Tag: Olympia
Bob Cicherillo on Olympia TV Labeling Athletes ‘Failures’: ‘It Wasn’t Done Intentionally’
Bob Cicherillo is speaking up for the Olympia social media team after a post upset fans over the weekend. In a Voice of Bodybuilding podcast, Cicherillo said Olympia’s Instagram post calling Iain Valliere, James Hollingshead, Antoine Vaillant, and Steve Kuclo ‘failures’ was done unintentionally.
After Hadi Choopan captured gold at the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest, changes at the top of the Open class became a major talking point. At the show, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay failed to retain his title and dropped to fifth. The podium saw Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker finish second and third. In the aftermath, athletes rep Bob Cicherillo was vocal about the outcome as fans suspected Ramy wasn’t offered a fair shot on stage.
Debate continued following Samson Dauda‘s victory at the Arnold Classic last month. Walker, who placed runner-up, found the results controversial. In fact, fan outrage surrounding Dauda’s win continued to build until Bob Cicherillo got involved. He took to multiple podcasts to explain the judging process. Moreover, he stressed that Dauda won because he possessed a better combination of factors like conditioning, balance, proportions, and stage presentation.
Instagram
Prime Time Muscle is a bodybuilding podcast represented by the Olympia TV YouTube channel. In a recent post made to Instagram, they teased their latest video. However, some fans found the thumbnail and description disrespectful given their use of words such as ‘bust’ and ‘failure.’
Bob Cicherillo on Olympia TV’s Distasteful Post & Fan Outrage: “The Clickbait Stuff Needs to End”
In response to fan backlash, the OlympiaLLC Instagram page deleted the post. The Prime Time Muscle episode was also deleted from YouTube. According to Cicherillo, the choice of words was done ‘unintentionally.’
“For those that have been following the bouncing ball, there was a video put out by our good friends, Terrick and Chris Cormier and Tim Wilkins, they do a show called Prime Time Muscle. They put a video out and it was actually pretty innocuous, if you were actually able to catch the video but it was removed unfortunately, we’ll get to that in a moment.
The title of it was ‘Olympia Threat or Bust?’ Now that was probably where the problem started and ended because it wasn’t really worded proper in my opinion; I think that’s where a lot of this outrage had occurred. In the tag it said Olympia failures or promises. This is inherently where the problem came about, because you can’t judge a book by its cover. The clickbait stuff needs to end.”
“Listen, we’re all in the same biz, we’re all trying to catch someone’s attention but blatantly putting something out just to catch somebody’s attention is not really being – it’s being rather disingenuous. We catch on quick. We’ve all seen podcasts that are no longer on YouTube that have literally made their following by this action, and again, it gets old quickly. You don’t need clickbait if you got good content. I don’t think it was done intentionally, I think it was the wrong verbiage use.”
Cicherillo highlighted that the Olympia is an entity and doesn’t hold opinions regarding the physiques of different bodybuilders. He added that Hollingshead, Valliere, Kuclo, and Vaillant didn’t take the post personally.
“The Olympia is an entity. The Olympia doesn’t make statements unless it’s something pertaining to Olympia. Here’s where Olympia is going to be, here is where VIP tickets will be on sale, that type of stuff. Much like the IFBB Pro League, the IFBB Pro League does not have an opinion when it comes to things of this nature or how good a bodybuilder is.”
“Iain Valliere, great bodybuilder, but a top 10 Olympian a few times; they’re not referencing him as some sort of failure or bust to the Olympia or this isn’t a guy whose lived up to his expectations, they’re giving critique. There’s a few others. We’re not going to play them all. Iain, James Hollingshead, Steve Kuclo – they’re just referencing some bodybuilders and giving some critique to literally get to the next level,” Cicherillo said.
While the video was taken down, Cicherillo said its contents weren’t as offensive as the post made to Instagram.
