There have been only a few bodybuilders around the world who got the fame and recognition of being Mr. Olympia. For context, it’s the world championship in the sport of bodybuilding and the contest takes place annually. In this post, we’re going to take a look at all the Mr. Olympia winners till 2023.
First established in 1965, the coveted competition takes place every year and it is organized by the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB). The bodybuilder with the best and the most chiseled physique is declared the winner and is awarded the prestigious Eugen Sandow trophy.
Contents
- 1 The Complete List of Every Single Mr. Olympia Winner:
- 1.1 1. Larry Scott (1965 – 1966):
- 1.2 2. Sergio Oliva (1967 – 1969):
- 1.3 3. Arnold Schwarzenegger (1970 – 1975, 1980):
- 1.4 4. Franco Columbu (1976, 1981):
- 1.5 5. Frank Zane (1977 – 1979):
- 1.6 6. Chris Dickerson (1982):
- 1.7 7. Samir Bannout (1983):
- 1.8 8. Lee Haney (1984 – 1991):
- 1.9 9. Dorian Yates (1992 – 1997):
- 1.10 10. Ronnie Coleman (1998 – 2005):
- 1.11 11. Jay Cutler (2006 – 2007, 2009-2010):
- 1.12 12. Dexter Jackson (2008):
- 1.13 14. Shawn Rhoden (2018):
- 1.14 15. Brandon Curry (2019):
- 1.15 16. Mamdouh Elssbiay (2020 -2021):
- 1.16 17. Hadi Choopan (2022):
- 2 18. Derek Lunsford (2023):
- 3 All Mr. Olympia Winners & Runner-Ups by Year:
- 4 Final Thoughts:
- 5 Frequently Asked Questions:
The Complete List of Every Single Mr. Olympia Winner:
There have been 18 Mr. Olympia winners in the almost sixty years of history of the competition. You might be aware of some of the expected names which include legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Phil Heath, and Lee Haney. However, there are more winners and you must know about them.
Every man who won the prestigious title left a lasting mark on the sport and got their name written in the history of bodybuilding with golden words. Let’s move further and learn about all the Mr. Olympia winners from 1965 to 2023. As a bonus, we’ll also see who are the potential contenders in 2024.
1. Larry Scott (1965 – 1966):
- Nickname: “The Legend” or “The Golden Boy”
- Birthdate: October 12, 1938
- Birthplace: Blackfoot, Idaho, USA
- Height: 5’7″ (170 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 205 lbs (93 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1965, 1966
2. Sergio Oliva (1967 – 1969):
- Nickname: “The Myth”
- Birthdate: July 4, 1941
- Birthplace: Guanabacoa, Havana, Cuba
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 240 lbs (109 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1967, 1968, 1969
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger (1970 – 1975, 1980):
- Nickname: “The Austrian Oak,” “Arnie,” and “Governator”
- Birthdate: July 30, 1947
- Birthplace: Thal, Styria, Austria
- Height: 6’2″ (188 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 235 lbs (107 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980
4. Franco Columbu (1976, 1981):
- Nickname: “The Sardinian Strongman”
- Birthdate: August 7, 1941
- Birthplace: Ollolai, Sardinia, Italy
- Height: 5’5″ (165 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 185 lbs (84 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1976, 1981
5. Frank Zane (1977 – 1979):
- Nickname: “The Chemist”
- Birthdate: June 28, 1942
- Birthplace: Kingston, Pennsylvania, USA
- Height: 5’9″ (175 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 185 lbs (84 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1977, 1978, 1979
6. Chris Dickerson (1982):
- Nickname: “The Golden Eagle”
- Birthdate: August 25, 1939
- Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, USA
- Height: 5’6″ (168 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 190 lbs (86 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1982
7. Samir Bannout (1983):
- Nickname: “The Lion of Lebanon”
- Birthdate: November 7, 1955
- Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
- Height: 5’7″ (170 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 210 lbs (95 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1983
8. Lee Haney (1984 – 1991):
- Nickname: Total-Lee Awesome
- Birthdate: November 11, 1959
- Birthplace: Fairburn, Georgia, USA
- Height: 6’0″ (183 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 250 lbs (113 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
9. Dorian Yates (1992 – 1997):
- Nickname: “The Shadow”
- Birthdate: April 19, 1962
- Birthplace: Walmley, Sutton Coldfield, England
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 260 lbs (118 kg)
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
10. Ronnie Coleman (1998 – 2005):
- Nickname: “Big Ron” or “The King”
- Birthdate: May 13, 1964
- Birthplace: Bastrop, Louisiana, USA
- Height: 6’2″ (188 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 300 lbs (136 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
11. Jay Cutler (2006 – 2007, 2009-2010):
- Nickname: “Jay”
- Birthdate: August 3, 1973
- Birthplace: Sterling, Massachusetts, USA
- Height: 5’9″ (175 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 275 lbs (125 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
