Every Winner of the Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Competition (original) (raw)

There is no greater accomplishment in the sport of bodybuilding than winning the Mr. Olympia title.

In 1965, Joe Weider and his brother Ben debuted the Mr. Olympia competition to establish a true world champion. Fast forward to today, and there’s now a whole weekend dedicated to the Olympia, which includes a fan expo and competitions for 11 divisions — five men and five women. The Mr. Olympia, however, remains the center of the event.

Each man to be crowned Mr. Olympia has left a legacy in their wake:

Every Mr. O — whether they won once or reigned for years — has left a unique mark on the sport of bodybuilding.

Below, we’ve compiled this list of every Mr. Olympia. Each man on this list deserves recognition for the work it takes to win bodybuilding’s ultimate prize.

Every Mr. Olympia Winner

Larry Scott (1965-1966)

“Golden Boy” Larry Scott competed in the first-ever Mr. Olympia, won, competed in one more, and then retired on top. Compared to the bodybuilders of today, Scott boasted a relatively slender 200-pound physique.

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Though his arm development, even by today’s standards, was extraordinary. Ever hear of the preacher curl? It was, and still sometimes is, called the Scott curl because Larry performed it so often that it became his namesake. To be the first Mr. Olympia and have a biceps exercise named after you? That’s a legacy twofer.

1965, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

1966, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

Sergio Oliva (1967-1969)

The later years of the ’60s belonged to Sergio Oliva, who became known as “The Myth.” Oliva, who also served as a police officer in Chicago, went unopposed in the 1968 contest. (The other competitors withdrew due to other commitments.)

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A young Austrian named Schwarzenegger was Oliva’s only opponent in 1969, though he was bested by the Cuban competitor. He would make a comeback in 1984, placing eighth overall. Sergio, who died in 2012, has a son, Sergio Oliva Jr., also a successful competitive bodybuilder.

1967, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

1968, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

1969, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

Arnold Schwarzenegger (1970-1975, 1980)

Though others were on stage in the 1970 Mr. Olympia, this contest was very much between Schwarzenegger and Oliva. That win over the most dominant champ at that point in time set The Austrian Oak up to win six consecutive Mr. Olympias. Then, he would come back and win more for a then-record seven wins.

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Schwarzenegger’s most notable O is probably the 1975 contest, which was the focus of the 1977 film Pumping Iron — a docudrama that, thanks to Arnold’s charismatic performance, is credited with introducing bodybuilding into the mainstream. Of course, Arnold would go on to be not just a world-famous bodybuilder, but an actor, Governor, and activist.

1970, The Town Hall, New York, NY

1971, Maison de la Mutualité Paris, France

1972, The Handelshof, Essen, West Germany

1973, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

1974, Felt Forum in Madison Square Garden, New York, NY_*_

Over 200 Pounds

Under 200 Pound Winner

1975, Pretoria, South Africa (Building Unknown)

Over 200 Pounds

Under 200 Pound Winner

1980, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

*Starting in 1974, the Olympia introduced the under 200 pounds division. There was still an overall winner for each contest. They would do away with this format in 1980.

Franco Columbu (1976, 1981)

Columbu would finally achieve the top title in bodybuilding in 1976. After the victory, he followed in Schwarzenegger’s footsteps and retired as well. He would also come out of retirement for a one-time return to the stage. Many fans and experts felt his winning in 1981 was even more controversial than Schwarzenegger the previous year.

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Though they were fierce competitors, Columbu and Schwarzenegger were close friends. Tragically, Columbu died in August 2019 at age 78 due to an accident at sea in Italy.

1976, Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH

Over 200 Pounds

Under 200 Pound Winner

1981, Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH

Frank Zane (1977-1979)

Zane’s first Mr. Olympia was symbolic because it would be the first time that the champion received the Eugen Sandown trophy, which has been given to every champion since. Frank Zane would close the ’70s with three straight titles.

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Many consider Zane to be the most aesthetic bodybuilder to compete; he also popularized the vacuum pose. At a competition weight of just under 190 pounds, Zane may just be the lightest man ever to win a Mr. O title.

1977, Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH

Over 200 Pounds

Under 200 Pound Winner

1978, Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH

Over 200 Pounds

Under 200 Pound Winner

1979, Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH

Over 200 Pounds

Under 200 Pound Winner

Chris Dickerson (1982)

Chris Dickerson was the oldest winner of the contest, winning at 43 years old.

