Getbig2001 Olympia
Review & Reports

2001 Mr Olympia Review
by Ron Avidan

  • Notes and reports of different subjects and topics during the 2001 Olympia Weekend.

  • Regarding Friday's prejudging: One of the things that troubled some fans was the fact that they had to pick between the Fitness Prejudging and the Women's Bodybuilding Prejudging that Friday morning. Both were being held at the same time, but in two different stages, one in each expo hall. Some of the fans, the reporters and the photographers were not happy with this situation, given that they had to choose which one they really wanted to see. In the end, some chose the fitness, others chose the Women's Bodybuilding. It was felt that that was not right as many fans wanted to see both but could not. The reason for this was that in each hall, these was not enough room for the fans. Indeed, the people around the fitness stage was incredible, filing up every available place and moving into some of the exhibiter's booths around the stage. The same where the women's bodybuilding prejudging was, and although the fans had to choose, the promoter Wayne DeMilia promises that next year, there will be even more room in the expo hall (they are increasing space), and the shows will run side by side, in one main area, with chairs around and much more. We only hope that for this years Olympia, the split did not cause the Fitness competitors to get more exposure than the Women's Bodybuilding Competitors.

  • Regarding Exposure. It seems that the Men Bodybuilders get the most exposure, the Fitness competitors less, and the Women Bodybuilders the least. Unfortunately, it is that way due to the popularity of each event. From various fans and sources, we know that it is the Male Bodybuilders that drive the fans to come to the Olympia to see their favorite competitors. But although the Fitness Olympia and Ms. Olympia is less, putting them in the same weekend was a great idea, as thousands of fans flock to Las Vegas for the entire weekend to enjoy everything. To see their favorite competitor, whether it is a bodybuilder or a fitness competitor or someone in the industry who happens to there. Indeed, some fans came just to check out the expo and all of the latest sports nutrition products and to see their favorite person not competing in the contest. People came to see Lee Priest, Paul Dillett, Flex Wheeler, Roland Kickinger, Lena Johannesen, Kim Chizevsky and many more. Where else can you see them all, and get their autographs and pictures.

  • Regarding the Competitors: It was nice to see the fitness competitors and bodybuilders all around the Mandalay Bay. Many are very friendly, and even eating at Raffles Cafe, a lot of them said hello and waved to the fans. This weekend was the place for all of the bodybuilders and fitness people to also say hello to their friends in the industry, including the supplement companies, the magazines, the photographers, and their fans.

  • Regarding the Olympia Weekend: The Olympia Weekend is a place to get known. There were lots of people at the expo just waiting to be discovered, hoping to be the next face on the cover of a magazine, or perhaps starting to work in the industry, with a supplement company, as a model, etc. Quincy Taylor was one looking for representation, as was Flex Wheeler, and Quincy found a company, MRM Supplements, to represent for.

  • Regarding the Official Scorecards: This was the first Olympia in which the competitors, the press, and the fans got to see the official scorecards, complete with which judge scored which competitor, and to see if everything was legit. It was also the closest Mr. Olympia in recent times, with a controversial decision that saw Jay Cutler, who was first coming into the night show by six points, lose by four points in the final round. It was also one of the more exciting Mr. Olympia, with 21 competitors, and not too many frills, with the exception of a trio of strong stage artists called Vertigo which did amaze the audience. No bands, not too many jokes. Just straight hardcore nonstop action by the competitors.

  • Regarding the Mr. Olympia show: In the Mr., Olympia, many fans liked the fact that the big screen showed the bodybuilders coming from the back onto the stage. This gave an added excitement, a hype before the came out on stage, and added to their anticipation of a good show. There was no time limit on the evening's posing routine, and some of the competitors showed some great routines, including King Kamali, Melvin Anthony, and even Ronnie Coleman, with his stunning American flag bikini briefs. People like entertainment and surprises; that's what makes a good show,. The prejudging is for serious posing and mandatory moves; the evening show is to have fun and excite the audience.

