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Mr. Olympia is the most significant bodybuilding event held by the IFBB federation. The very first Olympia took place in 1965 and caused a gigantic wave of followers and fans.
Since then, Olympia every year gives athletes from all over the world the opportunity to compete for the right to be called the BEST.
The name of the Mr. Olympia competition was chosen by Joe Weider while discussing the event with Larry Scott. Sitting at a table, they peacefully sipped a beer called “Olympia Beer” and the name of the intoxicating one seemed like a good option. Moreover, the Olympic Games, the most significant sporting competitions, are associated with this name.
At the first competition there were only three participants. The winner was Larry Scott and now there are more and more participants every year. And with the number of participants, the prize fund of this show also grows .
Mr. Olympia winners are colossal exponents of athleticism and strength. However, time does not spare anyone, even those who have visited Olympus.
Topovik.com team has prepared a selection of five legendary winners of the Mr. Olympia competition then and now . Let's see what imprint time has left on these legends...
Arnold's performance history at Olympia
Since appearing on the bodybuilding scene in the late 1960s, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become one of the most influential and inspiring athletes. What bodybuilder or even just a fitness enthusiast doesn't know about Schwarzenegger? Arnold cast a long shadow when he retired in 1980, but he is still revered for his importance in popularizing bodybuilding among the masses.
Arnold's appearance in the 1977 film Pumping Iron, George Butler and Charles Gaines' documentary about the 1975 Mr. Olympia, helped bring Arnold and bodybuilding into popular culture. Fans and athletes owe him a lot. Few would dispute his legacy.
From 1970 to 1975, Arnold won six Mr. Olympia titles. After his sixth win, he retired to focus on his then-booming film career (which included films such as Conan the Barbarian, Gemini and The Terminator). In 1980, Arnold shocked fans and competitors alike when he announced his return the day before the Mr. Olympia competition.
The reaction was mixed. Athlete Mike Mentzer was furious and even tried to attack Arnold at the pre-competition press conference. Other athletes, such as Frank Zane and Boyer Coe, expressed sadness that Arnold was going to come back and lose. On the night of the performance, many were shocked by Arnold's condition. "Austrian Oak" could not compare with the new generation of stars. When Arnold was announced as the winner, the crowd booed him, his competitors walked off the stage, and some quit the sport in disgust.
Fans and participants were outraged. Television networks pulled out of the competition. New judging rules were introduced. Arnold's victory in 1980 was not just controversial - it forever changed the direction and perception of bodybuilding.
Larry Scott
The history of the Mr. Olympia tournament begins on September 18, 1965, when only 3 professional bodybuilders took to the stage - Larry Scott, Harold Poole and Earl Maynard (written in order). Larry Scott won the first and second tournaments. Four athletes took part in the second Ole: Larry Scott, Harold Poole, Chuck Sipes and Sergio Oliva. After winning his second Olympia, Larry announced his retirement from the sport.
1967 — 1969
Who was Arnold's rival?
When Arnold retired from bodybuilding in 1975, a new era began in the sport. Arnold had won six previous competitions. His departure meant that others could now compete for the Mr. Olympia title. Arnold's place was taken by his training partner and close friend, the late Franco Colombo, who won the Olympia in 1976. From 1977 to 1979, this title was won by Frank Zane.
Zane's era, for example, was very different from Arnold's. Compared to Arnold's competition weight of approximately 106 kg, Zane weighed 84 kg. It was smaller, but much more proportional. His physique is considered by many to be the most aesthetically pleasing in history.
In 1978, Mentzer won the Mr. Universe competition. In 1979, at the Mr. Olympia competition, he took second place, losing to Frank Zane. When Zane, Mentzer, Chris Dickerson, Boyer Coe and Tom Platz traveled to Australia to compete in the Mr. Olympia competition in 1980, few could have predicted the winner. No one could have predicted Arnold's participation.
Recommendations
- "IFBB.com - The History of Mr. Olympia." Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- "Mr. Olympia: Through the Years." Protein Hunter. 2016-04-30. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
- Hansen, John. "Mr. Olympia 1980 Controversy | Iron Man Magazine. www.ironmanmagazine.com
. Retrieved 2019-02-03. - ^ a b
"Mr. Olympia prize fund reaches record $1 million."
Muscles and fitness
. Retrieved January 2, 2022. - Rowling, Chris. "2014 Mr. Olympia Recap: Winner, Highlights, Prize Money and Twitter Reaction." Bleach Report
. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
Road to the 1980 Olympia
At this point, Arnie was a movie star. Along with Jim Lorimer (who is also Arnold's partner in the Arnold Classic), Schwarzenegger helped organize the Olympia show from 1976 to 1979. The 1980 show was hosted by Australian bodybuilder Paul Graham, who turned out to be a good friend of Arnold.
