"Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend
Weider Remembers the Past, Looks Forward to the Future"

By Rob Wilkins,
Special Assistant to the IFBB

THE WEIDER BROTHERS: MEN OF IRON Joe Weider, the "Master Blaster", "Trainer of Champions since 1936", and creator of the Olympia competitions, and his brother Ben Weider, President of the International Federation of Bodbuilding & Fitness (IFBB), together at the 40th anniversary of the Mr. Olympia, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, October 15, 2005.

October 15, 2005 marked the 40th anniversary of the world-renowned Joe Weider’s Mr. Olympia competition and brought back many special and fond memories for IFBB President, Ben Weider. “This weekend is an extraordinary time for me as I reflect on our historic past and with much enthusiasm, look forward to our bright future,” commented Weider.

Since its inception on September 18, 1965 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York, the Weiders visualized the creation of the “ultimate” competition where the top bodybuilding stars in the world would face each other to determine who was the best of the best.

“Joe and I felt the Mr. Olympia competition would create endorsement opportunities for our more popular athletes and provide them with the ability to make a decent living from the sport,” Weider said. “Our plan was for the Mr. Olympia title was to help create international bodybuilding superstars and raise the profile of our sport.”

The first Mr. Olympia was a huge success as hundreds of fans crammed into the theater to witness the crowning of the world’s number one bodybuilder. “There was so much enthusiasm and energy in the crowd we knew right away that the Mr. Olympia competition would be a tremendous success,” Weider said. “The fans were so excited, many of them were still in the theater well past 2:00 am.”

The winner of the inaugural Mr. Olympia was Larry Scott who repeated his win the following year. “Larry was an ideal champion,” commented Weider. “He was hard-working, dedicated, and in addition to having a fantastic physique he was a great role model for our sport.”

In the 40-year history of the competition, only ten men have held the prestigious Mr. Olympia title. The following is a list of these amazing physique legends:

“In 1965, Larry Scott received a crown. In 1966, the prize money for the Mr. Olympia title was $1,000. This year, thanks to the efforts of American Media International (AMI), the IFBB, and our great sponsors, we were able to raise the total prize money for all of the Weekend’s events from $541,000 to $711,000, a staggering increase of 31%,” Weider said. “Next year, our goal is raise the prize money even more and eventually, my desire is to see the total prize money surpass one-million dollars!”

As he toured the Olympia Expo, Weider was enthusiastically greeted and asked to pose for pictures by a large number of bodybuilding fans and former competitors. “In 1965, only in our wildest dreams could we have imaged something like this. It’s incredible that the Mr. Olympia has progressed from a one day, one discipline event into the Olympia Weekend, a three-day, four discipline event. In addition, I’m pleased to see such a great number of companies and fans from so many cultures and countries here to celebrate our incredible sport.”

Next year, Las Vegas will once again be the host site for the Olympia Weekend. “AMI Chairman, David Pecker, IFBB Professional Division Chairman, Jim Manion, and I are committed to ensuring the growth of the Olympia Weekend. With the continued support of our wonderful fans, we are dedicated to making improvements to ensure the Olympia Weekend remains the highlight of the bodybuilding year,” Weider said.

When asked what was the most significant highlight of the 40th anniversary of the Mr. Olympia competition, Weider responded, “That’s easy—having my brother Joe attend this year’s Mr. Olympia is the most rewarding thing to me. Last year, due to a difficult back surgery, Joe could not attend the Olympia Weekend and this bothered him all year. Having him here this year is great as he has seen the enormous growth of the competition expand from nearly one thousand fans in 1965 to nearly seven thousand this year. As I said in my opening speech, I wish everyone could have a brother like Joe.”

Excitement is already mounting for the 2006 Olympia Weekend as Ronnie Coleman looks to break the tie of eight consecutive Mr. Olympia wins with the legendary Lee Haney for all-time Olympia titles.

“Similar to 1965, I am anxiously anticipating the 2006 Mr. Olympia competition,” Weider said. “All the athletes will have their training sights on stopping Ronnie from making history. With all the competitors looking to de-throne the champ, the 2006 Mr. Olympia promises to be the greatest Olympia competition for all times. I’ll be there and hope to see you too.”

CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MR. OLYMPIA Joe Weider, the "Master Blaster", "Trainer of Champions since 1936", and creator of the Olympia competitions, his brother Ben Weider, President of the International Federation of Bodbuilding & Fitness (IFBB), and Eric Weider, General Secretary of the International Federation of Bodbuilding & Fitness (IFBB), pose with Ronnie Coleman after winning his 8th Mr. Olympia title in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, October 15, 2005.

For the most current information related to the IFBB, visit the web site at www.ifbb.com

Rob Wilkins is a Master Sergeant in the US Air Force stationed at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Wilkins is also a Special Assistant to the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) and a recipient of the IFBB Gold Medal. To contact Wilkins, e-mail him at robifbb@yahoo.com