How old was Ronnie Coleman when he won his last Mr. Olympia?
Bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman is one of the only two bodybuilders ever to lift the Sandow trophy eight times. Renowned in the bodybuilding sphere as ‘The King,’ Ronnie Coleman retired at the age of 43 in 2007. Fighting for his first Olympia win since he was 28 years old, Coleman finally secured a victory at the age of 34, in 1998.
After creating a legacy for himself in the sport by winning seven more titles, Coleman’s years of heavy lifting finally got the better of him, pushing him to retirement. Unbelievably, Coleman won his last Mr. Olympia at the tough age of 41.
Ronnie Coleman’s Mr. Olympia highlights
Back in 1998, reigning champ Dorian Yates, who won on the Olympia stage six times previously, had already announced his retirement. With a guarantee of getting to witness a new Mr. Olympia champ, Ronnie Coleman made sure to do everything in his control and present a perfect physique to the judges. While many veterans, as well as fans, were expecting to see Flex Wheeler or Kevin Levrone take the throne, ‘The King’ Ronnie Coleman took over and secured the first position.
1999’s Mr. Olympia consisted of a lot of surprises. Bodybuilding legend Markus Ruhl, who is often considered the most shredded bodybuilder ever, tested positive for diuretics and did not compete.
Still left to face many other fierce competitors, Ronnie Coleman was up against the likes of Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, etc. No doubt winning the Olympia title isn’t easy, but there is nothing harder than retaining the title in the following years. Coleman, however, proved his mettle once again and came first, after a tough posing battle between the legends.
Held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Olympia 2000 also saw history repeat itself as Ronnie Coleman’s astounding physique helped him win another Mr. Olympia title. Considered a complete warzone, the stage of Mr. Olympia 2000 saw many debates and beefs taking place between the athletes.
Moving on to the next year, 2001’s Mr. Olympia is considered one of the most controversial bodybuilding shows to ever take place. While many still continue to believe that four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler was robbed at 2001’s Mr. Olympia, 38-year-old Ronnie Coleman managed to secure his fourth consecutive title.
By the time Mr. Olympia 2002 came around the corner, fans were already aware of what to expect. And they did get a bang for their buck as Ronnie Coleman won again. However, despite his victory, the talk of the town was German bodybuilding sensation Gunter Schlierkamp. Despite coming fifth at the event, Gunter did beat Ronnie Coleman three weeks later at the stage of ‘Show of Strength.’
As the fans approached 2003’s Mr. Olympia, it was starting to get boring. Everyone knew what to expect. The sport of bodybuilding seemed to be in a huge crisis where the final result was already known, with no spark left for the audience.
While Ronnie Coleman did secure his sixth consecutive win in 2003, what came as a shock to many was that despite competing for years now, Ronnie Coleman still came improved! Already having multiple Olympia titles under his belt, people were expecting him to win, but not to this extent.
Later during a podcast that got published on his YouTube channel, Coleman reminisced about 2003’s win, stating:
“I went to the gym with this attitude every day. If they wanna go to war, I‘ll take them to war.” (1:54)
This wasn’t the end of Coleman’s reign. He finally went on to win two more consecutive titles, at 2004 and 2005’s Mr. Olympia.
Finally, Ronnie Coleman decided to take a rest and focus on what was more important. He went through a series of surgeries and doctor’s appointments to make sure his years of heavy lifting didn’t lead to any permanent damage.
While Coleman was put in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, his legacy at the Mr. Olympia stage still continues to inspire countless individuals to take up bodybuilding.
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