12. Dexter Jackson (2008):
- Nickname: “The Blade”
- Birthdate: November 25, 1969
- Birthplace: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- Height: 5’6″ (168 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 240 lbs (109 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2008
13. Phil Heath (2011 – 2017):
- Nickname: “The Gift”
- Birthdate: December 18, 1979
- Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
- Height: 5’9″ (175 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 250 lbs (113 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
14. Shawn Rhoden (2018):
- Nickname: “Flexatron”
- Birthdate: April 2, 1975
- Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 250 lbs (113 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2018
15. Brandon Curry (2019):
- Nickname: “The Prodigy”
- Birthdate: October 19, 1982
- Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Height: 5’8″ (173 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 260 lbs (118 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2019
16. Mamdouh Elssbiay (2020 -2021):
- Nickname: “Big Ramy”
- Birthdate: September 16, 1984
- Birthplace: Baltim, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
- Height: Approximately 5’10” (178 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 290-310 lbs (131-141 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2020, 2021
17. Hadi Choopan (2022):
- Nickname: “The Persian Wolf”
- Birthdate: September 20, 1988
- Birthplace: Dezful, Khuzestan, Iran
- Height: Approximately 5’6″ (168 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 230-240 lbs (104-109 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2022
18. Derek Lunsford (2023):
:
- Nickname: N/A
- Birthdate: May 14, 1993
- Birthplace: Illinois, USA
- Height: Approximately 5’7″ (170 cm)
- Competition Weight: Around 225-230 lbs (102-104 kg) during his prime
- Mr. Olympia Titles: 2023
All Mr. Olympia Winners & Runner-Ups by Year:
Here’s an overview of all Mr. Olympia events till 2023, their winners, runner-ups, and second runner-ups:
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third Place | Venue |
| 1965 | Larry Scott | Harold Poole | Earl Maynard | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| 1966 | Larry Scott | Harold Poole | Earl Maynard | New York, New York, USA |
| 1967 | Sergio Oliva | Chuck Sipes | Harold Poole | New York, New York, USA |
| 1968 | Sergio Oliva | Harold Poole | Chuck Sipes | New York, New York, USA |
| 1969 | Sergio Oliva | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Dave Draper | New York, New York, USA |
| 1970 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Sergio Oliva | Reg Lewis | New York, New York, USA |
| 1971 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Serge Nubret | Sergio Oliva | Paris, France |
| 1972 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Serge Nubret | Sergio Oliva | Essen, Germany |
| 1973 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Serge Nubret | Lou Ferrigno | New York, New York, USA |
| 1974 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Lou Ferrigno | Serge Nubret | New York, New York, USA |
| 1975 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Serge Nubret | Lou Ferrigno | Pretoria, South Africa |
| 1976 | Franco Columbu | Frank Zane | Ken Waller | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 1977 | Frank Zane | Robby Robinson | Franco Columbu | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 1978 | Frank Zane | Robby Robinson | Ed Corney | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 1979 | Frank Zane | Mike Mentzer | Boyer Coe | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 1980 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Chris Dickerson | Frank Zane | Sydney, Australia |
| 1981 | Franco Columbu | Chris Dickerson | Tom Platz | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 1982 | Chris Dickerson | Samir Bannout | Mohamed Makkawy | London, England |
| 1983 | Samir Bannout | Mohamed Makkawy | Lee Haney | Munich, Germany |
| 1984 | Lee Haney | Mohamed Makkawy | Jusup Wilkosz | New York, New York, USA |
| 1985 | Lee Haney | Albert Beckles | Rich Gaspari | Brussels, Belgium |
| 1986 | Lee Haney | Rich Gaspari | Mike Christian | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 1987 | Lee Haney | Rich Gaspari | Andreas Munzer | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| 1988 | Lee Haney | Rich Gaspari | Berry de Mey | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| 1989 | Lee Haney | Lee Labrada | Vince Taylor | Rimini, Italy |
| 1990 | Lee Haney | Shawn Ray | Muhammad Benaziza | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| 1991 | Lee Haney | Dorian Yates | Shawn Ray | Orlando, Florida, USA |
| 1992 | Dorian Yates | Kevin Levrone | Shawn Ray | Helsinki, Finland |
