2023 Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford was caught off-guard by the weight of his Sandow trophy.
“I literally thought, ‘don’t embarrass yourself. Everybody’s watching,’” Lunsford joked to four-time Mr. “O” winner Jay Cutler.
Lunsford became just the 18th person to win bodybuilding’s most prestigious title in ’23 — and the first man in history to have won both the 212 division and Men’s Open categories at the Olympia.
At the Mr. Olympia, size matters; the divisions, athletes, and even the prize money and awards have grown significantly over the years.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Lunsford and Cutler talked shop during a Jul. 29, 2024, episode of Cutlercast. The two men broke bread over their Mr. Olympia experiences, including the surprisingly heavy Sandow.
Cutler: “I was actually gonna bring [a trophy]. Yours is a lot bigger than mine is.”
Lunsford: “Dude, mine weighs over 40 pounds.”
Lunsford spilled the beans on his “hero” moment at the Mr. Olympia in ’23, saying he had plans to hoist the Sandow high in the air with one arm while flexing his bicep. Once he’d gotten his hands on the trophy, he had to shift gears.
“When I picked it up, I was like, ‘holy crap, how am I gonna hold this?’” Lunsford said to Cutler, who could comfortably palm his own Mr. Olympia trophy in one hand. Inflation really has gotten out of hand in recent years.
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Even after winning the most prestigious title in muscle-making, the world’s strongest bodybuilders are asked to demonstrate their power once more if they wish to hold their trophy high.
The Sandow & the Mr. Olympia
The Mr. Olympia competition first introduced the Sandow trophy in 1977. It’s named in honor of one of bodybuilding’s forefathers, Eugen Sandow.
The inaugural Sandow was awarded to golden-era icon Frank Zane in 1977.
The Men’s Open category is the only division that awards a Sandow to its winner, despite the Olympia event showcasing a growing number of categories over the years.
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Pro bodybuilders revere the Sandow trophy. In 2019, writer Brian Bullman remarked that Shawn Ray, who never won the “O” thanks to the dynasty set forth by Dorian Yates, would have preferred the Sandow and Mr. Olympia title, even with no prize money, to winning another Arnold Classic and the six-figure check that comes with it.
As the bodybuilders who populate the Mr. Olympia stage have grown larger, it’s fitting that the Sandow has become a heavier burden as well. Bodybuilders take their progressive overload pretty seriously, after all.
The 2024 Mr. Olympia will take place between Oct. 10 and 13 in Las Vegas, NV. Lunsford better be doing his hammer curls if he wants that triumphant photo.
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