Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest
at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually
by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness. Joe Weider created the contest
to enable the 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.
The record number of wins is eight, held by Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman. Phil Heath currently
holds the title. The film Pumping Iron, featured the buildup to the 1975 Mr. Olympia in Pretoria
South Africa and helped launch the acting careers of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.
There is also a female bodybuilder crowned, the Ms. Olympia, as are winners of 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.
History 1960s
The 1965 and 1966 Mr. Olympia were won by Larry Scott, a famous bodybuilder of the time.
Scott subsequently retired after his 1966 victory.
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. The other is that he was the only man to compete in all three of the initial
Mr. Olympia contests. He was runner-up in the 1965 and 1966 shows.
The 1967 Mr. Olympia, won by Sergio Oliva, heralded a new era in bodybuilding competition.
At 5 ft 9ins and 240 lbs Oliva, nicknamed "The Myth", displayed a 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, unlike anything seen in prior competitions. His upper arms measured
nearly 22 inches and his chest measured at 55 inches, which tapered down to a reportedly
28 inch waist and two 31 inch legs. Oliva would go on to win the Mr. Olympia competition
in 1967, 1968, and 1969 - where he would defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger 4 to 3, marking Schwarzenegger's
first and only loss in a Mr. Olympia competition. 1970s
Schwarzenegger defeated Oliva at the 1970 Mr. Olympia after finishing second the year
before. At 6' 2" and 240 lbs, he was able to match Sergio Oliva for size in his upper
arms, chest, and back. However, contest judges deemed that Schwarzenegger's extra definition
and muscularity over Sergio Oliva were substantial enough to award him the title. Schwarzenegger
successfully defended his title against Oliva in 1972, after which Oliva retired from the
IFBB. Schwarzenegger went on to win the next three
Mr. Olympia competitions, including the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition, 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 competition. Columbu's
win proved height disadvantage could be overcome. Up until that point the taller competitors
had won, but Columbu, who stands about 5'4", won by showcasing a combination of mass and
hardness that had never been seen before. After winning the 1975 competition, Schwarzenegger
announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding; this was also depicted in Pumping
Iron. Frank Zane won the 1977, 1978, and 1979 competitions.
While not as physically massive as previous competitors such as Schwarzenegger, Oliva,
or Ferrigno, Zane developed his physique to highlight symmetry aesthetics and definition.
As such, Zane was able to defeat opponents who exceeded his own muscle-mass but lacked
his level of muscular definition. 1980s
In 1980, Schwarzenegger came out of retirement to win the Sandow trophy yet again. Schwarzenegger
had been a late entry into the competition, and his competitors did not know of his intentions
to compete. The following year, Franco Columbu was victorious. Chris Dickerson won the 1982
competition, Samir Bannout won the 1983 competition, and Lee Haney won the 1984 competition. This
was the start of 8 straight titles by Lee Haney.
1990s Haney retired from competitive bodybuilding
after his last Mr. Olympia victory in 1991. Having placed 2nd to Haney the previous year,
Dorian Yates won the 1992 through 1997 competitions. During this time, judging in professional
bodybuilding competitions started placing greater emphasis on muscle mass, with many
bodybuilding traditionalists commenting that muscle mass had now become the most important
factor to winning, even greater than that of symmetry, aesthetics, and proportion.
Yates retired from competitive bodybuilding after his 1997 victory. Flex Wheeler seemed
to be the heir apparent but Ronnie Coleman surprised everyone with a new improved physique
in 1998, winning 8 consecutive titles. In 1994 Joe Weider decided to add a separate
Masters Olympia competition for professional bodybuilders to continue to compete at the
highest levels in their later years. 2000s
Ronnie Coleman won the Mr. Olympia competition eight consecutive times, tying the record
set by Lee Haney. Coleman returned in 2006 to defend his title but instead placed second
to Jay Cutler, who won his first title after five consecutive years of finishing second
to Coleman. Cutler then successfully defended his title again in 2007. Coleman came in fourth
place and announced his retirement from competition. In 2008, Dexter Jackson defeated Jay Cutler
and became Mr. Olympia. In 2009, Jay Cutler became the third Mr. Olympia in history to
reclaim the title and the only Mr. Olympia in history to reclaim the title after having
it lost, by returning on stage and defeating the reigning champion Dexter Jackson who placed
third in 2009. 2010s
In 2010, Cutler returned to claim his 4th Mr. Olympia title becoming just the fifth
competitor in Olympia history to win the title more than 3 times. In 2011, Phil Heath defeated
Cutler for the title. On September 29, 2012, Phil Heath defended his Mr. Olympia title
against Kai Greene. On September 29, 2013, Phil Heath again defended his title against
Kai Greene. Qualifying
In 2011, days after the conclusion of the 2011 Olympia Weekend, Chairman of the IFBB
Professional League Jim Manion amended the qualifying rules as follows:
1. Top four in each division at the Olympia. 2. Top three in each division at the Arnold
Classic/International. 3. Top two in each division at the New York
Pro. 4. 1st place at all other competitions, even
the Amateurs World Championship Competition. The top four in each division at the 2011
Olympia will qualify for the 2012 Olympia. The remaining 2011 competitions are not affected.
The IFBB Professional League and Mr. Olympia, LLC may offer special invites.
Winners References
Wayne, Rick. Muscle Wars. St. Martin's Press. pp. 93, 95, 250, 257. ISBN 0-312-55353-6.
External links Mr. Olympia
Photo history of all of the Mr. Olympia winners Site with pictures and results
Mr. Olympia Winners