Speculation abounds: With exactly one month until the 2024 Olympia, the pack leaders — including the young Martin Fitzwater — of the Men’s Open division are starting to stake their claims.
This year’s “O” runs from Oct. 10 to 13 in Las Vegas, NV. Reigning champ Derek Lunsford will look to make his first title defense in the category after his historic win in ’23.
Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler thinks rising star Fitzwater is the one to watch out for this year. “I’m pretty impressed. [Fitzwater] almost beat Nick Walker at the New York Pro,” Cutler said on Sep. 6.
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Martin Fitzwater: The Sleeper
“I think Fitzwater is the sleeper,” Cutler said during an episode of his podcast, Cutlercast, while discussing the competitive field ahead of the Olympia.
“I’m impressed; he’s looking pretty dense,” Cutler continued.
Martin “the Martian” Fitzwater, just 24, booked his ticket to the 60th edition of the Olympia earlier this year when he narrowly won the 2024 Detroit Pro. A month later, in May, the Martian nearly beat the Mutant — that’s Walker — at the New York Pro.
“The crowd popped for Fitzwater,” BarBend correspondent Roger Lockridge wrote on-site at the Pro. After pre-judging had wrapped, Fitzwater was just a single point behind Walker on the scorecards.
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Martin Fitzwater: Fresh Blood
Fitzwater joining the Olympia conversation is a massive win for the 24-year-old, especially when his name is upheld by an industry legend like Cutler.
Fitzwater’s reputation is bolstered further by the fact that he’s among the youngest athletes slated to take the stage at the Olympia, especially if he’s on the periphery of the top five.
Here are the ages of the men currently at the front of the pack in Men’s Open bodybuilding:
Derek Lunsford: 31
Hadi Choopan: 36
Samson Dauda: 32
Nick Walker: 30
Hunter Labrada: 32
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Should Fitzwater win the Olympia — an extremely unlikely outcome this year, to be fair — he would be the youngest man to take home the Sandow trophy since Arnold Schwarzenegger. The “Austrian Oak” took home his first Olympia title in 1970 at age 23.
“I’m not counting the days, but I’m making the days count,” Fitzwater wrote on Instagram while sharing a physique update on Sep. 10.
We’re counting, too. The 2024 Olympia begins on Oct. 10.
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Featured Image: @martinfitzh2o / Instagram
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