All Mr. Olympia Winners Since 1965
As the ever-popular Mr. Olympia competition has entered into its’ 58th year, we want to look back at where things began and who has all won this special title.
The rare accomplishment of winning the Mr. Olympia trophy is amplified by the fact, that only 16 men have ever done so. Listed below are all of the Mr. Olympia contestants to be crowned champion, since the inaugural year in 1965.
Let’s take a look.
1. Larry Scott (1965-1966)
Larry Scott was an American bodybuilder and the first to be crowned Mr. Olympia champion. Larry would go on to defend his title the very next year, before subsequently retiring.
This marked the official start of the Mr. Olympia contest era, in which notable bodybuilders would go on to see great success.
2. Sergio Oliva (1967-1969)
Known as “The Myth”, Sergio Oliva burst onto the scenes from Cuba to take over the new spot as Mr. Olympia champion with his mind-blowing combination of mass, symmetry and round muscle bellies in 1967.
Sergio was defeating some of the most iconic individuals in bodybuilding, including a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, when the latter made his Olympia debut.
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger (1970-1975, 1980)
Considered the greatest and most iconic bodybuilder of all time, Arnold officially took over as the new Mr. Olympia champion in 1970. ‘The Austrian Oak’ went on to win an outstanding 7 titles during his glorified bodybuilding career.
4. Franco Columbu (1976, 1981)
As best friend and long-time training partner of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Columbu defeated a heavily competitive class in both 1976 and 1981 to solidify his tremendous bodybuilding career.
Columbu, originally hailing from Sardinia, was well known to have one of the most impressive chest and back, paired with an incredible amount of physical strength.
5. Frank Zane (1977-1979)
With Frank Zane the era of symmetry, aesthetics and conditioning started in bodybuilding. Frank won 3 Olympia titles in a row by looking like a perfect sculpture onstage.
The dynamics changed from mass to class, with Zane literally redefining bodybuilding.
6. Chris Dickerson (1982)
Chris continued the trend of conditioning, shape and aesthetics. Powered by an outstanding back, fantastic calves and elegant posing, Chris – already in his early 40ies - finally won the Olympia title on his 4th attempt.
7. Samir Bannout (1983)
Known as ‘The Lion of Lebanon’, Samir hit physical perfection in 1983. He brought an unbeatable combination of muscle fullness, hardness, conditioning and symmetry on stage. When he posed, every muscle popped. His back development appeared to be from another galaxy, with a ‘Christmas tree’ no one ever surpassed.
8. Lee Haney (1984-1991)
Haney simply blew the competition away every year with his never before seen combination of size and symmetry. He went on to become an 8-time Mr. Olympia champion. His mass with class package dominated bodybuilding for almost a full decade.
9. Dorian Yates (1992-1997)
With Yates a new standard of size was set for the Olympia. Dorian would consistently bring an eye-popping amount of muscle mass on stage. At his second Olympia win, he may have presented the single best combo of massive size paired with dry and full muscle conditioning this sport has ever seen.
Dorian Yates would go on to win 6 straight Olympia titles, before he was forced into retirement due to training injuries.
10. Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005)
Ronnie Coleman continued the trend of freakish muscle size paired with extreme conditioning. He is well known for his intense training style, as depicted in many small documentaries during his powerhouse journey that led to 8 consecutive Mr. O titles.
11. Jay Cutler (2006-2007, 2009-2010)
Fellow rival of Ronnie Coleman for many years, Jay Cutler was finally able to defeat Ronny and end his reign in 2006.
Cutler would go on to win 4 Mr. Olympia titles, powdered by his immense muscle thickness and freakish leg development.
12. Dexter Jackson (2008)
Dexter Jackson snatched the Olympia crown away from Jay Cutler in 2008. ‘The Blade’ as he is known, brought back the classic bodybuilding criteria of symmetry, conditioning, beautiful lines coupled with just the right amount of muscle size.
13. Phil Heath (2011-2017)
Phil Heath was able to take down Jay Cutler during his prime, and held the top spot for 7 straight years. Nicknamed ‘The Gift’, Heath has extremely full and round muscle bellies supported by great conditioning. His physique really came to life upon flexing, with superior muscle detail and quality popping everywhere.
14. Shawn Rhoden (2018)
Shawn Rhoden was the oldest bodybuilder to have ever won the Mr. Olympia title. At the age of 43, he was able to defeat the defending 7-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. Shawn brought an almost flawless combination of size and conditioning with beautiful proportions to the Olympia stage that year.
Unfortunately, Shawn was never able to compete again after his win. In 2021, Shawn Rhoden passed away at the age of 46.
15. Brandon Curry (2019)
Brandon surprised the bodybuilding world by winning the Mr. Olympia after having competed as a pro for almost a decade. With a solid combination of symmetry, conditioning and muscle fullness, accentuated by his small waist and narrow hips, he deservingly secured the title in 2019.
16. Mamdouh Elssbiay (2020 – 2021)
Mamdouh Elssbiay, better known as Big Ramy, is an Egyptian IFBB professional bodybuilder. He is the reigning Mr. Olympia champion. Big Ramy’s trademarks are his incredible muscle mass and humongous quads.
He finally achieved the needed muscle hardness and conditioning to match his unbelievable size. With this unbeatable combination, Big Ramy dominated the stage and was declared the clear winner. He will defend his title in Las Vegas during the Olympia weekend December 15 – 18, 2022.