  • Regarding the press conference: The press conference was the best in recent times, with a lot of the hype we have been hearing coming to a boil, with King Kamali and Craig Titus showing genuine dislike for each other. The fans enjoyed watching Shawn Ray prove his point by showing DeShay Ebert, a judge who was supposed to be judging the Mr. Olympia event, say in front of thousands of people 'You always are the same', thereby showing that judges are biased. What the fans did not enjoy was that the fitness and women bodybuilder competitors are not in the spotlight, because of the dominances of the big guys. What can be done about this for next year? They should start the press conference with the male bodybuilders for about 1 1/2 hours, then bring on the fitness competitors, and then the women bodybuilders for everyone to get some time in the spotlight. The press conference might be a little longer, but it also gives the bodybuilders, and the fitness competitors the time of not having to sit there all the time either. Definite time slots. Male bodybuilders can come at 12, fitness competitors at 1, and female bodybuilders at 2. More personal, more spotlight time.

  • Regarding the press conference, Wayne DeMilia said that next year the judges will be on the stage too so they can answer questions. That would be quite interesting, although stagger the times. The judges can come at 3pm. Of course, since there are 24 judges at the event, and many judges judge different events, it is best to only bring about 10 judges who can answer questions in English and intelligently.

  • Regarding Sponsors / Fans: It was really nice to see that the sponsors supported the Olympia; that the fans supported the show. With all that happened in the wake of the September 11th bombings and tragedy, it was one of the toughest times in years. To those who made the effort to come, thank you. Sponsors like GNC, American Bodybuilding, Weider, Bodyonics Pinnacle, FSI, Powerhouse Gyms, Champion Nutrition, CytoSport, Dimaxx, Human Development, ISS Research, Met-Rx, Worldwide Nutrition, Natures Best, Muscletech, SportPharma, NutriPeak, NutriSport, Planet Muscle, ProLab Nutrition, Twinlab, VPX, Dorian Yates Approved, and many more provided the economic means in which to keep this contest possible. Sports Nutrition companies who did not show up deserve nothing. Same with the fans. If they came, thank you. If they cancelled because they were afraid, that is too bad. There is no sympathy for people and companies who cancelled because they buckled and supported what the terrorists wanted. There is no sympathy for them because they stuck their heads in the sand hole, like ostriches do. The fans and the sponsors who did not come should of supported the Olympia. The promoters of the Olympia Weekend said that the drop was just under 10% from last year.

  • Regarding the expo. The fans really enjoyed the American Body Building booth. It was large, and they had beautiful girls at intervals throwing bars, T-Shirts, and goodies from the second floor balcony. It was an all around entertaining booth. The fans loves that they got to see their favorite athlete at different booths around the expo, and some fans confessed that they ogled the beautiful women in their skimpy outfits, and other fans wished the could get closer to their favorite male bodybuilder just to touch their body. It was at the expo that the latest gossip was heard, and it was remarkable to hear how the competitors moved some fans. To quote a fan 'I came all the way from Florida just so I can have his picture and him put his hand around me. It felt awesome. He was so nice. I had a great time just because of that one incident'. There were negatives too. One fan complained that when he asked a particular male celebrity if she can have a picture with him, he told her that she would need to buy a picture for $10 first. She was quite turned off at that, and came out of it that the guy was hungry for money and did not care about his fans.

  • Regarding Wayne DeMilia. Wayne DeMilia is the IFBB Pro Division Chairman. He is also the promoter of the Olympia Weekend, and the man responsible for making sure everything goes smoothly at the event. It is a work in progress, and each year, Wayne puts something new into the show. This year, it was Wednesday's Muscle Movie Night, in which 400 people attended. Wayne also increased the area of Meet the Athletes, which was introduced last year, to three times the size. Over 3,000 people came to the event Thursday night. The press conference was quite exciting too, and over 1,000 people were there on a Thursday at noon to listen to the competitors. This is the only press conference the IFBB has with the competitors all year long. The expo hall was also increased in size, and there was room to move around, although sometimes it felt like there wasn't. Like it or not, Wayne is responsible for the Olympia Weekend, and so far, the years in Las Vegas have been the best yet. The fans can't wait for next year.

  • Regarding the emcee of the Olympia shows. Tim Wilkins was ok, but many fans prefer Lonnie Teper, who is well known in the bodybuilding and fitness industry, and knows a lot of the competitors as well. The fans did appreciate some of Tim Wilkins joke, who also write a column in Natural Muscle Magazine, and some of them went to far. Of course, Jim Manion, president of the NPC, did not appreciate the joke about the judges, as many people overheard Jim yelling at Tim that he did not think that way funny.

