Mr. Olympia – Celebrating 60 Years Of Bodybuilding History.
The Mr. Olympia will celebrate its 60th edition of this historical event on 10-13 October 2024, at the Resorts World, Las Vegas.
From what started as a dream for two brothers, Joe, and Ben Weider, this event has turned the fitness world into a billion-dollar industry.
The proper name for the event is Joe Weider’s Mr. Olympia, for the reason that Joe focused on professional bodybuilding, while his brother Ben Weider was focused on making amateur bodybuilding an international sport.
A Brief History
Before the first Mr. Olympia event took place in 1965, the reigning Mr. World and Universe winners believed they won the best events in bodybuilding, but Joe Weider had the brilliant idea of bringing all these winners together on one stage to challenge each other for one title, and the winner is regarded as the best bodybuilder in the world.
The Mr. Olympia name was inspired by the Washington-based Olympia Brewing Company, founded in 1896 by Leopold Schmidt.
While having dinner with his brother Ben and future Mr. Olympia winner Larry Scott, they were discussing the name of their new contest, and Joe Weider looked at the label of the beer he was drinking, which was called Olympia Beer, and that gave him the idea of calling his dream event, Mr. Olympia.
The Winners: 1965 – 2023
From 1965 to 2023, only 18 men won the Mr. Olympia event. The most successful athletes were Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman, winning eight consecutive titles. The next in line is Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Heath, winning seven titles. Dorian Yates went on to win six consecutive titles while Jay Cutler was the first in the history of the event to lose the title and win it back again, winning a total of four Mr. Olympia titles.
Larry Scott (1965, 1966)
The first-ever bodybuilder to win the Mr. Olympia title was Larry Scott, who won the title in 1965 and 1966.
On both occasions, Larry defeated Harold Poole, who had to settle for second.
During his prime, Larry Scott won every major bodybuilding event, making the face of bodybuilding and fitness.
Sergio Oliva (1967 – 1969)
In 1967, Sergio Oliva, better known as “The Myth”, introduced himself to the bodybuilding world. The Cuban mass monster, at the time, was unbeatable, displaying a massive physique, with a very narrow waist.
The most memorable victory for Sergio was in 1969, when he defeated the young Arnold Schwarzenegger to lift his third consecutive Mr. Olympia title.
Arnold Schwarzeneger 1970 – 1975, 1980
Arnold Schwarzenegger improved his physique, and promised himself to never lose another event, and he did just that.
In the build-up to the 1970 Mr. Olympia, Sergio Oliva was the favorite going into the show, but it would be Arnold Schwarzenegger, who arrived with a much more improved physique, in regards to condition, to defeat the defending champion.
Arnold would go on to win six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, and then return in 1980 to win his seventh Mr. Olympia title. The 1980 Mr. Olympia is regarded as one of the most controversial events in the 60-year history of this event.
Arnold is still regarded as the greatest bodybuilder to ever grace the stage, and he went on to be one of the world’s most successful actors, and also went on to govern the state of California.
Franco Columbo (1976, 1981)
Arnold’s best friend, Franco Columbo, was also one of the best bodybuilders of his generation. Franco won the lightweight class on several occasions, but when it came to competing for the overall Mr. Olympia title, Arnold’s incredible size would always guarantee him victory.
When Arnold stepped away from the sport in 1975, it would leave the door open for Franco to challenge for the vacant title.
Back then the Mr. Olympia was still divided into two categories, the Light and Heavyweight categories. Franco would go on to defeat the heavier Ken Waller, to win his first Mr. Olympia title.
Franco made a comeback for the 1981 Mr. Olympia. Franco went on to win his second Mr. Olympia title, but it did not come without controversy. Till today this event is still discussed on several bodybuilding media channels.
Frank Zane (1977-1979)
Bodybuilding is not only about freakish size, but the athlete has to present a physique with a combination of balance and size. And nobody at that time could present this type of physique better than, Frank Zane.
Frank was not the biggest bodybuilder on the Mr. Olympia stage, but his physique represented what bodybuilding should be. Frank Zane had a perfectly balanced physique, with incredible condition.
Frank would win the title for three consecutive years. During his prep leading up to the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Frank suffered a serious injury and almost dropped out of the event. Frank went on to finish in third place.
