What happened when Arnold Schwarzenegger competed in Mr. Olympia in 1980?

Fitness enthusiasts around the world are familiar with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was one of the most prolific bodybuilders of the 1970s. Aside from bodybuilding, he is popular because of his foray into the world of cinema and politics.

When it comes to men’s bodybuilding contests, Mr. Olympia is one of the most sought-after titles. Schwarzenegger is one of the three bodybuilders who won the title a whooping seven times.

Schwarzenegger first took part in the Mr. Olympia contest in 1969, but lost to Sergio Oliva. He returned the following year and won the title at the age of 23, becoming the youngest bodybuilder to become Mr. Olympia. Between 1971 and 1975, he won the competition five more times, thereby securing a six-time winning streak.

Controversy surrounding Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1980 Mr. Olympia win

The Terminator actor’s reverence in the bodybuilding world arguably diminished when he took part in the contest unexpectedly in 1980. The ‘Austrian Oak’ was heavily criticized for his decision to compete and was even accused of trying to steal the spotlight away from emerging bodybuilders.

By the time Schwarzenegger took to competing in the 1980 Mr. Olympia contest, he was already a movie star. He starred in films like Stay Hungry and Pumping Iron that were released in 1976 and 1977, respectively.

His participation was frowned upon as he was supposed to host the Mr. Olympia contest for CBS and had even traveled to Australia for that purpose. However, a day before the contest, he announced his participation, surprising and enraging the contestants.

Robert Nailon, a former bodybuilder and photographer, commented:

“Nobody knew that Arnold was competing in 1980 until the last minute. He was supposed to be MC at the show and then at the last minute said he was going to compete which caused an outrage with all of the other contestants. I was backstage while all of the contestants were pumping up at the pre judging – it was obvious Arnold wasn’t in top shape but still looked great anyway.”

Even though Arnold was not at the top of his prime, he won the competition, taking his total tally to seven. He was followed by Chris Dickerson and Frank Zane, who became the first and second runners-up, respectively.

Zane was one of the top contenders for the 1980’s Mr. Olympia contest, having won the competition back-to-back from 1977 to 1979. Sadly, he suffered an injury to his urethra a few weeks before the competition, thereby giving him less time to get back on track.

When Zane was announced as the second-runner up, he went backstage and threw his trophy against the wall, breaking it into pieces. He along with Boyer Coe withdrew from smaller competitions after the contest, and Mike Mentzer announced his retirement from bodybuilding.

After Schwarzenegger was announced as the winner, when people did not expect him to secure one of the top five positions, about 40% of the audience boo-ed him. Many believed that Dickerson was robbed of the Mr. Olympia title, alleging that the competition was rigged in favor of the ‘Austrian Oak’.