Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League.[4]Joe Weider created the contest to enable the amateurMr. 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.[5] The equivalent female title is Ms. Olympia.
In addition to the Mr. Olympia title in the Open division, other male divisions include the 212 division since 2012, the Men's Physique division since 2013, and the Classic Physique division since 2016.
As well as the Ms. Olympia title, female titles include 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.[8] Globally,[9] a version with amateur competitors is also presented, the Mr. Olympia Amateur.[10]
The 1965 and 1966 Mr. Olympia were won by Larry Scott, a famous bodybuilder of the time. Scott retired after his 1966 victory and attempted to make a comeback in 1979, where he showed a physique that wasn’t at his peak. Following this performance, he retired from competitive bodybuilding in 1980.[11]
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;[12] the other is that he was the only man to compete in all three of the initial Mr. Olympia contests.[13]
The 1967 Mr. Olympia, won by Sergio Oliva, heralded a new era in bodybuilding competition. At 5ft 10ins and 240lbs[14] Oliva, nicknamed "The Myth",[11] displayed an unforeseen 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.[15]
Oliva would go on to win the Mr. Olympia competition in 1967, 1968 (uncontested),[11] and 1969—where he would defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger four to three,[11] marking Schwarzenegger's only loss in a Mr. Olympia competition.[16]
With the emergence of a performance enhancing drug called Dianabol in 1958, bodybuilders began experimenting more with the idea of unnatural ways to improve their physiques as well as intensify their training regimens. Dianabol was affordable, and the 1960s became a free-for all in terms of experimentation with many kinds of performance enhancing drugs. These anabolic steroids were not only used by bodybuilders, but also by Olympic athletes and NFL players. For example, Schwarzenegger and players on the Pittsburgh Steelers used performance enhancing drugs in the 1960s to 70s to improve both their physiques and performances.[17]
Schwarzenegger defeated Oliva at the 1970 Mr. Olympia after finishing second the year before, and also won in 1971 (being the only competitor). He defeated Oliva again in 1972, and went on to win the next three Mr. Olympia competitions, including the 1975 edition, which was highlighted in the 1977 docudramaPumping Iron and featured other notable bodybuilders such as Lou Ferrigno, Serge Nubret, and Franco Columbu, who would go on to win the 1976 and 1981 competitions.[7]
From 1974 until 1979, a dual weight division system was used, splitting competitors into two categories: "Heavyweights" (over 200lbs) and "Lightweights" (under 200lbs). The winners of each division would then compete against each other to decide an overall champion.
After winning the 1975 competition, Schwarzenegger announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding; this was also depicted in Pumping Iron.[18]
Frank Zane won the 1977, 1978, and 1979 competitions.[11]
The Sandow Trophy was awarded for the first time in 1976, a homage to the widely-recognized "father of modern bodybuilding", Eugen Sandow.[11][19]
1980s
In 1980, Schwarzenegger came out of retirement to win the Olympia yet again, after a five-year hiatus. Schwarzenegger (who was supposedly training for the film Conan the Barbarian) had been a late entry into the competition, and his competitors did not know of his intentions to compete. This seventh victory was especially controversial, as most fellow competitors and observers felt that he lacked both muscle mass and conditioning, and shouldn't have won over Chris Dickerson or Mike Mentzer.[20] Several athletes vowed to boycott the contest the following year, and Mentzer retired for good.[21]
The following year, Franco Columbu was victorious for the second time. Chris Dickerson won his only title in 1982, making him the first openly gay Mr. Olympia.[5]Samir Bannout won his only title in 1983, making the first Lebanese Mr. Olympia.[22]
From 1984 to 1991, Lee Haney won eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, setting a record that was later tied by Ronnie Coleman.[23]
1990s
From the late 1980s until the 2010s, bodybuilders began to compete with a level of muscle mass surpassing the limits with each edition, which was called the "Mass Monster" era. This era coincided with concerns about the overuse of anabolic steroids in sports, which culminated in the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990.[24]
Haney retired from competitive bodybuilding after his last Mr. Olympia victory in 1991.[25] Having placed second to Haney the previous year, Dorian Yates won the competition six straight times from 1992 until 1997. Dorian is given credit for revolutionizing the sport during his reign as Mr. Olympia by combining larger mass than seen before with what was dubbed "granite hardness".[26]
Yates retired from competitive bodybuilding after his 1997 victory, having accumulated several injuries. Ronnie Coleman, who placed 9th in 1997, surprised everyone with a much improved physique in 1998, winning the first of 8 consecutive titles.[11]
In 1994, a separate Masters Olympia competition for professional bodybuilders was created, to compete at the highest levels in their later years.[27]
Ronnie Coleman won the Mr. Olympia competition eight consecutive times from 1998 to 2005,[11] tying the record set by Lee Haney. Coleman, nicknamed "The King", is widely regarded as the greatest bodybuilder in Olympia history.
Coleman returned in 2006 to try to beat the record for Olympia wins but was unable to defend his title, instead placed second to Jay Cutler, who won his first title after four consecutive years of finishing second to Coleman. Cutler successfully defended his title in 2007. Coleman came in fourth place and announced his retirement from competition,[28] ending one of the biggest rivalries in the competition's history.
In 2008, Dexter Jackson defeated Jay Cutler and became Mr. Olympia.[11] In 2009, Jay Cutler returned and regained the title.[29]
2010s
In 2010, Cutler returned to claim his fourth Mr. Olympia title, becoming the fifth competitor in Olympia history to win the title more than three times.