With all the controversy at the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Frank Zane and several other bodybuilders would go on to boycott the 1981 Mr. Olympia.
Chris Dickerson (1982)
Chris Dickerson finally lifted the Mr. Olympia title in 1982, after controversially being edged out by Franco Columbu at the 1981 Mr. Olympia.
Dickerson was the first African-American AAU Mr. America, and the first openly gay winner of the IFBB Mr. Olympia contest.
Dickerson had a very long and successful bodybuilding career, spanning from 1966 to 1994.
Samir Bannout (1983)
1983 was the year for the Lion of Lebanon to reign the Mr. Olympia stage. While always presenting a beautiful physique, the young Samir Bannout sometimes missed his mark when it came to extreme conditioning to defeat his fellow competitors.
But in 1983, Samir got it right, and defeated some difficult competition, such as the young Lee Haney, Mohamed Makkaway, Frank Zane, and Bertil Fox, to name a few.
Samir is still very active, helping competitors perfect their posing, and giving his opinion on bodybuilding events, diets, and training methods.
Lee Haney (1984 – 1991)
Joe Weider, Lee Haney and Ben WeiderThe great Lee Haney, returned to the 1984 Mr. Olympia, to improve on his third-place finish the previous year.
Lee Haney presented a very balanced physique, with incredible muscle mass, a small waist, and incredible back development.
Lee Haney managed to break Arnold Schwarzenegger’s record of seven Mr. Olympia victories, and was the first bodybuilder to win eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, a record still not beaten, just equaled by the legendary Ronnie Coleman.
Lee Haney had a number of rivals challenging for the title, such as Lee Gaspari, and Lee Labrada, but Lee just was built right to dominate the sport.
One of Lee Haney greatest victories was at his final Mr. Olympia, where he defeated the young Dorian Yates, who literally changed the sport with his freaky size and condition. But on that night, it would be Lee Haney who would win his eighth Mr. Olympia title, thanks to his majestic posing and incredible physique.
Lee Haney went on to retire in 1991, and go on to dedicate his life to his family and fitness, contributing to the sport of bodybuilding till today.
Dorian Yates (1992 – 1997)
In 1992, the Mr. Olympia was vacant after Lee Haney retired from the sport after dominating it for eight consecutive years.
It would be the massive and conditioned Dorian Yates, known as “The Shadow”, vs the new kid on the block, Kevin Levrone.
Unfortunately for Kevin, Dorian was impossible to beat. Dorian presented a physique that nobody had ever witnessed on the bodybuilding stage.
The bodybuilding world was accustomed to seeing massive bodybuilders, but not with sharp conditioning, then came Dorian who changed the face of bodybuilding forever.
The sport of bodybuilding would change forever after Dorian. The competitors started to get bigger, trying to defeat the freak from the UK.
Dorian was not called “The Shadow” for nothing, after his victory, he would disappear, and return the following year, dominating the sport.
Unfortunately for Dorian, injuries would prevent him from defending his title for the seventh consecutive time, and the title would be made vacant in 1998.
Ronnie Coleman (1998 – 2005)
After Dorian’s reign, the bodybuilding fans and media believed the legendary Flex Wheeler would be the next in line to dominate the sport.
Unfortunately for Flex Wheeler, nobody saw Ronnie Coleman coming, a bodybuilder who was not in the spotlight.
Ronnie Coleman stepped on stage with unmatched size, and the condition to go with it. He left no room for anybody to challenge him, and he would lift the first Mr. Olympia for his eight-year reign.
Ronnie Coleman did not walk away with his following victories. He had legendary bodybuilders, such as Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, and Jay Cutler, all pushing him to the limit.
Ronnie did not retire after his eighth Mr. Olympia victory, as Lee Haney did, but he would be defeated in 2006 by the hungry Jay Cutler, who placed second to Ronnie Coleman on four occasions.
Lee Haney would return to try and win his ninth Mr. Olympia title in 2006 and 2007, but he would finish second and fourth respectively.
After his retirement, Ronnie had to battle some serious back injuries, but he is still very involved in the sport, building one of the most successful supplement companies, and attending seminars and events all over the world.
