Every Winner of the Classic Physique Olympia

People love a vintage comeback. It’s 2022 at the time this article was written; dad jeans and bucket hats are back in vogue. Resurgences of trends extend beyond fashion. In bodybuilding, the Classic Physique division, which debuted in 2016, was established to promote bodies that harken back to the Golden Era of bodybuilding from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Classic Physique competitors have a weight division tied to their height. This weight cap is meant to limit extreme muscularity, which rose to be the standard starting in the 90s. The posing routines are typically more fluid and artful, and athletes are allowed to hit what’s called a “classic pose.”

Today’s athletes that compete in the division are as popular as any competitor in the entire IFBB Pro League. In 2022, first place at the Classic Physique Olympia earned $50,000, up $20,000 from the year before. 

Below, you’ll find a list of the contest’s winners and contextual information for each contest. The Classic Physique Olympia is entering its seventh year, so it’s a short list — but one that will surely grow over time as its legacy is constructed. 

The inaugural Classic Physique Olympia was held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV as a part of the 2016 Olympia Weekend. Fans were intrigued by what this new contest would look like and how the physiques would be judged.

A post shared by 1st Classic Mr. Olympia (@dannyhester)

The field turned out to be a combination of older Men’s Open competitors, Men’s Physique athletes that wanted to move up to the new division, and some upstart athletes.

One name that many fans recognized was Danny Hester, who had been a renowned model for many years. At 47 years old, he entered the lineup and would leave as the first Olympia champion in the new division. Arash Rahbar would finish as the runner-up, and 2015 Arnold Classic Men’s Physique winner Sadik Hadzovic rounded out the top three.

2017 was a monumental year for the Classic Physique Olympia. Athletes like Chris Bumstead, the late George Peterson, and Terrence Ruffin all made their Olympia debuts at this contest. The main spotlights were on defending champion Danny Hester and the legendary Flex Wheeler, who came out of retirement for one night only to compete in this show.

A post shared by Breon Ansley (@breonma_)

However, the man everyone talked about at the end of the weekend was Breon Ansley, who came in superb condition and left with the title. Bumstead shocked everyone in attendance at Las Vegas by taking the runner-up position. Peterson and Rahbar came in third and fourth, respectively. Hester would place fifth.

Going into the 2018 contest, the matchup that was talked about the most was Ansley and Bumstead. By this point, “C-Bum” had built a large following, and they wanted to see the Canadian upstart crowned champion.

However, Ansley wasn’t ready to give up the title just yet, and while Bumstead improved from his 2017 showing, Ansley was still better and good enough to take his second straight victory in Las Vegas. Peterson took third for the second consecutive year.

The 2019 contest was considered a three-person contest. Ansley wanted to win his third in a row, and Peterson was also considered a favorite by winning the Arnold Classic Physique title. However, Bumstead dominated the stage by presenting a bigger and more defined physique. He also was sporting a mustache for the first time, which his fans appreciated.

A post shared by Chris Bumstead (@cbum)

It’s hard to tell if Bumstead’s new mustache made a difference in the eyes of the judges, but C-Bum’s improved posing and confidence certainly did.

Ansley finished in the two spot, and Peterson left Las Vegas with a bronze medal for the third straight time. He would compete in the 212 division in 2020, and he passed away at the age of 37 before the 2021 Olympia.

The Olympia moved to Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the contest was delayed from September to December. While the season was disrupted and the pandemic affected the lives of everyone in the sport, there was one benefit for Bumstead — he had more time to prepare.

The result was a drastic transformation, most notably in his back and arms, that made the 2020 Olympia a no-contest affair for him. The shocker of the contest came during prejudging when Ansley was trying to get physical with the champion. As a result, the judges switched Ansley and Ruffin in the comparison.

The judges liked what they saw after the switch, and Ruffin bumped Ansley out of the runner-up spot. Ansley took third place in the end, and 2020 Arnold Classic Physique winner Alex Cambronero finished fourth.

The Olympia returned to Orlando, but it was held in October, which only gave the champion 10 months between contests. Nonetheless, by this point, the contest was considered his to lose. 

Meanwhile, Ruffin competed in the Arnold Classic Physique contest two weeks prior and won that contest, which gave him confidence and momentum leading up to the rematch with Bumstead. Ruffin was praised for his improvements, but Bumstead overwhelmed him with size, shape, and confidence.

The crowd was on his side as well. Bumstead would leave the main stage with three fingers in the air signifying the three-peat he pulled off. The rest of the top three was the same as in 2020. However, rising stars Urs Kalecinski and Ramon Rocha Queiroz occupied the fourth and fifth place positions. Many fans and experts consider those two men rising stars in the division.

The 2022 Olympia is set for Dec. 16-18, and it will return to Las Vegas, NV. The location may be different, but Bumstead feels the result for his contest will be the same. Ruffin has repeated as the 2022 Arnold Classic Physique winner, and Kalecinski claimed victory at the 2022 Boston Pro.

Ansley has announced that this will be his last year competing in Classic Physique, and there are many more contests to be held so the final Olympia lineup can be determined. That means there will be a lot of drama and speculation when the big contest happens. Bumstead will again be a favorite to win, but he knows that it won’t be easy. Whether Bumstead four-peats or a new champion takes the title, history will be made.

Featured Images (left to right): @dannyhester, @breonma_, and @cbum on Instagram