| 1993 | Dorian Yates | Flex Wheeler | Shawn Ray | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| 1994 | Dorian Yates | Shawn Ray | Kevin Levrone | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| 1995 | Dorian Yates | Kevin Levrone | Shawn Ray | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| 1996 | Dorian Yates | Kevin Levrone | Shawn Ray | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| 1997 | Dorian Yates | Nasser El Sonbaty | Shawn Ray | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| 1998 | Ronnie Coleman | Flex Wheeler | Nasser El Sonbaty | New York, New York, USA |
| 1999 | Ronnie Coleman | Flex Wheeler | Chris Cormier | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2000 | Ronnie Coleman | Kevin Levrone | Shawn Ray | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2001 | Ronnie Coleman | Jay Cutler | Dexter Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2002 | Ronnie Coleman | Kevin Levrone | Chris Cormier | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2003 | Ronnie Coleman | Jay Cutler | Dexter Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2004 | Ronnie Coleman | Jay Cutler | Gustavo Badell | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2005 | Ronnie Coleman | Jay Cutler | Gustavo Badell | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2006 | Jay Cutler | Ronnie Coleman | Dexter Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2007 | Jay Cutler | Victor Martinez | Dexter Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2008 | Dexter Jackson | Jay Cutler | Phil Heath | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2009 | Jay Cutler | Branch Warren | Dexter Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2010 | Jay Cutler | Phil Heath | Branch Warren | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2011 | Phil Heath | Jay Cutler | Kai Greene | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2012 | Phil Heath | Kai Greene | Shawn Rhoden | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2013 | Phil Heath | Kai Greene | Dennis Wolf | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2014 | Phil Heath | Kai Greene | Shawn Rhoden | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2015 | Phil Heath | Dexter Jackson | Shawn Rhoden | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2016 | Phil Heath | Shawn Rhoden | Dexter Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2017 | Phil Heath | Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy) | William Bonac | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2018 | Shawn Rhoden | Phil Heath | Roelly Winklaar | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2019 | Brandon Curry | William Bonac | Hadi Choopan | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2020 | Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy) | Brandon Curry | Phil Heath | Orlando, Florida, USA |
| 2021 | Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy) | Brandon Curry | Hadi Choopan | Orlando, Florida, USA |
| 2022 | Hadi Choopan | Derek Lunsford | Nick Walker | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| 2023 | Derek Lunsford | Hadi Choopan | Samson Dauda | Orlando, Florida, USA |
Final Thoughts:
These are all the Mr. Olympia winners till 2023. The next event is scheduled to take place in October 2024 and we already have four qualified participants in the defending champion Derek Lunsford, former champion Hadi Choopan, Samson Dauda, and Theo Leguerrier as the top contenders for the highly coveted prize.
We can’t wait who’s going to be the next person to lift that prestigious Eugene Sandow trophy and cement their legacy in the history of bodybuilding. Until then, you can check out other guides on our website related to this beautiful and aesthetic sport. Let us know if you’d like a similar post about Ms. Olympia winners here.
That’s it for this guide. Feel free to share your thoughts and queries in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are the most frequently asked questions about Mr. Olympia winners:
Who was the first-ever Mr. Olympia winner?:
American bodybuilder Larry Scott, also known as the “Golden Boy” and “The Legend” was the first ever Mr. Olympia winner when he won the title in 1965. He also became the second man to win the prestigious title by successfully defending his crown a year later.
Who has won the most Mr. Olympia?:
Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman jointly hold the record for most Mr. Olympia wins with eight titles to their names. Haney won the coveted prize from 1984 to 1991 and Coleman won the trophy from 1998 to 2005. The second place for most Mr. Olympia victories is combinedly held by the legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Heath who have both won the trophy seven times.
Who is Mr. Olympia’s 2023 winner?:
American bodybuilder Derek Lunsford won the 2023 Mr. Olympia title and bagged the prize money worth $400,000. Iranian star and defending champion Hadi Choopan was placed second while Nigerian bodybuilder Samson Dauda claimed the third position.
Who won Mr. Olympia Classic Physique 2023?:
Canadian bodybuilder Chris Bumstead, popularly known as CBum, won the 2023 Mr. Olympia Classic Physique competition and took home the prize money of $50,000. The IFBB professional bodybuilder has won the title five years in a row now, from 2019 to 2023.
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