Jay Cutler (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010)
In 2006, Jay Cutler finally won the title. Jay finally defeated his most difficult competitor, eight-time Mr. Olympia winner, Ronnie Coleman.
Cutler continued to make the improvements needed to defeat Ronnie Coleman, whose injuries started to become more evident, but he did not go down without a battle.
It was not an easy Olympia reign for Jay Cutler, in 2007, Victor Martinez could have easily defeated Cutler, with bodybuilding pundits giving Victor victory to this day.
Cutler managed to escape defeat in 2007, but in 2008, Cutler was not in his best condition and lost his title to the “Blade”, Dexter Jackson. This was a hard pill to swallow for Cutler, being defeated by a smaller competitor. Still, in 2009, Jay Cutler presented one of his best physiques ever, to be the first bodybuilder to win back a Mr. Olympia title after losing it the previous year.
Cutler went on to defend his title again in 2010, but breathing down his neck was his best friend “The Gift”, Phil Heath.
In 2011, Jay went all in to try to win his fifth Mr. Olympia title, but just before the event, he suffered a bicep injury, which was evident on stage. Even if he did not suffer a bicep injury, he was no match for the incredible Phil Heath. Jay Cutler’s Mr. Olympia run of victories would come to an end.
Dexter Jackson (2008)
Dexter Jackson, better known as “The Blade”, was at the right place at the right time, when he shocked the bodybuilding world by defeating Jay Cutler, who at the time was a two-time Mr. Olympia champion.
Jay Cutler was having problems keeping dry, and he could be seen on stage wiping away excess water.
Dexter Jackson, who went on to win practically every bodybuilding title in the history of the sport, was in the best condition of his life.
When Dexter’s name was announced as the winner, Dexter’s career came full circle, winning the ultimate prize, something many said he couldn’t do because he was not the biggest bodybuilder on stage.
In 2009, Dexter was aiming to defend his Mr. Olympia title, but he found a hungry and much improved Jay Cutler, who went on to win his title back.
Phil Heath (2011 – 2017)
Phil Heath, better known as “The Gift”, put bodybuilding on another level. Phil presented a physique that nobody could match, presting a 3D look, with the perfect combination of size and balance.
Phil Heath was also gifted with fantastic back development, which few challengers could match.
Phil Heath had several strong challengers, such as Kai Greene, who sometimes became very aggressive, and finished second to Phil Heath three consecutive times.
Phil Heath also had some very strong challenges by Dexter Jackson, Big Ramy, and finally Shawn Rhoden.
Finally in 2018, when Phil Heath was hoping to win his eighth Mr. Olympia title, abdominal injuries caught up to Phil Heath, and he lost his title to Shawn Rhoden.
Phil Heath was the first Mr. Olympia during the years when bodybuilding was growing at a fast rate on social media. While Phil Heath received a lot of praise, he was criticized heavily by a group of online media channels.
Phil Heath made a comeback in 2020, but the best he could do was third place.
Shawn Rhoden (2018)
Shawn Rhoden did what many thought would be impossible; he defeated “The Gift” Phil Heath.
At the 2018 Mr. Olympia, Shawn Rhoden exposed Phil Heath’s injury, which was in his abdominal section. While many bodybuilding pundits still argue Phil Heath should have won, Shawn was the last man standing to win the Mr. Olympia title.
The celebrations did not last long for Shawn Rhoden, when he ended up having some legal problems.
It went from bad to worse for Rhoden when he was banned from competing at the Mr. Olympia the following years, which meant he could never defend his title.
On 6 November 2021, the bodybuilding world woke up to the news that Shawn Rhoden passed away at the age of 46.
Brandon Curry (2019)
The Mr. Olympia title was vacant in 2019, due to the suspension of defending champion, Shawn Rhoden.
Several top bodybuilders at the time were all favorites to win the Mr. Olympia title.
William Bonac, Roelly Winklaar, Hadi Choopan, Brandon Curry, Cedric McMillan, and many more could have challenged for the vacant title.
But one bodybuilder, who made incredible improvements, shocked the bodybuilding world by fighting his way to the top, and that was Brandon Curry.
Brandon was a veteran of the sport, and was slowly improving on his placings at the last few Mr. Olympia events.