In 2011, Phil Heath defeated Cutler for the title, beginning a winning streak that lasted until 2018.[11] From 2012 to 2014, the Olympia was dominated by the rivalry between Kai Greene and Heath, with Heath winning all three and Greene placing second.
Starting in 2016, a new division called Classic Physique was introduced, a division that emphasizes symmetry, proportion, pleasing lines, and a small waist, over size and mass.[30] Danny Hester was the inaugural champion in Classic Physique division.[31]
Heath won his seventh-consecutive Mr. Olympia in 2017,[11] with Mamdouh Elssbiay taking second. With his 2017 win, Heath tied Arnold Schwarzenegger for second most Olympia victories, behind Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman who won eight.[11]
Shawn Rhoden defeated Phil Heath in 2018, snapping Heath's streak of seven victories.[11] The 2019 Mr. Olympia was won by Brandon Curry.[11]
In the 212 Division, James "Flex" Lewis won a record 7 consecutive victories from 2012 to 2018.[32]
Starting in 2018, a new division called Wheelchair Olympia was added.[33]
2020s
In 2020 Phil Heath returned for an attempted record-tying eighth title,[34] but Mamdouh Elssbiay won the Olympia for his first title.[35] Elssbiay won for the second time in 2021.[36] Hadi Choopan won in 2022, Derek Lunsford won in 2023 and Samson Dauda won in 2024.[37]
In the Classic Physique division, Chris Bumstead won a record six consecutive titles from 2019 to 2024, eventually retiring after his sixth win in 2024.[38][39]
Qualifying
The IFBB selects Olympia contestants from among the highest-placed competitors at various qualifying competitions, collectively referred to as the Olympia Qualifying Season. The qualifying season for each Olympia runs for a year, and ends a few months before the competition. Under updated qualifying rules announced by the IFBB in 2019, to qualify for most divisions at the Olympia an IFBB athlete must meet one of the following criteria:[40]
Place in the top three in their division at the previous Olympia
Win any of the IFBB qualifying contests
Rank among the top three in total points awarded for second through fifth place at qualifying competitions
For certain divisions with more than 25 qualifying competitions, slightly different rules are used: The previous Olympia winner is automatically qualified, plus the winner of each qualifying competition and the top five in total points.
The IFBB Professional League also has the discretion to extend special invitations to other competitors.[citation needed]
12Competition was split into two weight classes from 1974 through 1979, namely Heavyweight (HW) for athletes weighing over 200 lbs and Lightweight (LW) for athletes weighing under 200 lbs. Two winners were selected (one per each category) and the overall champion (in bold text) was decided after a final battle between the two.
Mr. Olympia Amateur is a competition that globally awards the best amateur competitors with an IFBB Pro Card,[53] bringing them closer to competing in the main Mr. Olympia.[10] According to the official website as of March 2022, the event is presented in regions with a specific organization around the world: India, Pakistan, Eastern Europe, Beijing (China), Spain, Portugal, Brazil, South Korea, Italy, Japan, South America, Las Vegas (USA).[9] Mr. Olympia 2025 starts from 6–12 October in Las Vegas, Nevada.[54]
↑Ranking is determined first by the total number of gold medals, secondly by total number of silver medals, thirdly by total number of bronze medals, fourthly by best position each country has placed and then lastly by total number of athletes have represented a country at Mr Olympia.
↑It is common for bodybuilders to represent countries they were not born in. This table only includes the countries officially represented at Mr Olympia by open category bodybuilders. For example, Shawn Rhoden was Jamaican born but only represented the United States at Mr Olympia. Therefore his results were officially recorded as representing the United States on each final results paper. Jamaica has never been officially represented on paper at Mr Olympia to date so far. This is the same way in which results are recorded in every other major international sporting event.
123Includes both the heavyweight and lightweight categories between 1974 and 1979.
↑Merritt, Greg (21 April 2016). "The Physiques and Journeys of Sergio Oliva Sr. and Jr". Muscle and Fitness. Retrieved July 23, 2021. In all of bodybuilding's long and rich history there is no pose more associated with one person than Sergio Oliva's victory pose. It's his. Standing tall and straight with colossal arms overhead, fists balled and turned outward, and lats flaring above his wispy waist, his upper body formed a V for victory atop a base of abundant legs. His rendition at the '72 Olympia is our sport's most indelible image. The victory pose is so associated with the Myth and so difficult for even the best bodybuilders to pull off that few have even attempted it.
↑Heffernan, Dr. Conon (November 27, 2024). "From Golden Idols to Mass Monsters: Every Bodybuilding Era, Explained". Barbend. Retrieved October 27, 2025. The most controversial bodybuilding era is the "Mass Monster" era from the late 1980s to 2010 (...) This era also coincided with controversies surrounding steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in sports, culminating in the United States passing the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990, which classified anabolic steroids as a controlled substance and subject to tight government regulations. This led to the one and only drug-tested Mr. Olympia in September 1990, which Lee Haney won. (Though it was not without controversy.)
↑"Is It Worth It?". Muscle and Fitness. 20 July 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
Wayne, Rick (1985). Muscle Wars: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Competitive Bodybuilding. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp.93, 95, 250, 257. ISBN0-312-55353-6. OCLC12107650.
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