The story of Mister Olympia, the most famous and important competition for professional body builders, begins on September 18, 1965 when Joe Weider organizes and realizes for the first time the event at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn.
On that occasion, Larry Scott, one of the most popular athletes at that time, won. The American champion had already won all the bodybuilding competitions existing at that time, thanks to his superiority in the shape and volume of the arms.
After repeating himself in 1966, Larry Scott decides that the time has come to retire from competitions, while remaining in the environment that had given him so much satisfaction up to that moment.
The 1967 Mister Olympia saw the success of Sergio, the Myth Oliva, a black athlete who showed off an unimaginable physical form until that moment. Its incredible density and definition, associated with an enviable muscle volume, allowed it to repeat itself in 1968, defeating a "fierce competition. But the biggest challenge" awaited it in 1969, when a swashbuckling young man of Austrian origin took to the stage and was destined to pass. to history.
It was Arnold Schwarzenegger, the oak, who despite having the title stolen in 69, won the following year, starting a series of sensational victories.
In 1971, Mister Olympia moved to Paris and saw the young Arnold triumph once again.
Even the next edition remains in European territory, moving however to Essen in Germany, where Schwarzenegger and Oliva give rise to a new exciting challenge. The two athletes are practically equal but Arnold manages to prevail for a handful of votes. The stage presence of the young Schwarzenegger is such that within a few years he became the most acclaimed star of all time in the world of bodybuilding.
The 1973 edition of Mister Olympia marked the return of the competition to American territory, in New York, where Arnold easily won over his Italian friend Franco Columbu and the black Frenchman Serge Nubret.
However, a very important challenge awaited the increasingly popular Austrian champion. The up-and-coming Lou Ferrigno (the memorable performer of the television series "Hulk") was in fact the most imposing bodybuilder ever to take the stage before. Despite his enormous but elegant proportions, the 1974 edition of Mister Olympia once again fell under the Arnold Schwarzenegger sign.
In 1975 the South African city of Pretoria was designated to host the eleventh edition of Mister Olympia. On that occasion Arnold starred in the most important bodybuilding film ever made. The film, called "Pumping Iron" was spread all over the world and still remains a cornerstone of the sport.
At the end of the race won for the umpteenth time by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the rumors that had been circulating in the environment for a year already found confirmation: the German champion retired from competitions to seek new triumphs in the world of entertainment.
Mister Olympia 1976 moved to Columbus, Ohio, where the little athlete of Sardinian origins, Franco Columbu, won the title for the first time, despite his small stature which until then had heavily penalized him in direct confrontation with the 185 cm of the friend Arnold.
Paying for the victory, Franco also decides that the time has come to retire, giving way to a fierce Frank Zane who prevails in the three subsequent editions. Franke revolutionizes the evaluation canons used up to then, presenting lower muscle volumes than other athletes but incredibly proportionate and defined.
Zane seems unbeatable but in 1980 one of the most talked about editions of all time awaits him, marked by the return to competition of the great Arnold. The oak amazes everyone by surprisingly appearing on the stage in Sidney in Australia and bringing home his seventh Mister Olympia.
The following year, after having definitively retired from competitions, Arnold was emulated by his longtime companion Franco Columbo who won in front of Chris Dickerson, winner of the 1982 edition.
In 1983, after Dickerson's retirement, Mister Olympia moves back to Germany, to Munich, where "the lion of Lebanon", Samir Bannout, wins. The physical form of the new Mister Olympia is enviable but contrasted by that of a young American, Lee Haney, who, after the third place of that year, wins in New York in 1984.
The popularity of body building in the United States is continually increasing, also driven by Arnold Schwarzenegger's early television hits. The physical preparation of the athletes has also increased dramatically and finds its maximum expression in Lee Haney's almost 110 kg.
Lee Haney also imposes himself in the editions of "85," 86, "87," 88, "89," 90 and "91, beating the previous record of seven victories held by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 1989 edition is worth noting in recent years. which took place, for the first and only time, in Italy on the Adriatic coast. Starting this year Lee Haney finds bread for his teeth, thanks to the perfect proportions of Lee Labrada and the great Shawn Ray. In 1991 his victory is seriously endangered by an Englishman named Dorian Yates, nicknamed "The Beast" , the beast.