“So to see the outrage that I’ve seen the other day from the fanbase… you got to check yourselves here people. I’m talking about the fans in particular out there. Don’t take things so personally. This was not an attack on the Olympians. ‘Oh, the Olympia should be ashamed of itself.’ Again, you’re talking about a competition – an entity- they, they Olympia, don’t have an opinion when it comes to individual competition and individual competitors that are in there trying to win a show.”
“I want to make sure it’s clear. Not only is everyone entitled to an opinion but then you have to reference who’s making that opinion and what they’re talking about. I can see clearly that most of you did not watch the video; you saw the title, you assumed what it was all about, and then you got crazy.”
As a result of the fiasco, Terrick El Guindy apologized for the mishap and explained that it was a ‘terrible choice of words.’
“Words are powerful. I learned this over the weekend when I wrote a post to promote the latest episode of Prime Time Muscle. My intention was to analyze whether a few athletes didn’t live up to expectations at the 2022 Olympia. Unfortunately I used the word “failure” when I wrote the post (implying failure to live up to expectations). A terrible choice of words on my part. Olympia athletes are the best in the world!!!! I have reached out to Iain and James to apologize for the poor choice of words. They were both very gracious about it. Bodybuilding fans are passionate. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.” El Guindy posted.
El Guindy’s opinions on the Prime Time Muscle podcast hold weight given his status as a promoter and IFBB Pro League judge. The last time fans heard from him, he offered advice for Nick Walker who he believes to be a future Mr. Olympia winner. El Guindy said if Walker improves the volume of his legs, he’ll never lose to Samson Dauda again.
The latest post from El Guindy and Olympia raises the question of how far media can go to attract attention. As for Cicherillo, he doesn’t believe clickbait content has a place in the sport.
You can watch the full YouTube video below courtesy of Bob Cicherillo’s YouTube channel:
Published: 1 May, 2023 | 11:20 AM EDT
All Ms. Olympia Winners — Bodybuilding Queens & The History of the Show
The Ms. Olympia contest debuted at the Superbowl of bodybuilding — Olympia in 1980. Notably, it took the Olympia owners 15 years to launch the women’s bodybuilding division after they started Mr. Olympia in 1965. However, it wasn’t the only time the Ms. Olympia contest received a step-motherly treatment. Ms. Olympia was discontinued in 2014….
2022 Prague Pro Bodybuilding Show Preview: Michal Križo Makes His Pro Debut
The 2022 Prague Pro bodybuilding event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Prague, Czech Republic, and it’s one of the final shows before the Olympia.
There will be six IFBB Pro League contests held at this event, but none have more hype around them than the Men’s Open bodybuilding showdown. And most — if not all — of that has to do with the fact that this is the IFBB Pro League debut of Michal Križo Križánek, a competitor who former Mr. Olympia winners like Jay Cutler and Samir Bannout believe can make some real noise at this year’s Mr. O if he qualifies.
Here’s the full lineup for Men’s Open as of Oct. 28:
2022 Prague Pro Men’s Open Bodybuilding Roster
Kokeny Bela
Pavel Beran
Lewis Breed
Adolf Burghardt
Pavel Cervinka
Chams-Eddine El-Bey
Enrico Hoffmann
Vladimir Iacovlev
Michal Križo Križánek
Ahmad Mahmoud
Milan Sadek
Marian Sramko
Jan Turek
Favorites to Watch
If you’re looking for a cheat sheet of competitors to keep an eye on, here are three with big-time potential to walk away with a win.
Michal Križo Križánek
After being recognized as the number one bodybuilder for the IFBB Elite Pro for several years, Križánek will make his pro debut less than one month after earning his new pro card. If he wins this contest, he will earn a trip to the 2022 Mr. Olympia, scheduled to take place Dec. 16-18, 2022 in Las Vegas, NV.
Since Krizanek is starting his road to the Olympia so late in the season, he wouldn’t be able to earn enough points to qualify through the Olympia Qualification System. In other words, he must win one of the pro shows between the Prague Pro and the end of the season on November 20 to earn a spot at the O.