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In addition to being a prolific bodybuilder, Dickerson is also a trained opera singer. Dickerson is also the first openly gay Mr. Olympia.

1982, Wembley Conference Centre, London, England

Samir Bannout (1983)

“The Lion of Lebanon” was the sixth man to win the Mr. Olympia in a time that many consider to be one of the most competitive eras in Olympia history.

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Case in point: After his first and only Olympia win, the next Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney, would hold the title for eight — eight! — consecutive years. Bannout is also known for having one of the most defined backs in the sport, ever. Particularly his lower back.

1983, Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany

Lee Haney (1984-1991)

No one knew it at the time (well, maybe Haney did), but Lee Haney would be the last man to win the Olympia for the entire decade of the 80s.

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He won eight consecutive Olympia, breaking Schwarzenegger’s record. To this day, only one man has tied his record — and it has yet to be beaten.

1984, Felt Forum inside Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

1985, Forest National Theatre, Brussels, Belgium

1986, Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH

1987, Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden

1988, Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA

1989, Sala del Congressi, Rimini, Italy

1990, Arie Crown Theater, Chicago, IL

1991, Orlando, FL (Building Unknown)

Dorian Yates (1992-1997)

In 1992, British bodybuilder Dorian Yates — who placed second the year prior — stepped on stage sporting a combination of mass and conditioning that had yet to be seen. He was so lean and so large that his skin looked almost like plastic wrap around the muscle. You could see the fibers of the muscles, which led to a new descriptor in the world of bodybuilding — “grainy.”

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Yates was also known for his high-intensity training style, which saw him lifting the heaviest amount of weight possible for only a handful of reps. He’d perform just six sets per body part, which was very few compared to the two-a-day training styles of bodybuilders of the past like Arnold.

1992, Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland

1993, Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, GA

1994, Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, GA

1995, Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, GA

1996, Arie Crown Theater, Chicago, IL

1997, Terrace Theater, Long Beach, CA

Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005)

Ronnie Coleman’s jump from ninth place in 1997 to first in 1998 was the greatest leap to a title in the history of the Olympia. He shocked bodybuilding fans with his victory in Madison Square Garden. Coleman would tie Haney’s record of eight straight wins before being defeated by Jay Cutler in 2006. [Note: Women’s bodybuilder Iris Kyle has won 10 overall Ms. Olympia titles.]

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Coleman was — and still is — renowned for his size and strength by the end of his run. In 2004, he competed onstage at prejudging at 296 pounds, the heaviest any champion has weighed in competition at the time.

1998, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

1999, Mandalay Bay Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2000, Mandalay Bay Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2001, Mandalay Bay Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2002, Mandalay Bay Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2003, Mandalay Bay Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2004, Mandalay Bay Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2005, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Jay Cutler (2006-07, 2009, 2010)

Cutler would finally defeat Coleman in 2006 after four second-place finishes. He would repeat in 2007 by a narrow margin on the scorecards over Victor Martinez (which was Martinez’s best showing to date). He would then lose the title in a major upset to Dexter Jackson in 2008.

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Cutler would be the first man to regain the title after losing it onstage in 2009. Many consider his appearance that year to be the best he ever looked. He would win the following year again before losing to Heath.

2006, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2007, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2009, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2010, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Dexter Jackson (2008)

Jackson would have the greatest single season in bodybuilding history, becoming the second man to win the Arnold Classic and the Mr. Olympia, in addition to three other shows.

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He upset Cutler to take the title but would lose it back to him in 2009. Fast forward to the present day (2020), and at 51 years old, “The Blade” is not only still competing but a mainstay in the top five.

2008, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Phil Heath (2011-2017)

Heath would become the third man to win the title seven straight times and the fourth man overall to win seven total. (Though, Flex Lewis has won seven straight 212 Olympia titles.) His most dominant win was in 2013 when the judges had him go back in line during prejudging to determine second place.

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Heath would face numerous challenges over the years, including opponents like Kai Greene, Jackson, Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, and Shawn Rhoden — who would defeat him in 2018, after Heath suffered a hernia injury before the competition.

2011, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2012, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2013, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2014, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2015, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2016, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

2017, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Shawn Rhoden (2018)

Rhoden would become the 14th Mr. Olympia in 2018, upsetting seven-time winner Phil Heath in dramatic (and, to many, shocking) fashion.

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However, due to facing charges of sexual assault, he was not permitted to return to competition until the matters were resolved. His victory at this contest is Rhoden’s last onstage appearance; Rhoden passed away in 2021.

