Everyone loves a classic comeback. In bodybuilding, the Traditional Physique division, which debuted in 2016, was established to advertise our bodies that harken again to the Golden Era of bodybuilding from the Sixties to the Eighties.
Traditional Physique opponents have a weight division tied to their top. This weight cap is supposed to restrict excessive muscularity, which rose to be the standard starting in the 90s. The posing routines are sometimes extra fluid and clever, and athletes are allowed to hit what’s known as a “basic pose.”
Right this moment’s athletes that compete within the division are as standard as any competitor in all the IFBB Professional League.
Beneath, you’ll discover a record of the competition’s winners and contextual data for every contest. The Traditional Physique Olympia is getting into its seventh yr, so it’s a brief record — however one that can certainly develop over time as its legacy is constructed.
Each Traditional Physique Olympia Winner
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Danny Hester (2016)
The inaugural Traditional Physique Olympia was held on the Orleans Area in Las Vegas, NV as part of the 2016 Olympia Weekend. Followers have been intrigued by what this new contest would appear like and the way the physiques could be judged.
The sphere turned out to be a mix of older Males’s Open opponents, Males’s Physique athletes that wished to maneuver as much as the brand new division, and a few upstart athletes.
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One identify that many followers acknowledged was Danny Hester, who had been a famend mannequin for a few years. At 47 years previous, he entered the lineup and would depart as the primary Olympia champion within the new division. Arash Rahbar would end because the runner-up, and 2015 Arnold Classic Men’s Physique winner Sadik Hadzovic rounded out the highest three.
2016, The Orleans Area, Las Vegas, NV
- Danny Hester
- Arash Rahbar
- Sadik Hadzovic
Breon Ansley (2017-2018)
2017 was a monumental yr for the Traditional Physique Olympia. Athletes like Chris Bumstead, the late George Peterson, and Terrence Ruffin all made their Olympia debuts at this contest. The primary spotlights have been on defending champion Danny Hester and the legendary Flex Wheeler, who got here out of retirement for one night time solely to compete on this present.
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Nonetheless, the person everybody talked about on the finish of the weekend was Breon Ansley, who got here in superb condition and left with the title. Bumstead shocked everybody in attendance at Las Vegas by taking the runner-up place. Peterson and Rahbar got here in third and fourth, respectively. Hester would place fifth.
2017, The Orleans Area, Las Vegas, NV
- Breon Ansley
- Chris Bumstead
- George Peterson
2018, The Orleans Area, Las Vegas, NV
Going into the 2018 contest, the matchup that was talked about essentially the most was Ansley and Bumstead. By this level, “CBum” had constructed a big following, and so they wished to see the Canadian upstart topped champion.
Nonetheless, Ansley wasn’t prepared to surrender the title simply but, and whereas Bumstead improved from his 2017 exhibiting, Ansley was nonetheless higher and ok to take his second straight victory in Las Vegas. Peterson took third for the second consecutive yr.
- Breon Ansley
- Chris Bumstead
- George Peterson
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Chris Bumstead (2019-2024)
The 2019 contest was thought of a three-person race. Ansley wished to win his third in a row, and Peterson was additionally thought of a favourite by profitable the Arnold Traditional Physique title. Nonetheless, Bumstead dominated the stage by presenting a bigger and more defined physique. He additionally was sporting a mustache for the primary time, which his followers appreciated.
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It’s exhausting to inform if Bumstead’s new mustache made a distinction within the eyes of the judges, however CBum’s improved posing and confidence actually did.
Ansley completed within the two spot, and Peterson left Las Vegas with a bronze medal for the third straight time. He would compete within the 212 division in 2020, and he handed away on the age of 37 earlier than the 2021 Olympia.
2019, The Orleans Area, Las Vegas, NV
- Chris Bumstead
- Breon Ansley
- George Peterson
2020, Orange County Conference Heart, Orlando, FL
The Olympia moved to Florida as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, and the competition was delayed from September to December. Whereas the season was disrupted and the pandemic affected the lives of everybody within the sport, there was one profit for Bumstead — he had extra time to arrange.
The outcome 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 competition got here throughout prejudging when Ansley was attempting to get bodily with the champion. Consequently, the judges switched Ansley and Ruffin within the comparability.
The judges preferred what they noticed after the swap, and Ruffin bumped Ansley out of the runner-up spot. Ansley took third place in the long run, and 2020 Arnold Classic Physique winner Alex Cambronero completed fourth.
- Chris Bumstead
- Terrence Ruffin
- Breon Ansley
2021, Orange County Conference Heart, Orlando, FL
The Olympia returned to Orlando, nevertheless it was held in October, which solely gave the champion 10 months between contests. Nonetheless, by this level, the competition was thought of his to lose.
In the meantime, Ruffin competed within the Arnold Traditional Physique contest two weeks prior and gained that contest, which gave him confidence and momentum main as much as the rematch with Bumstead. Ruffin was praised for his enhancements, however Bumstead overwhelmed him with measurement, form, and confidence.
The gang was on his facet as nicely. Bumstead would depart the primary stage with three fingers within the air signifying the three-peat he pulled off. The remainder of the highest three was the identical as in 2020. Nonetheless, rising stars Urs Kalecinski and Ramon Rocha Queiroz occupied the fourth and fifth place positions. Many followers and consultants contemplate these two males rising stars within the division.
- Chris Bumstead
- Terrence Ruffin
- Breon Ansley
2022, Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
Bumstead won his 4th Traditional Physique Olympia within the dwindling days of December ’22. This victory cemented Bumstead because the flagship athlete of bodybuilding’s hottest new division; he beat budding rivals Kalecinski and Queiroz for the $50,000 prize purse.
For CBum, the 2022 Traditional Physique Olympia was something however run-of-the-mill. Shortly after profitable, it was revealed that Bumstead had gained the present regardless of having a lately torn biceps.
- Chris Bumstead
- Ramon “Dino” Rocha Queiroz
- Urs Kalecinski
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2023, Orange County Conference Heart, Orlando, FL
2023 was extra of the identical for CBum — one other yr, one other victory on the Traditional Physique Olympia, one other torn muscle that may’ve ended the Olympia hopes of lesser athletes.
Bumstead managed his fifth victory regardless of bearing a torn latissimus dorsi muscle. The “attempt for 5” marketing campaign proved to be certainly one of his most emotional victories but, as Bumstead’s objective had shifted from making it to the highest of the mountain. By 2023, it was about setting, and sustaining, an ordinary to be happy with.
- Chris Bumstead
- Ramon “Dino” Rocha Queiroz
- Urs Kalecinski
2024, Resorts World Theater, Final Vegas, NV
In June, Bumstead remarked that he needs to be the Michael Jordan of bodybuilding. Throughout the 2024 Traditional Physique Olympia, Bumstead was seen across the Resorts World Theater carrying a Jordan jersey.
Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. On Oct. 12, 2024, Bumstead won his sixth Traditional Physique Olympia title. This yr was completely different from the others, although.
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Bumstead confronted off in opposition to final yr’s eighth-place finisher, Mike Sommerfeld, as the highest two athletes within the area — a showdown no person had predicted. Bumstead, ever the individuals’s champion, was known as because the winner.
Teary eyed, he took the microphone from host Bob Cicherillo and knowledgeable the viewers of his intention to retire from bodybuilding.
- Chris Bumstead
- Mike Sommerfeld
- Urs Kalecinski
Featured Pictures (left to proper): @dannyhester, @breonma_, and @cbum on Instagram