Milan Sadek
Milan Sadek is one of the veterans of this lineup, having competed as a pro since 2015. He appeared on the Olympia stage as a 212 competitor in 2017, when he placed sixth. And while he hasn’t won a pro show as an Open competitor, this contest could be an opportunity for him to change that. He will just have to counter Križánek’s size with razor-sharp definition and conditioning.
Marian Sramko
This is also Marian Sramko’s pro debut, and he could easily be the dark horse of the bunch. He won the 2021 NPC Worldwide British champion, thanks to his jaw-dropping legs. And his upper body isn’t too bad, either.
Sramko likes to use classic poses in his individual routine, which could impress the judges and push him up the scorecard. The only question for him will be if he can withstand the intensity and pressure that comes with being on a pro stage with an Olympia qualification on the line.
Olympia Qualification System
The second- through fifth-place finishers in all six divisions will earn Tier 4 points in the Olympia Qualification System, and those points can be valuable. The top three in the standings as of November 20 will also move on to the Olympia. The points per position are below.
2nd – 4 points
3rd – 3 points
4th – 2 points
5th – 1 point
[Related: Kings, Chemists, and Oaks — The 10 Best Bodybuilding Nicknames of All Time]
Other Divisions
The lineups for the other five contests (212, Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Bikini, and Wellness) are below. In total, more than 70 pros across all six divisions will represent 20 countries. No Americans are in the lineup for this contest.
212 Bodybuilding
Abdulrahman Alkhashti
Steve Benthin
Jamal Changezi
Dawid Cnota
Pasquale D’Angelo
Peter Molnar
Daniel Sticco
Tomas Tabaciar
Jorge Zamorano
Mihoubi Zohir
Classic Physique
George Acheampong
Thomas Baier
Luca Corrado
Petar Duper
Djallel Feidi
Sebastian Guncik
Patrik Herczik
Kelvin Hinde
Jakub Kolinek
Fatih Terzioglu
Andrej Varga
Men’s Physique
Hashem Alfotewi
Omer Bahmed
Tamas Csernoch
Dimitri Desheraud
Furkan Er
Miroslav Juricek
Daniel Leone
Mohamed Magdy
Davide Mazzolari
Andrea Mosti
Abisai Pietersz
Miroslav Priban
Manuel Santalucia
Filip Steflovic
Oskar Tchorzewski
Daniel Tulok
Rafal Zabawa
Bikini
Anastazja Biedka
Andreea Cazaceanu
Martyna Derlat
Valerya Fedorenko
Klaudia Ignasiak
Tatiana Lanovenko
Ottavia Mazza
Zsofia Reka Molnar
Eszter Oczella
Mie Kirstine Rommelhoff
Henrieta Skupekova
Aneta Szoltysek
Allison Testu
Wellness
Aysegul Besli
Mari Carvalho
Leonida Ciobu
Aline Machado Galvao Freitas
Lidia Melero
Anna Mroczkovska
Lexy Oliver
Maria Paulette
Figen Sahin
Clara Sella
Lara Tasharofi
Danai Theodoropoulou
Sabrina Diaz Urdaneta
Michelle Vogelsgesang
Featured Image: KRIZO on YouTube
Branch Warren Defeated Reigning Champion Dexter Jackson In 2009 Olympia, Lost To Jay Cutler: ‘I Would Of Rather Got Third’
Jay Cutler recently sat down with Branch Warren, who he defeated at the 2009 Olympia.
It is the age-old question, would you rather lose a close game in the championship or get blown out early? Answers will be different depending on who you ask but in the case of Branch Warren, he would have rather come in third in the 2009 Olympia rather than runner-up to Jay Cutler.
On a recent episode of Cutler Cast, Warren decided to sit down with the man who defeated him at the Olympia in 2009. At this time, Cutler had already solidified himself as one of the best bodybuilders in the world and will be known as one of the best ever. He was crowned champion in 2006 and 2007 before Dexter Jackson dethroned him in 2008.
When Jackson was announced this, Warren was confident that he was going to win the show.