2018, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Brandon Curry (2019)

In 2019, Brandon Curry became the third man to win both the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia in the same calendar year.

He is the 15th champion and heads to the 2020 contest to defend that title against former champions Heath and Jackson and two-time Arnold Classic Champion William Bonac, among other contenders.

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2019, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay (2020-2021)

Sitting at over 300 pounds, Mamdouh Elssbiay exploded onto the bodybuilding scene in the early 2010s, making his Mr. Olympia debut in 2013. He placed eighth and slowly progressed over the years, though, he could never seem to nail his package.

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He would come in either too big and soft or too light and flat. In 2017, Big Ramy managed to get second and showed people that he had true Mr. O potential.

2020, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL

After teaming up with IFBB Pro bodybuilding legend Dennis James, Ramy realized his true potential three years later by winning the 2020 Olympia. It was the best he ever looked, and he won against a stacked lineup — including the 2019 champ, Brandon Curry, and seven-time Olympia winner Phil Heath.

Big Ramy would then defend his title against Curry and Hadi Choopan — who sported his best level of conditioning of his career.

2021, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL

Hadi Choopan (2022)

2022 may have been the year of the tiger for Zodiac sign lovers across the globe but in the world of bodybuilding, it was the year of the wolf — “The Persian Wolf” to be precise.

Hadi Choopan of Iran secured his first Mr. Olympia title after a career dating back to at least 2017, according to NPC News. Choopan began in the 212 division, winning the 2018 IFBB Portugal Pro before graduating to the Men’s Open division.

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He made his Olympia debut in 2019, placing third. Then fourth in 2020 and third again in 2021. At 35 years old, the door wasn’t shut for Choopan, but his position wasn’t improving, try after try.

But finally, in 2022, The Persian Wolf’s moment came in a significant division shake-up that saw the returning champ, big Ramy, drop to fifth. Choopan finally seized the moment and will forever be remembered as the 17th man to win the storied contest in 58 years.

2022, Zappos Theater, Las Vegas, NV

Derek Lunsford (2023)

The Mr. Olympia competition officially has a champ-champ. On Nov. 4, 2023, American bodybuilder Derek Lunsford was named the 2023 Mr. O, making him the only man in the sport’s history to capture an Olympia title in two divisions. Just two years earlier, Lunsford celebrated his 212 Olympia win over Shaun “the Giant Killer” Clarida.

Leading up to the 2022 Olympia, rumors began circulating that Lunsford was considering a move to the Men’s Open division. Olympia President and Dan Solomon played into the hype, and then shortly after, Lunsford was officially issued an invite to compete with the big (err, bigger) boys.

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Though he came in second place to “The Persian Wolf”, Hadi Choopan, Lunsford’s second-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia felt like a victory. Fans marveled at Lunsford’s ability to stay so lean at a heavier body weight; he even surpassed 2021 Arnold Classic winner Nick Walker, bookmarking himself as an automatic contender in 2023.

It became clear in prejudging that the final three would consist of Lunsford, Choopan, and Samson Dauda, who won the 2023 Arnold Classic to secure his spot on the stage. All three men brought elite packages to the stage, but only one could wear the proverbial crown. And in the end, the judges chose Lunsford, solidifying him as one of the sport’s finest bodybuilders.

2023, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL

Samson Dauda (2024)

The 2024 Olympia was full of upsets. The ascension of Samson Dauda was a surprise, but a welcome one — the “Nigerian Lion” had received the coveted People’s Choice Award at the “O” just a day prior to becoming 2024’s Mr. Olympia.

Dauda collapsed on stage, howling and in tears, when host Bob Cicherillo finally let his name ring throughout the Resorts World Theater late into the evening of Oct. 12, 2024.

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Dauda’s Olympia trajectory was about as on-the-mark as you could ask for. The Lion first appeared at bodybuilding’s biggest show in 2022; he finished a modest but very respectable sixth.

One year later, Dauda found himself in the bronze medal position behind Hadi Choopan and multi-division history maker Derek Lunsford.

But in 2024, the board shuffled again, and in Dauda’s favor — Choopan again took home second place, while Lunsford found himself bumped back to third.

2024, Resorts World Theater, Las Vegas, NV

Featured Image (left to right): All images sourced from @mrolympiallc on Instagram; photos by Per Bernal and Charles Lowthian.