Flex_USA_JulyAugust_2017_2

Lee Haney
reacts in 1984
to winning his
first of eight
Olympias.
Oliva and the other is Arnold
Schwarzenegger. They dueled in
three epic Olympias. These were
the first two. The 1969 contest
was close, as a greatly improved
Arnold nearly erased the Myth.
The next year, when Sergio was
smooth, Arnold, at only age 23,
launched his six-year dynasty.
4
1994 DY RC SB
Because the lineups were so
stacked in the ’90s, almost any of
Yates’ sextet of wins could have
made our top five. Even though
Flex Wheeler, the previous year’s
runner-up, was absent, we went
with ’94 because this Atlanta show
served up a three-way race. Yates
was off, while Shawn Ray (second)
was at his all-time best, and Kevin
Levrone (third) wasn’t far from
his, spawning an enduring debate
about which of the divergent body
types deserved the Sandow.
13 & 12
1974 5 AS FC FZ & 1975 8 AS FC FZ
The end of the first golden era.
Arnold easily won his final two O’s
(before his ’80 comeback). Both
years he defeated heavyweights
Serge Nubret and Lou Ferrigno and
then lightweight victor Franco
Columbu. The 1975 contest, held in
South Africa, was chronicled in
Pumping Iron.
11
1992 DY SB RC
A new dynasty began in Helsinki as
Yates won his first O over superb
rookie Kevin Levrone. Another
neophyte, Ronnie Coleman, quietly
missed the top 15. Returning after a
17-year absence, Lou Ferrigno
finished 12th.
10 & 9 & 8
2012 PH DJ & 2013 PH DJ JC
& 2014 PH DJ
Phil vs. Kai years. Though Heath
won with straight firsts in all
three, many fans favored Greene.
The rivalry presented a stark
contrast in body types and
personalities and became so
contentious that even the preshow
press conferences were must-see,
and in the final contest, the two
nearly threw fists. The 2013 O is
also notable for the return of Cutler
(sixth) and the debut of gargantuan
Mamdouh Elssbiay.
7
1984 LH SB SO CD
Here comes the Haney dynasty.
The 24-year-old champ was at his
crisp best this year as he romped
to an easy victory over 160-pound
Mohamed Makkawy (second) and
defending champ Samir Bannout
(sixth) in front of a raucous New
York City audience. Making his
highly anticipated Olympia return
after 12 years away was 43-yearold
Sergio Oliva (eighth).
6 & 5
1969 2 SO AS & 1970 3 AS SO
Sometimes you need only two
competitors—if one is Sergio
3
2006 JC RC DJ
It finally happened, bodybuilding’s
earthquake. No defending champ
had lost since 1984. But this year in
Vegas, eight-time victor Ronnie
Coleman was bested by the man
who had nearly done so in 2001 but
had instead finished second to him
in four frustrating O’s. When Jay
Cutler was announced the winner,
the entire Orleans Arena audience
leaped to its feet with a deafening
roar. Unforgettable.
FROM LEFT: ZELLER/© FITNESS PUBLICATIONS INC./COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH & FITNESS;
KEVIN HORTON; COURTESY OF WEIDER HEALTH & FITNESS; CHRIS LUND
124 FLEX | JULY/AUG ’17