“I would of rather got third,” warren said.
You know, they called me, they called your name one, and I got second. It’s the worst though. Getting second place at Olympia is the worse. People saying, ‘oh that’s awesome’ and saying, ‘no that sucks. The second place in Mr. Olympia is the worst place in all of bodybuilding because you’re one small step from the grand prize but you didn’t make it.”
At the 2009 competition, Warren went through his emotions as the results were being announced.
“I remember they called Dexter in third place, and I’m like ‘oh shit I’m about to become Mr. Olympia. Then, I’m like I beat Mr. Olympia and I still haven’t won the show yet how does that happen.”
Branch Warren believes that he entered the 2009 Olympia at his absolute best. Jay Cutler agreed with this notion but also made the necessary improvements needed to get back on top.
During his reign, Cutler was a mass monster. This is when bodybuilding really started focusing on overall size, along with conditioning. This might have played a factor in the 2009 show.
“People say that because, first of all I was 242, and you were almost 260 at the show. Bigger is better in bodybuilding. You get two guys that are equal in conditioning, or close in conditioning, the bigger guy usually wins. That’s just the way it is.”
Branch Warren was an elite bodybuilder during his career and he was able to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Cutler and Jackson. The 2009 Olympia is one that will stick with him and also one that will be remembered by fans for the pure excitement of the top three competitors.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Gym Crush: Courtney King is a True Beauty
Images via Instagram @courtneykiing
Courtney King is strong and gorgeous.
Courtney King is the Ms. Bikini Olympia 2016, so it’s safe to say she has one of the best bodies on the planet. Not only does she has an amazing body but she also has a beautiful heart and spirit.
Courtney has an active Instagram (467K followers) where she regularly posts her training routines, diet tips, and lifestyle posts. King is genuinely one of the most humble, genuine, and caring fitness athletes you’ll come across on Instagram.
Courtney King – The Bikini Queen
Courtney King is in her mid 20’s and started on her fitness journey early in her life. She was 17 years old when she first stepped onto a stage. King currently offers her services online for Competition Prep and personal training through her website.
King is a Gym Shark sponsored athlete and has her own line of clothing in collaboration with the company. Sometimes you might end up wondering if the clothes make her look so good, or is it the other way around.
A Foodie at Heart
[embedded content]
If you’re into healthy diets and recipes, following Courtney’s YouTube channel is a must. Courtney has everything from protein ice-creams, muffins, cakes on her channel. You’ll just love the recipes King shares.
Courtney’s pear-shaped butt is probably her best body part. She helps her followers achieve a rear like her’s by sharing exercises and training tips on her Instagram. Achieving a Ms. Bikini Olympia level butt isn’t easy, and King’s workouts are the proof.
Always Remeber to Have Fun While You’re at it
Courtney isn’t all about business, she’ll keep you entertained with posts like these. We’re sorry Drake but we’ll have to give this one to Courtney. We’re sure Drake wouldn’t mind either.
King became a new mom recently after getting a new French Bulldog, Poppie. Courtney’s selfies with her baby girl will make you fall head over heels in love with both of them. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting a pet dog for yourself after following King.
What we love about Courtney is the fact she is a complete foodie and shares pictures of delicious looking mouth-watering food. You won’t be seeing the good old chicken breast and rice on her timeline.
Be My Muse
Courtney is an outdoor person and you’ll find her posing with beautiful landscapes in the background. You’ll have to make a choice between looking at her or the scenery behind her. It won’t be a hard decision to make though.
Coming as a surprise to everyone, Courtney didn’t step onto the Ms. Bikini Olympia stage to defend her title in 2018 owing to health reasons. King has had her fair share of ups and downs in her fitness career.
An even bigger surprise came when Courtney announced her sudden retirement from competing this year in March. King had a small career on the Ms. Bikini Olympia stage, but she made a dent, let her presence know and will be remembered for a long time for her incredible physique.
The GI team wishes Courtney King the best of luck and hope for health and happiness. We hope she achieves bigger things in the fitness industry.