It was evident that Brandon made the right improvements, as he also won the Arnold Classic a few months earlier.
Brandon looked incredible with more size added to his physique, making him stand out above the rest of the lineup.
Unfortunately for Brandon, the pandemic was in full swing just a few months after he won his title, restricting him from promoting his victory around the world. But, being the champion he is, Brandon did whatever he could to promote the Mr. Olympia title to the young and old.
Mamdouh Elssbiay (2020, 2021)
Mamdouh Elssbiay, better known as “Big Ramy”, had a complicated year in 2019, not being able to compete and qualify for the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
Thanks to a “Special Invite”, from the Olympia committee and the IFBB Pro League, Big Ramy had the opportunity to compete at the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
The majority of fans were delighted that Big Ramy would be competing, but at the same time, several competitors and bodybuilding pundits expressed their displeasure that Big Ramy received a free ticket to the event, without having to qualify.
Big Ramy shocked the bodybuilding world with his improved physique, which had better condition and more balance.
Big Ramy presented a physique that was impossible to beat. Being the biggest bodybuilder on stage, combined with incredible condition, guaranteed him victory.
Big Ramy went on to defend his title in 2021 as well, making him one of the most bodybuilders in the world.
Hadi Choopan (2022)
The Iranian, Hadi Choopan, was always knocking on the door when it came to challenging for the Mr. Olympia title.
Climbing the ranks of the IFBB, and winning several World Amateur Championship titles, Choopan started his professional career in the 212 Division.
Choopan finally decided to move up to the Open Division, and he immediately made an impact by placing third in 2019, fourth in 2020, and third again in 2021.
The writing was on the wall that Hadi Choopan was a serious contender for the Mr. Olympia title.
Hadi did not have an easy time traveling to the USA, having his VISA given to him just weeks before the event.
Choopan is not the biggest bodybuilder in the Mr. Olympia lineup, but he is the most conditioned, nobody could match Choopan’s ripped physique.
Leading up to the 2022 Mr. Olympia, several bodybuilding pundits argued that Choopan should have won more Mr. Olympia titles, and was possibly overlooked.
Finally, in 2022, Choopan was on top of the world when he lifted the Sandoe trophy, making him the most popular bodybuilder in the world, especially in his home country of Iran, where he became a national hero, just as Big Ramy experienced a few years earlier.
Choopan was the favorite to defend his title in 2023, but he was defeated by Derek Lunsford who also moved up from the 212 Division. Hadi did not take the defeat lightly, and vowed to return in 2024 to win his title back.
Derek Lunsford (2023)
The Mr. Olympia changed in the last few years, with the title changing hands between several bodybuilders, the era of four, six, or eight consecutive victories has come to an end.
Derek Lunsford was the winner of the 212 Olympia in 2021, and was still undecided if he was going to move up to the Open Division.
Luckily for Derek, and to the dismay of many competitors, Derek was awarded a “Special Invite” to the 2022 Mr. Olympia, where he placed second to Hadi Choopan.
Fast forward to the 2023 Mr. Olympia, Hadi Choopan was the obvious favorite to win the title for the second time, but all eyes were on the much-improved Derek Lunsford.
After an exciting battle, Derek was declared the winner, Immediately after the event, popular bodybuilding media channels continued to debate if Hadi should have been declared the winner, thanks to his incredible shredded physique.
Looking forward to an exciting and spectacular 2024 Olympia Weekend.
At the time of publishing this article, the 2024 Olympia Weekend is just approximately two months away.
Defending champion, Derek Lunsford, will not have an easy task to defend his title, as former champion Hadi Choopan is hungry for victory. Other bodybuilders such as Samson Dauda, Behrouz Tabani, William Bonac, Brandon Curry, and others will all be stepping on stage intending to win.
The Mr. Olympia will be celebrating its 60th anniversary and it will be a celebration of bodybuilding and fitness, thanks to the vision of Joe and Ben Weider, the two brothers that turned this niche of an industry into a billion-dollar industry in 2024.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net will cover the 2024 Olympia Weekend, publishing the latest results and news.
Find out more about the 2024 Olympia Weekend and Live Streaming on Olympia Weekend’s official website – Click HERE.
