The top contenders for the 2024 Mr. Olympia
With less than seven months to go for the 2024 Olympia Weekend, Evolutionofbodybuilding.net can already predict who will be battling for the top places at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
In March, two editions of the Arnold Classic took place, with Hadi Choopan winning in the USA and UK.
Chasing Hadi Choopan, was Samson Dauda, who finished in second on both occasions. Samson is improving show after show, and he edged slightly closer to Hadi Choopan at the 2024 Arnold Classic UK.
It still might be too early to start making Mr. Olympia predictions, but as it looks, Hadi Choopan is the biggest challenger to reigning champion Derek Lunsford.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net takes a look at the top athletes who will challenge Derek Lunsford for the 2024 Mr. Olympia title.
Derek Lunsford
Derek Lunsford is automatically the clear favorite to win the 2024 Mr. Olympia title. Derek is the defending champion, and his job is to improve his already fantastic physique to defend his title.
Lunsford has incredible genetics, but Hadi Choopan will be breathing down his neck, and push him to the edge.
Hadi has the advantage over Derek when it comes to condition, and if Derek can improve in that area, especially in his chest, he should hand on to his Mr. Olympia title.
Choopan proved that he still has what it takes to win the Mr. Olympia, especially after he won two consecutive Arnold Classic titles. Derek will surely be studying his main contender, Samson Dauda, who is improving show after show.
Hadi Choopan
If Hadi Choopan steps on stage at the 2024 Mr. Olympia in the same condition that won him two Arnold Classic titles, Derek will have a big battle to look forward to.
Derek defeated Hadi Choopan by looking slightly more balanced, and Derek’s incredible back development gave him the edge over 2022 Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan.
Many bodybuilding pundits and bodybuilding fans felt that Choopan was robbed of winning his second Mr. Olympia title, especially regarding his condition.
Hadi was definitely more conditioned at the 2023 Mr. Olympia, especially from his front, but the judges believed Derek had the edge over Choopan.
We can expect Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan to go head-to-head for the top two spots at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
Samson Dauda
The third bodybuilder who will be hoping to crack the top two or even challenge for victory is Samson Dauda.
Samson has made some incredible improvements since his sixth-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
In 2023, Samson won the Arnold Classic and went on to move up to third place at the 2023 Mr. Olympia, establishing himself as a future challenger for the Mr. Olympia title.
Samson did lose his Arnold Classic title to Hadi Choopan at the 2024 Arnold Classic USA, but he was defeated by a former Mr. Olympia, and the clear challenger to dethrone Derek Lunsford at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
Samson already showed some great improvements at the 2024 Arnold Classic UK. Leading up to the 2024 Mr. Olympia, Samson has more than enough time to figure out a plan to get the condition that he still lacks to challenge Hadi Choopan and even Derek Lunsford.
Samson is one of the biggest bodybuilders on stage, and if he manages to get the right balance, he will cause a lot of problems to his fellow competitors.
Nick Walker
Leading up to the 2023 Mr. Olympia, Nick Walker one of the main challengers to dethrone defending champion Hadi Choopan.
In 2022, Nick placed third at the Mr. Olympia, right behind Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan.
The third-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, gave Nick the motivation to focus on the 2023 Mr. Olympia, and become one of the favorites to possibly win the title.
Unfortunately for Nick, he suffered a serious leg injury and had to pull out of the 2023 Mr. Olympia, just a few days before the event started.
This devastated Nick Walker, and he had to sit and watch Derek Lunsford lift the Sandow trophy, thinking that he had a good chance of winning that title.
That nightmare has come and gone, and Nick Walker is now totally focused on challenging for the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
Nick Walker still needs to qualify for the 2024 Mr. Olympia, unless he is offered a “Special Invite.”
Nick has already signed up for the 2024 New York Pro. Nick will have to beat the defending champion, Tonio Burton. Nick is full of confidence, and he’s determined to earn his 2024 Olympia qualification.
If Nick arrived at the 2024 Mr. Olympia in the condition we are used to seeing, he will be in the top three.
The best of the rest
There are a few other bodybuilders that must not be overlooked. Athletes such as 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, who placed fourth at the 2023 Mr. Olympia, can easily move up a couple of places, and ruin the dreams of the top contenders.
Brandon has been very consistent in his placings, and has always been a challenger since he lost his title to Big Ramy in 2020.
Another giant that can cause problems is Andrew Jacked. Andrew finished in fifth place at the 2023 Mr. Olympia, right behind Brandon Curry.
Andrew still has to qualify for the 2024 Mr. Olympia, with the new rules that have been put into place, with only the top three at the Mr. Olympia earning automatic qualification for the following year.
Conclusion
Derek Lunsford is the defending champion, so he has to make sure he makes the right improvements to win his second Mr. Olympia title.
Hadi Choopan, is the biggest threat to challenge Derek and he will do everything possible to win back his Mr. Olympia title.
Right behind Hadi is Samson Dauda. If misses the timing of his condition, we can expect Samson Dauda to take advantage of that situation and move up to second, or even challenge for the title.
If Nick Walker manages to qualify, he can be a major problem for Derek, Hadi, and Samson, and challenge for the victory. Nick cannot be overlooked as he brings incredible size and condition to the stage.