  • Regarding Ben Weider: Nobody saw Ben at the event, and it was assumed that Ben was sick, because this being the most important IFBB event, and Ben being the president of the IFBB, could be the only reason that Ben would not come to this show. Lets hope that was it.

  • Regarding Joe Weider: Joe is clearly the father of modern bodybuilding, and regardless of what people say about Joe, he does not judge the competition nor care who wins the competition. Joe is there because of his love of bodybuilding. However, Joe is the icon of bodybuilding, and is well protected. Weider Publications of course does not want anyone to quote Joe out of context, and they watch him. Joe was at the show with Betty Weider, and they were together side by side, greeting the competitors backstage, and saying hello to all. Like him or not, Joe built the empire of bodybuilding, and deserves respect. After all, the Olympia is official called 'Joe Weider's 2001 Olympia Weekend'.

  • Regarding Eric Weider: Eric is the Chairman of Weider Health and Fitness, which owns Weider Publications (Flex, Muscle & Fitness, Shape, Men's Fitness, and more), and also controls thousands of shares of stock for Weider Nutrition. Eric is also General Secretary of the IFBB. It was very nice to see Eric at the Olympia Weekend, backstage saying hello to many people, taking an interested in the contest. Eric is at the show almost every year, as is Joe, but this year, Eric took much more interested in everything, staying backstage well after the show ended, having fun and making sure everything was well.

  • Regarding Olympia Contests. Having been to the last eight Mr. Olympia, this was probably the most exciting one of them all. With no clear cut winner (Jay vs. Ronnie), no one knew who was going to win, and it clearly looked like an upset in the morning. Same with the Fitness Olympia, which had three very powerful competitors (Kelly Ryan, Jenny Worth, Susie Curry) coming in, with also no clear cut winner. The Ms. Olympia had Julliette Bergman coming out of retirement after 11 years, looking in awesome shape, beating Andrulla Blanchette for the lightweight, and seeing Iris Kyle defeat Vickie Gates by a tiebreaker for the Heavyweights. Quite awesome this year.

  • Regarding Backstage: For the men, this is not a time of glory. They come in the morning, to six changing rooms in the back area, where they sit and wait, concentrating. There are not too many smiles, and each competitor looks for a room where some of their friends are to get ready at. Many bodybuilders are not the best of friends, which is just like in real life. The morning is time where you need to be at your best for prejudging. Your placing matters too. Whether you are first, middle or last can take its toll on you, as sometimes you sit and wait. There is a place to workout in the back, where there is a mirror, weights and other barbells to pump you up. There are people to help the competitors put on their special stuff, whether that be Jan Tana Coloring, Pam Cooking Oil, or Baby Oil, which makes you shiny. There is not too much joking around. This is serious business out here. There is lots of money at stake.

    Some competitors don't even want to talk or take pictures. They are quiet, heavily in concentration. They know they have to be at their best when they get called out on stage at that moment, and that is only what matters. They glare at you if you get too close to them, want to make sure they are in perfect shape for the judges.

    There is a room in the back for drug testing. All athletes take the test, sometime during prejudging. It is official, and if you go into the room, they ask you to stay out, as they want to problems in anybody saying that there is any monkey business going on. It looked serious enough, although there was a big screen television there with a college football game on.

    The competitors, one by one, go up into the red velvet drape room. It is called that because that room is the room you see on the big screen at night when the competitor goes out to the main stage. Next to the velvet room, where the photographers, presenters and other people stand is the weights and barbell section. You must have a backstage pass on you to be here. If you do not, security will remove you. It did happen twice because someone snuck in. They were kicked out. Not even the competitors husbands, wives and girlfriends are allowed backstage. This is serious business. This is the Olympia.

    For those of you who think that the photographers and press can go into the dressing rooms and take pictures of the competitors (especially fitness competitors) changing, you are sorely mistaken. Those rooms are solely for the competitors, and are guarded. No messing around there. Mandalay Bay security is right there, and lots of it. Sorry for all those guys who dream about that. Go get the Muscle Elegance Magazine by Denise & Robert Masino for that.

    There are official photography stations in the back. Serious ones with huge lights, white or black screen drops. There was one by the Weider Publications, and three others by other serious photographers, including Time Magazine. Yes, Time Magazine.