Arnold retired from bodybuilding, but his influence was still felt. The reason for this was his film career, in particular his role in the film “Conan the Barbarian”. Released in 1982, Conan told the story of a young, muscular warrior (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) who avenges the death of his parents.
Filming Conan required Arnold to transform into a strong warrior weighing about 104 kg. Arnold began training and began using his old methods to create Conan's body. Somewhere along the way, his training partners encouraged him to compete in the Olympia. Although Arnold continued to seek the opinions of bodybuilding coaches and athletes on whether he should compete (including Joe Weider and Franco Colombo), he publicly rejected rumors of competing. Instead, Arnold signed up as a commentator for Olympia.
The then-current Mr. Olympia, Frank Zane, even asked Arnold for advice on whether he should compete in the 1980 competition. In early 1980, Zane had an accident that interrupted his training, and Arnold advised him to enter the competition no matter what. Zane was worried that he would have to compete with Menzter, Dickerson, Coe and Platz. Arnold seemed to calm him down.
The day before the competition began, Schwartz went to Australia to commentate on the show for CBS, which was planning to film the competition. When he announced his decision to enter the competition, it caused confusion and anger in equal measure.
At a press conference that year, Arnold disparaged his competitors, disrupted discussions about the rules, and tried to deflect attention to himself. Mike Mentzer was so angry with Arnold that he tried to attack him at the conference. As Mentzer pulled away from Arnold, the other members began to worry about what Arnold's participation would mean the next day.
One factor that seemed to reassure the competitors was that Arnold's fitness was worse than at previous Olympias. Although his chest, back and biceps were back to their former shape, his legs, triceps and midsection were lagging behind in definition and size. The general consensus among fans and athletes was that Arnold no longer posed a threat.
Dorian Yates
The huge Dorian Yates simply amazed everyone with his massiveness; his competition weight was 121 kilograms, so the competitors had to work very hard to look decent against the background of Dorian. The English giant suffered a bunch of injuries over these 5 years - he tore his biceps 9 weeks before the competition, seriously injured his ligaments, and in the last year he tore his triceps. Therefore, it is not surprising that Yates decided not to participate in 1998, so as not to completely undermine his health.
1998 — 2005
Arnold at the 1980 Olympia
The next day, at the Mr. Olympia competition, Arnold competed against Zane, Mentzer and other stars of that time. Arnold told jokes to the participants on stage to break their concentration, and then jumped out of the line to pose.
The crowd at the Sydney Opera House showed their approval of the "Austrian Oak". Although few expected him to win, the sight of Arnold returning to the stage drew warm applause and cheers.
The surprises continued as the judges evaluated the contestants. Chris Dickerson and Arnold Schwarzenegger reached the finals. Frank Zane, the defending champion, Mike Mentzer, the contender, and Boyer Coe, who is in top form, made no impression. It seemed incredible that Arnold, who many thought did not deserve a place in the top five, made it to the final two.
When the two fighters did the posing, many agreed that Dickerson would take the title. He was more harmonious, he had more muscles. Arnold, on the contrary, tried to hide his flaws with clever posing and relied on his old achievements.
At the end of the evening, Arnold was declared the winner. The judges awarded Arnold 300 points and Dickerson 292. The audience, competitors and even Ben Weider were furious. It is estimated that up to 40% of the 2,000 spectators booed Arnold. Several athletes stepped aside in disgust as Arnold accepted his trophy and quickly disappeared so as not to attract attention. The competition turned into a farce.
Lee Haney
Lee Haney achieved the impossible; only 2 people in the world today have been able to receive the title of Mr. Olympia 8 times. Throughout all eight years, he had no equal, in terms of mass and proportions. The only exception was the last year in 1991, when the massive Dorian Yates, who had never appeared in the tournament before, took second place. In 1991, Haney stopped his professional career.
1992 — 1997
Ronnie Coleman
This guy came out of nowhere and had great form. To date, there have never been such massive athletes. Coleman's competitive weight was 138 kilograms; to date, not a single bodybuilder has entered the Olympia with such a weight. In 1999, Jay Cutler appeared in the arena of professional bodybuilding, who already in 2001 was able to provide worthy competition to Coleman and almost won against him - according to the results of the first day, Cutler beat Ronnie by 6 points, but Ronnie Coleman managed to prepare and still beat him by 4 points. Cutler took 2nd place three more times, but managed to overtake Ronnie only in 2006.
2006 — 2007
Phil Heath
In 2011, Cutler's student and friend Phil Heath managed to defeat Jay, pushing him to second place. In 2012, during Jay Cutler's absence due to injury, it was easy for Phil to become the winner for the second time. In 2013, Jay failed to show decent form, so he took only 6th place, and Phil Heath again celebrated his victory. In 2014, there was again intrigue between Kai and Phil, but the four-time champion again showed the best form.
At the end of the article, I suggest you watch 2 videos. On the first you can watch the first 12 champions, on the second video a video with Phil Heath's victory at the 2011 Olympia.
