels, and his very successful clothing and supplement line of products.
Ronnie Coleman
Ronnie Coleman is considered to be one of the best bodybuilders to ever grace the Mr. Olympia stage.
Coleman and Lee Haney both hold the record for winning the Mr. Olympia eight consecutive times.
Ronnie started his reign in 1998, climbing to first place at the Mr. Olympia after finishing seventh in 1997, nobody saw Coleman coming.
The only time Coleman slipped at the Mr. Olympia was when he had to hand over the title to Jay Cutler in 2006.
Coleman would return in 2007, but he would never be at his best again, and retired from the sport.
Ronnie unfortunately had some serious back injuries, that have made it difficult for him to walk, but this has not stopped him from touring all over the word and starting a very successful supplement company.
Victor Martinez
Many refer to Victor Martinez as the uncrowned 2007 Mr. Olympia. The second Mr. Olympia victory for Jay Cutler did not come without controversy.
Victor was in the best shape of his life, and many bodybuilding pundits believe that Victor Martinez should have won the 2007 Mr. Olympia.
Victor was just coming off a victory at the 2007 Arnold Classic, making him the main challenger for the 2007 Mr. Olympia title.
Victor would have some legal problems, that would force him to do some jail time. He returned to competitive bodybuilding, and continued to have a successful career.
Branch Warren
Branch Warren was another bodybuilder who pushed Jay Cutler to the edge, threatening to take his Mr. Olympia title away.
At the 2009 Mr. Olympia, Cutler was just coming off a defeat in 2008, and he arrived in fantastic condition, making history and winning back his Mr. Olympia title.
Branch would have to settle for second, but he would still go on to have a very successful bodybuilding career.
Branch Warren has nine victories under his belt, which includes two Arnold Classic victories.
Phil Heath
Phil Heath is another bodybuilder who needs no introduction. Phil dominated the sport of bodybuilding from 2011 to 2017, just one Mr. Olympia title away from equaling Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman’s eight consecutive wins.
It did not take long for Phil Heath to rise to the top. As a pro bodybuilder, it took only five years for Phil Heath to win his first Mr. Olympia title.
At the 2010 Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath introduced himself to the world as the main challenger to Jay Cutler after he finished in second place to the four-time winner.
Heath was very close to winning the 2010 Mr. Olympia, but he had to settle for second, while he would move one step further in 2011, and defeat Cutler.
In 2018, Phil Heath would taste defeat again, by placing a very close second to the late Shawn Rhoden. Heath had some serious health issues and immediately had to get operated on after his defeat.
Phil returned to the Mr. Olympia stage in 2020, but had to settle for third. This would be the last time that Phil Heath competed as a professional bodybuilder.
Kai Greene
Kai Greene is the “What if” of bodybuilding. Establishing himself as one of the most popular bodybuilders in the world, thanks to his numerous Arnold Classic victories, and exciting posing routines, Kai Greene never won the Mr. Olympia.
Between 2012 and 2014, Kai placed second to Phil Heath three consecutive times. The competition between Kai and Phil was fierce, and the bodybuilding world loved it.
It was only a matter of time before Kai would win the Mr. Olympia, but this would never happen.
After 2014, Kai Greene refused to compete at the Mr. Olympia, for reasons still not known to this day.
Kai never officially announced his retirement from the sport of bodybuilding. He continues to tour the world, attending events, and promoting various brands.
Kai also has appeared in several low-budget films and the popular series Stranger Things.
Dexter Jackson
Dexter Jackson is the most successful bodybuilder in the history of the sport, with 29 victories.
From his 29 victories, Dexter is a five-time winner of the Arnold Classic USA, he won the Mr. Olympia in 2008, and he is the only bodybuilder to win the Mr. Olympia and Masters Olympia titles.
At the age of 46, Dexter Jackson was still competing against the best in the world, defeating athletes half his age.
In 2015, Dexter won the Arnold Classic USA, Europe, and Australia. He also went on to win the Prague Pro show.
Seven years after winning the Mr. Olympia title in 2008, Dexter was again a favorite to challenge Phil Heath for the title.
Dexter made it very difficult for the judges, but they gave the nod to Phil Heath to win his fifth Mr. Olympia title.
Stay tuned for Part 4 of the “One Step Away” series.