    Being backstage, it is nothing like you think it would be. The mood is serious in the back, not jubilant. There is a lot of waiting. There is a television, where you watch the other competitors do there routine, their poses. Yes, competitors watch other competitors sometimes, especially if they hear cheering from the audience.

    When a bodybuilder comes back from the main stage, sometimes they come back exhausted, and they double over, or lie down to rest. Posing takes a lot out of you, and with bodybuilders in their prime and peak conditions, it is quite hard. There is a doctor backstage, and he checks them if he feels they need anything, or they are looking pale or not right. Nobody wants a competitor to go to the hospital. And it can happen.

  • Regarding Ronnie Coleman. The reigning Mr. Olympia came to the contest quite confident nobody could beat him, and quite honestly, there was nobody in the press, or the fans who thought Ronnie this year was touchable. The closest thing to him was Chris Cormier, and even Chris Cormier knew Ronnie was untouchable. And that was the attitude of all, that is, until Jay Cutler came out. Ronnie was stunned. Absolutely stunned. And after prejudging, even Ronnie knew that he might lose. He almost seemed to accept it after prejudging, and so did many other competitors who were equally as stunned. But Ronnie concentrated and came out during the evening smoking. His posing routine with the American flag was awesome, and drew huge cheers from the fans. He gave them his all! Ronnie going to the audience, and going all the way to the back of the stadium drew loud approving fan clapping, and Ronnie always is friendly, happily gaining energy from his fans. Ronnie won, by four points, and by luck. In round one, out of 12 judges, Ronnie got 4 first place votes. Jay got 8. In round two, Ronnie got 4 first place votes. Jay got 8. In the evening, in rounds 3 and 4, Ronnie got 11 first place votes, while Jay only got 1. The fans and many believe it was the attitude of Ronnie that prevailed him over Jay.

  • Regarding Jay Cutler: We admire Jay. We love Jay. Jay gave us the best surprise of the show of the year. No one but no one suspected Jay Cutler would rise to the occasion, and defeat Ronnie Coleman in the prejudging, and give Ronnie a run for his life in the evening show. And Jay kept it a secret. True, 4 weeks from the Olympia, we saw the first images of Jay looking unreal, but pictures can be deceiving. And Jay kept quite during the Press Conference, and during the Meet the Athletes, and during the Expo. It was only on Saturday morning, when Jay, having been randomly chosen to come out second after Ronnie Coleman (who was randomly chosen first), came to the backstage area did many photographers and writers look stunned. He looked awesome. He looked unreal. And Jay knew it. He had kept it quiet, and he was living life. And when he want out on stage after Ronnie Coleman during prejudging, the audience was stunned. You could hear gasps, cries of amazements, for Jay was looking even more freakier than Ronnie did. Even the judges were amazed. When Jay left prejudging, and got ready for the night show, the buzz was that Jay would dethrone the king. However, Jay made some mistakes in the night show. For one, his routine was too short, only two minutes long, and not as entertaining as others. For two, during the final posedown, Jay was a follower, and only left the stage when Ronnie did. Jay is still a newcomer, and these small things is what probably motivated the judges to placed him second after Ronnie. but Jay has an awesome career ahead of him, him being only 28 years old. Quite honestly, Jay Cutler is the main story of the 2001 Mr. Olympia!

  • Regarding Kevin Levrone: Kevin placed second in last years Olympia, and Kevin looked awesome. But this year, no one knew what to expect of Kevin. Many thought that Kevin would retire from bodybuilding, because of his commitment to his career as a rock star, his new CD and band 'Fulblown', and his making of an MTV video. Kevin also did not renew his IFBB pro card for 2001, nor did he sign a contract saying he will be in the 2001 Mr. Olympia, speculating that Kevin was not going to do the contest. But Kevin said he made a commitment to Joe Weider, and Kevin never backs out of a promise to someone. The problem occurred when the IFBB and Wayne DeMilia, the promoter of the contest, failed to get Kevin's promise on paper, in writing. So with two weeks left to go until the Mr. Olympia, Kevin was officially out of the contest. But how things change in the world of the Mr. Olympia. Fans want to see Kevin, and with Kevin, the IFBB, Weider, and Wayne DeMilia working on a solution and compromise to amicably solve this and not antagonize the other competitors who did comply with the rules, it was decided the Kevin would be able to compete, provided he pay a fine of $25,000, plus his own airfare, room, etc. And that is what happened. Come Thursday, Kevin was at the press conference, and everybody breathed a sigh of relief. Kevin looked good during the contest, although he did not look as good as he did last year. But Kevin still has the symmetry and style, and brought the house down with his 3rd place finish. But honestly, Kevin received third place with 4 points more than Shawn Ray, and 7 points more than Chris Cormier. It was very close.

