Over the course of 61 editions of the Olympia, the most renowned world bodybuilding championship that has taken place annually since 1965, 19 athletes have reached the top of the world and received the title of Mister Olympia – an honor exclusive to those who win the championship in the Open category.
During this period, several names did not win Olympia, but they won over the fans and staged unforgettable clashes. According to several experts in the field, some of these athletes could win the tournament if they competed today.
Therefore, the Muscle column decided to list five of the greatest Open bodybuilders in history who never managed to win a Sandow – a trophy that only the champions of the super-heavyweight division receive. The honor pays homage to Eugen Sandow, a Briton who is considered the founder of bodybuilding and the main disseminator of the history of bodybuilding.
Kevin Levrone
Kevin Levrone turned professional in 1991 and, the following year, came second in the Olympia, losing only to Dorian Yates. In addition to 1992, the North American bodybuilder was runner-up in the most important tournament on the planet on three other occasions: 1995, 2000 and 2002. Recognized to this day as one of the best of his generation, the athlete was also champion of the Ohio edition of the Arnold Sports Festival, the Arnold Classic Ohio, in 1994 and 1996.
Flex Wheeler
A contemporary of the first name on this list, Flex Wheeler had, for many, the closest physique to perfection of all time. Nicknamed the “sultan of symmetry”, he won a title at the Arnold Classic Ohio and a second place at the Olympia in his first year as a professional bodybuilder, 1993. After that, he won the Arnold Schwarzenegger tournament three more times – 1997, 1998 and 2000 – and finished runner-up at the Olympia in two other editions – 1998 and 1999.
Shawn Ray
Shawn Ray had, between the late 80s and early 2000s, one of the most complete sets bodybuilding has ever seen. Nicknamed the “Giant Killer” because of his short stature, the athlete won the Arnold Classic Ohio in 1991 and hit the beam at the Olympia title in 1994 and 1996. One of his greatest achievements was being within the top5 of the competition for 12 years in a row, which happened between the 1990 and 2001 editions.
Nasser El Sonbaty
Also called “professor”, Nasser El Sonbaty was an Egyptian bodybuilder and won the Arnold Classic Ohio in 1999. Possibly his most memorable version was the one presented at the 1997 Olympia, when he finished runner-up under protests. That year, Dorian Yates won his sixth and last title in the most important bodybuilding competition in the world, but many wanted Sandow to have gone with the African athlete.
Kai Greene
Kai Greene was Phil Heath’s biggest career opponent. Champion of the Arnold Classic Ohio in 2009, 2010 and 2016, he was runner-up at the Olympia three times in a row between 2012 and 2014. The bodybuilder caught the public’s attention with his extravagant choreographies on stage and shook up the scene with his barely restrained words in interviews.
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