Do you follow Courtney King on social media? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*All images courtesy of Instagram
Arnold Classic Raises Classic Physique Prize Money Higher Than Olympia
The Arnold Classic raises prize money higher than the Olympia.
The Arnold Classic has raised the prize money for the Classic Physique. This change comes as a major surprise particularly since the payout is higher than that of the Olympia.
Bodybuilding has notoriously paid out a relatively light amount to competitors seeking glory. While winning a show may grant a person prestige, it certainly never paid out as much as it could. As a result many bodybuilders have had to take jobs that pay out far less than effort required. This meant bodybuilders would often train hard and push themselves to the brink while receiving very little money in return.
But now it appears the Arnold Classic is addressing that very issue. According to Terrence Ruffin, the Arnold Classic will indeed be paring out far more than even the Olympia for the Classic Physique division.
According to his recent Instagram post, Terrence Ruffin confirmed that the prize money for taking first in the Classic Physique division has gone from $7,000 to $60,000. Talk about a massive upgrade. Finally it appears that the competitors are getting what they deserve. Ruffian’s post details the increase in prize money with the following.
Guess the cats out of the bag lol. I’ll be defending my title at the 2022 Arnold Classic. I want to give a special thanks to @schwarzenegger and the entire @arnoldsports team. I made it clear that I had no intentions of doing the show if the prize money stayed the same as this year. Thankfully they saw the value that Classic Physique brings and stepped up to the plate. From 7k to 60k for first place is a huge win for the division.
It’s clear that the show runners at the Arnold Classic are trying to set a new precedent. They are trying to pay the athletes what they deserve. It’s about time that these athletes earn a prize more fitting for the amount of dedication they put into their preparation.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Mr. Olympia Contest 2017 Event in Las Vegas
As we head into August, bodybuilding fans and enthusiasts alike are looking forward to the much anticipated 2017 Olympia event in Las Vegas, Nevada! Taking place from September 14 to 17, the Mr. Olympia contest and expo is sure to bring fans from all across the globe for what should be one […]
The post Mr. Olympia Contest 2017 Event in Las Vegas appeared first on What Steroids.
2021 Olympia To Have Record $1.6 Million Prize Money
The 2021 Olympia is setting a prize money record.
The 2021 Olympia is setting a new record with an enormous $1.6 million prize across all divisions. Athletes will have the opportunity to take home a tremendous amount of money, money that can change their lives.
Professional bodybuilding has never been known for having the best prize money, particularly in the beginning of the sport. In recent years however many shows have been improving their payouts to athletes. The Olympia show has done well to improve their payouts for competitors. With every passing year the payment situation has been improving and 2021 is no exception.
Following their trend of increased prize money, the 2021 Olympia is defying all expectations. This year the show will payout $1.6 million over all divisions. It’s an opportunity to change a great deal of lives for these Olympian athletes.
Setting New Records
Below the official Olympia Instagram released this statement about the record setting prize money.
It’s Official: Olympia Prize Money Will Set a New Record – Nearly 1.6 Million Dollars on the Line!!!
Olympia owner Jake Wood and Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon have confirmed the prize money for next month’s Olympia Weekend. With full details coming soon, the total prize purse will be the largest ever awarded in the history of bodybuilding, fitness or physique competition. Set for the weekend of October 7th-10th, the fitness industry will gather in Orlando, Florida with the sport’s most prestigious titles on the line.
Sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League, the event is expected to be completely sold out. With more than 230 professional athletes expected to compete in 11 divisions, the 2021 Olympia will have more sponsors than its had in the 57 year history of the event. Plans also include a new & improved press conference, an expanded expo, along with a jaw-dropping stage production, unlike anything this sport has ever seen.
This comes as a pleasant surprise. Prize money issues have plagued the sport for some time. It’s great to see that Olympia owner Jake Wood and Olympia Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon are pushing hard to increase the purses at the biggest bodybuilding show in the world. It’s a great sign of things to come.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.