  • Regarding Shawn Ray: We love Shawn Ray. He is intelligent, articulate, and has been in the Olympia 13 times, placing in the top 5 12 times in a row. Did you get that? Top five finish twelve years in a row. Unbelievable. And yet there are fans who complain that he is not good enough to be Mr. Olympia. So what? So us any other competitors who can do what Shawn has done? There will be very few. Very, very few. But Shawn is always controversial, and with good reason. He wants things changed in the IFBB. He wants more respect for all bodybuilders in the IFBB. He wants things right in the IFBB. He deserves it. Shawn came out swinging this year at the press conference. He wanted three things. One, to see the scorecards of the judges who judges them and for them to be held accountable for their actions. Two, to see the judges that vote in this years Mr. Olympia not judge in next year's Mr. Olympia, and three, to see the judges pool increase. This year, it looks like all three of his concerns will get accomplished. It looks like Wayne DeMilia has finally listened to Shawn Ray! Shawn Ray is outspoken, and speaks his mind. And that is good. It brings hype and excitement to the sport of bodybuilding. This year, Shawn, as one of the judges put it, looked like the Shawn of the past. Awesome symmetry, great muscles and structure, and even with his comments, Shawn received enough points for a 4th place finish, 4 points from 3rd place.

  • Regarding Chris Cormier: Chris Cormier is a great bodybuilder. The polls before the Mr. Olympia this year indicated the Chris would be the only serious challenge the Ronnie Coleman, and then from there, competitors would jockey for 3rd place on. Unfortunately, Chris believed a lot of this hype, and perhaps did not come in the peak shape that he could of come in had he done what he needed to in the final week or two. There were reports of Chris partying at nightclubs, of straying from his chosen path as a serious bodybuilder, of not concentrating during the finals days when coming in peak condition is crucial. And unfortunately, it showed the morning of prejudging, when the competition was better than expected, and Chris, as many said, was too smooth, and not as great as shape as a could of been. Chris looked good, but not as good as the judges expected Chris to be. The fans wished that they could of seen Chris Cormier compared to Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler, but the guess is that after Chris was compared to Kevin Levrone and Shawn Ray in the second callout of prejudging, Chris was regulated to 5th. Chris was most definitely disappointed in this placing.
  • Regarding Nasser El Sonbaty: Nasser was probably the second biggest guy on stage, after Markus Ruhl. Nasser came out into the prejudging bulky, thick, and while in great shape, not as good as some of the others. Nasser was none too pleased with the judges decisions, and when he was called in ninth place during the evening show, he accepted graciously on stage; then stalked backstage, and went to the dressing rooms without saying a world to anyone backstage. And no one would dare approach him either, for Nasser can be a unfriendly and dangerous guy when he is extremely mad.

  • Regarding King Kamali: King is regarded as the rookie with the big mouth. Most definitely the man who created the biggest controversy of the year, picking fights with Craig Titus, Shawn Ray, and a myriad of others who regard King as a newcomer who shows no respect for the people of the sport. King started the controversy even before his first pro show, in February at the Pro Ironman, by stating lots of statements creating a rivalry between East Coast and West Coast bodybuilders. But when he talked to the talk, he walked the walk. King qualified in his rookie year by coming in 3rd at the Ironman, the first time a rookie has been in the Olympia in quite a while. The story would be if King Kamali would prove himself in the Olympia? When King Kamali realized that he would be in the top ten, an incredible relief passed over him. Especially after he also realized that his arch-rival, Craig Titus, would not be. King, by placing 10th, had set up on what he wanted to do in his rookie year. Qualify for next year's Olympia (the top 10 are qualified to compete next year). So when King, after accepted his award onstage, was quite happy backstage! The other thing is that King, while he likes to talk trash, also is very intelligent and articulate, and understands the game of hype, controversy and raising people's emotions. He is also an awesome poser, probably the best in bodybuilding at the moment. He also is quite nice to the fans who approach him.