In 1992 Mister Olimpya moved to Helsinki in Finland, where Dorian's muscle masses are imposed on the lower but incredibly defined ones of Kevin, M3, Levrone. Meanwhile, retired Lee Haney watches his successors from the stage.
Yates was crowned absolute ruler of bodybuilding in the next edition, where nothing could do the perfect proportions of Ken "Flex" Wheeler and Shawn Ray.
The following year was particularly hard for the English champion, who had to put in "blood and guts" (as his famous video Blood and Guts states), to recover from an incredible series of injuries and win the title for the third time in a row. Mister Olympia.
1995 is the year of the definitive consecration for Dorian, who appears on stage more pumped up and defined than ever. Behind him a perfect Kevin Levrone confirms himself as the protagonist of the professional circuit, leaving behind an emerging Nasser El Sonbaty and an always brilliant Shawn Ray Mister Olympia 1996 also ends under the sign of Dorian who in Chicago precedes the trio made up of the eternal seconds: Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone and Flex Wheeler.
After finishing second in the Arnold Classic in March 1997, Nasser El Sonbaty is preparing to do battle at the edition of Mr. Olympia to be held in September in Long Beach, California. Dorian suffers but returns home winner and with a check for 110,000 dollars.
Someone thinks that Nasser is better and already imagines the next confrontation, but Dorian announces his retirement due to a muscle tear in the triceps that hit him during the preparation of the "Olympia" 97.
98 is the year of the multiple champion Ronnie Coleman who prevails in front of an hyper-defined and symmetrical Flex Wheeler. In 99 the challenge is repeated and Coleman is the winner. The thighs and back of the American Champion are exceptional and nothing can do a Flex Wheeler more voluminous and defined than ever. Coleman's victory, undoubtedly deserved, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of all those who wish to give body building a more "human" image, rewarding muscular athletes but with a physique of classic proportions. In fact, Coleman belongs to the category of freaks (monsters): athletes who have incredibly developed muscle masses, so much so as to make people who do not usually follow body building "frighten".
The rest is recent history, Ronnie Coleman continues to win uncontested until 2006, when the one who already in 2001 had seriously opposed the dominance of the Texan champion. On the Las Vegas stage Coleman presents his usual, extraordinary, muscle development but it is less dense and defined than in years past. Jay Cutler, on the other hand, is at the top of his form and thus passes from eternal second to the new Mister Olympia 2006.
In the 2007 edition, the task of countering the dominance of the new Mister Olympia falls to Victor Martinez, already winner of the prestigious Arnold Classic in the spring. Cutler resists and confirms himself as the best, behind him, in the order: Martinez, Jackson and Coleman who with this 4th place, at the age of 43, decides to end his extraordinary career.
September 27, 2008: Dexter Jackson, after excelling at the Arnold Classic in March, wins his first Sandow, leaving behind the outgoing Mister Olympia Jay Cutler.
A year later perhaps the best Jay Cutler ever regained the title of Mister Olympia by force, leaving behind the frightening muscular developments of an excellent Branch Warren, who got the better of a single point on defending champion Dexter Jackson. In 2010 Jay Cutler confirmed himself by leaving behind the rising star of body building, Phil Heath, nicknamed the gift to underline the "genetic gift" he had from God as regards the physical characteristics necessary to excel in this sport. young American athlete to conquer the coveted trophy in 2011, repeating himself in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Highlight of the 2012 edition of Mister Olympia
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Mister Olympia: the winners
Mister Olympia 1965 - 1966 Larry Scott
Mister Olympia 1967 - 1969 Sergio Oliva
Mister Olympia 1970 - 1975 Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mister Olympia 1976 - Franco Columbo
Mister Olympia 1977 - 1979 Frank Zane
Mister Olympia 1980 - Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mister Olympia 1981 - Franco Columbo
Mister Olympia 1982 - Chris Dickerson
Mister Olympia 1983 - Samir Bannout
Mister Olympia 1984 - 1991 Lee Haney
Mister Olympia 1992 - 1997 Dorian Yates
Mister Olympia 1998 - 2005 Ronnie Coleman
Mister Olympia 2006 - 2007 Jay Cutler
Mister Olympia 2008 - Dexter Jackson
Mister Olympia 2009 - 2010 Jay Cutler
Mister Olympia 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 Phil Heath
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