  • Regarding Craig Titus. Craig has had a tough life. Craig is an emotional person, full of pride, and a mouth that can get him in trouble. Craig took up the cause for the West Coast bodybuilders when he saw that King Kamali was attacking them in print late last year, and worked up the hype and controversy all year long. Even at the press conference, Craig did not let down, saying Kamali has a big mouth, shows no respect, and he does not like him. Craig is 'say it as he see it' guy. He will tell you how he feels, point blank. Craig is married to Kelly Ryan, one of the top three fitness competitors in the world. They recently just moved to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, where Craig will be a manager at the new Powerhouse Gyms in town. There was much improvement in Craig Titus this year, and he probably looked at his best in certain areas, like his abs, where he decreased his waist to show more symmetry in his whole body. But with the decreased waist that created criticism earlier in the year, Craig also lost some of that muscle size and weight. In the end, the judges voted Craig to come in 12th place, and we think Craig was cool with that. While people are saying that Craig went to the hospital the next day, we saw Craig in the elevator that evening after the show, going out to party and eat with Kelly.
  • Regarding Markus Ruhl. Markus Ruhl is a fan favorite. Coming from Germany, the man is a monster, He is huge. And while he does not speak a lot of English, as evident at the Press Conference, he is still very popular with many. When Markus came out during prejudging, the man looked good. And backstage, the man is a giant. Easily the biggest, heaviest, thickest person in the lineup, Markus gets a lot of applause from many. But the judges frown upon some of his disadvantages, like a big stomach, and some smooth underdeveloped muscles. But for the people in the audience, they see a huge freak, who looks great. They feel that he does not get the attention he deserves from the judges. And during the evening finals, when Markus was passed over and not even place in the top 10, the audience was furious, and booed loudly. And booed until Markus Ruhl came out of line and acknowledged the audience. But backstage was another story. Like Nasser, Markus was extremely mad, and went directly to the dressing rooms in a huff. Another Olympia appearance; another placing which he and the audience felt that he had gotten robbed.

  • Regarding Vince Taylor: It was nice to see Vince Taylor at the Mr. Olympia. For the man who is the IFBB's most winningest pro champion, with 22 titles, for some reason, the illusion was that he could not do both the Master's Olympia and the Mr. Olympia in the same year. That notion was changed, for this year, the Master's Olympia qualified Vince for the Mr. Olympia, although many fans thought that was the case every year. The fans all knew Vince would not come in the top 10, but they also knew that Vince is one of the better posers; a great entertainer in the sport, with some great routines. Vince did not disappoint either, and did come in excellent shape, proving that even older bodybuilders (Vince is 45 years old) can come, compete and have a great time at the Olympia.

  • Regarding Gunter Schlierkamp. Gunter is such a nice guy. Always friendly, always taking his time out to talk to the fans. Gunter is also big, a tall bodybuilder and full of muscles. But the problem is that he does not look symmetrical, and that is probably one of the curses tall bodybuilders get. It happened with Paul Dillett, it is happening with Gunter. For some reason, tall bodybuilders never get the respect they deserve from the judges, and even this year, when the lineup was tough, it looked liked the judges had a preconceived notion about him. Gunter was extremely disappointed in his placings, and for the bodybuilders who work very hard and not scratch anywhere near the top of the placings, it can be very depressing. But Gunter should know that he is an excellent spokesman for bodybuilding, and is well liked by many of the fans out there who also feel Gunter does not get a break.

  • Regarding the age of the Mr. Olympia competitors: Does age have to do with it? Let's see how old everyone is. Melvin Anthony (28), Orville Burke (38), Darrem Charles (33), Ronnie Coleman (37), Chris Cormier (34), Jay Cutler (28), J.D. Dawodu (36), Nasser El Sonbaty (36), Claude Croulx (38), Pavol Jablonicky (38), Dexter Jackson (30), Dennis James (32), King Kamali (29), Kevin Levrone (35), Mike Matarazzo (35), Tom Prince (33), Shawn Ray (34), Markus Ruhl (29), Gunter Schlierkamp (31), Vince Taylor (45), and Craig Titus (34). It seems that most Mr. Olympia champions win when they are in their mid 30s.

  • Regarding Fitness competitions. Many of the fans still cannot figure out what the judges judge for in a fitness competition. There are four rounds, round one and two are swimsuit rounds, rounds two and four are fitness routine rounds. The fitness routine rounds are simple enough to figure out. The ones who have the best routine, who completed all of the poses, who entertains the audience most, wins these rounds. The swimsuit rounds are more subjective, and thus still the main controversy of the competition. How do you judge the competitors? In the Fitness Olympia, why would one of the judges (O' Brien) place Aleksandra Kobielak, who probably looked the greatest in a swimsuit, in 12th place (last). The fans need more explanation of this, one there were murmurs in the crowd during prejudging on what the judges are looking for.

  • Regarding the Call Outs of Round One Prejudging for Men's Bodybuilding: Here are the call outs as we saw them during the first round on Saturday morning. They were:

    Jay Cutler - Ronnie Coleman - Kevin Levrone
    Chris Cormier - Kevin Levrone - Shawn Ray
    Chris Cormier - Orville Burke - Dennis James
    Nasser El Sonbaty - Dennis James - Dexter Jackson
    Craig Titus - Markus Ruhl - King Kamali
    Dexter Jackson - Shawn Ray - Melvin Anthony
    Nasser El Sonbaty - Orville Burke - Melvin Anthony
    Dennis James - Orville Burke - Jay Cutler
    Craig Titus - King Kamali - Melvin Anthony
    Dexter Jackson - King Kamali - Dennis James
    Gunter Schlierkamp - Markus Ruhl - Tom Prince
    Darrem Charles - Vince Taylor - Mike Matarazzo
    Darrem Charles - J.D. Dawodu - Mike Matarazzo
    Claude Groulx - Tom Prince - Pavol Jablonicky
    Vince Taylor - King Kamali - Markus Ruhl
    Shawn Ray - Kevin Levrone - Chris Cormier
    Dexter Jackson - Orville Burke - Nasser El Sonbaty
    J.D. Dawodu - Gunter Schlierkamp - Darrem Charles
    Claude Groulx - Mike Matarazzo - Pavol Jablonicky
    Shawn Ray - Kevin Levrone
    Dennis James - Shawn Ray - Orville Burke
    Melvin Anthony - Markus Ruhl - Craig Titus
    Ronnie Coleman - Jay Cutler

  • Regarding the Call Outs of Round Two Prejudging for Men's Bodybuilding: Here are the call outs as we saw them during the first round on Saturday morning. They were:

    Shawn Ray - Ronnie Coelman - Jay Cutler
    Kevin Levrone - Shawn Ray - Chris Cormier
    Kevin Levrone - Ronnie Coleman - Chris Cormier
    Ronnie Coleman - Kevin Levrone - Jay Cutler
    Shawn Ray - Dexter Jackson - Nasser El Sonbaty
    Orville Burke - Dennis James - Nasser El Sonbaty
    Orville Burke - King Kamali - Dennis James
    Craig Titus - King Kamali - Melvin Anthon
    Markus Ruhl - Vince Taylor - J.D. Dawodu
    Tom Prince - Gunter Schlierkamp - Mike Matarazzo
    Tom Prince - Darrem Charles - Mike Matarazzo
    Pavol Jablonicky - Claude Groulx - J.D. Dawodu
    King Kamali - Craig Titus - Vince Taylor
    Dexter Jackson - Chris Cormier - Nasser El Sonbaty
    King Kamali - Orville Burke - Dexter Jackson
    Kevin Levrone - Shawn Ray - Chris Cormier
    Shawn Ray - Ronnie Coleman - Jay Cutler

  • Regarding the money earned at the Mr. Olympia.

    1st place - Ronnie Coleman - $ 110,000
    2nd place - Jay Cutler - $ 50,000
    3rd place - Kevin Levrone - $ 40,000
    4th place - Shawn Ray - $ 35,000
    5th place - Chris Cormier - $ 30,000
    6th place - Orville Burke - $ 25,000
    7th place - Dennis James - $ 15,000
    8th place - Dexter Jackson - $ 14,000
    9th place - Nasser El Sonbaty - $ 12,000
    10th place - Shari 'King; Kamali - $ 10,000