Mr. Olympia 1968: One Man Stands Alone
Key Takeaways
- Only one competitor made it to the 1968 Mr. Olympia competition.
- Fans were disappointed that big names like Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn't make it and others didn't even compete against Sergio.
- Sergio Oliva takes the crown completely uncontested, making it his second win in a row.
We’ve been recapping the Mr. Olympia events right here on the Old School Labs blog. The world of competitive bodybuilding hasn’t been the same since that first competition in 1965.
Make sure you check them all out right here!
The 1968 Mr. Olympia contest was both historic and memorable for what didn’t happen as much as what did happen.
For the first time in the history of the Mr. Olympia contest, no other competitor showed up to challenge the reigning Mr. Olympia for the crown.
Had Sergio Oliva, who won the title in 1967 after Larry Scott’s retirement, made that much of an impression on his fellow competitors that he scared everyone off from competing against him next year?
The First Event: Mr. American Contest
This fourth Mr. Olympia contest began with the 1968 IFBB Mr. America.
The Short Class Winners
For the third year in a row, Rock Stonewall from Chicago won the short class. Rock has a top national level physique with his small waist and super wide back.
Johnny Maldonado was in second place and future superstar Warren Frederick was in third place.
The Medium Class Winners
In the medium height class, Frank Zane came back for the win. Frank, just like Rock Stonewall in the short class, won his height division at the Mr. America for the third year in a row.
He had improved his physique each year and this was finally his year.
Frank defeated the excellent bodybuilders John DeCola and Peter Caputo to win this tough class.
The Tall Class Winners
The tall class was won by popular California bodybuilder Don Peters.
Don was familiar to the bodybuilding fans that packed the Brooklyn Academy of Music from his frequent appearances in Muscle Builder and Mr. America magazines.
The New York fans loved seeing the California bodybuilders in the flesh after reading about them month after month in the magazines.
The Awards
Frank Zane won the overall title at the 1968 IFBB Mr. America as well as winning the Best Legs trophy.
John DeCola won the Best Arms trophy with big Mike Katz winning the Best Chest award for the second year in a row.
Rock Stonewall won the Best Back trophy and popular Zabo Koszewski took home the Best Abs and Most Muscular trophies.
The Second Event: Mr. Universe Contest
Zane would continue his winning ways one month later when he defeated a huge 250-pound Austrian bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger for the IFBB Mr. Universe contest in Miami, Florida.
Arnold was already a two-time Mr. Universe winner and he thought he would easily defeat the American bodybuilders at the Mr. Universe.
However, Zane was more finished with his refined physique and perfect tan. His upset victory over Arnold brought him both the America and the Universe in one year.
The Third Event: Mr. World Contest
The Mr. World contest was up next. The crowd was enjoying the show so far, anticipating the main event, which was coming up next.
The Short Class Results
The muscular Joe Nista was a popular winner in the short class.
The ripped Elliot Gilchrist took a close second followed by Jose Donato Munoz in third place.
The Medium Class Winners
The medium height class was hotly contested between the massive Chuck Sipes and big Roy Callender.
Roy had been making his mark competing in the NABBA Mr. Universe the last few years and he gave Chuck a battle for first place.
Chuck was already a former IFBB Mr. America and Mr. Universe winner so he was the heavy favorite for this title. After the dust settled, Chuck Sipes took first place in the medium class.
The Tall Class Winners
The tall class of the Mr. World was won by Conrad LaFramboise. Big Tony Carroll landed in second place followed by Christopher Ward in third.
The overall posedown between Nista, Sipes, and LaFramboise was dominated by the rugged and massive physique of Chuck Sipes.
Chuck was already a legend in the bodybuilding community and the New York fans rewarded him with a big ovation as he won the overall title.
Sipes also won the:
- “Most Muscular Man” award
- Trophy for “Best Arms”
- “Best Back” trophy
- “Best Abs” trophy
Big Roy Callender took home the Best Chest award.
The Main Event: Mr. Olympia 1968
After the IFBB Mr. America and Mr. World titles were finished, the fans were ready for the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding, the coveted Mr. Olympia title!
Unfortunately, it was soon revealed that there was only ONE competitor who would be competing for the Mr. Olympia title that night.
The reigning champion, the incredible Sergio Oliva, was ready to defend his title. The only problem was there was no one there to challenge him!
What Happened to Sergio’s Competition?
Harold Poole had come so close to beating Sergio only one year earlier.
At that contest, the judging panel had reached a deadlock and had to reconvene backstage to figure out the scoring.
By the narrowest of margins, Sergio Oliva had been crowned Mr. Olympia for 1967. Where was Harold in 1968?
Harold Poole Decides to Wait
According to Muscle Builder Magazine, Harold had been working too many long hours at the famous New York disco Cheetah to devote the time to prepare for the Mr. Olympia.
After his promotion to the general manager position, Harold was tasked with new hires, promoting the business and working long hours late into the night.
His weight had dropped down to a thin 205 pounds compared to the massive 220 he normally carried on his frame.
He knew he would not stand a chance against the massive Sergio unless he was at his best so he decided to wait until the next year to compete again.
Draper’s Absence Explained
Another bodybuilder who was missing from the contest was Dave Draper. Dave had won the IFBB Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles over the last few years. Naturally, he would be contending for the Mr. Olympia in 1968?
However, Dave was also enjoying success in the movie and TV field. He had already made the popular movie “Don’t Make Waves” with Tony Curtis and Sharon Tate in 1967.
He was also seen on the popular television series “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “The Monkees”.
His acting obligations and his personal appearances for the Weider Corporation began to interfere with his training program so Dave also decided to forego the Mr. Olympia contest for another day.
Chuck Sipes Wears Himself Out
Mr. Chuck Sipes had just won the Mr. World competition only hours before the Mr. Olympia was taking place.
In addition to his posing duties on stage to win the Mr. World, Chuck had also entertained the crowd with his impressive strongman act.
As powerful as he was massive, Chuck tore apart a heavy chain and bent iron railroad spikes to the delight of the sold-out audience.
All of this heavy work and posing had left Chuck exhausted by the time the Mr. Olympia contest was ready to take place late in the evening.
Chuck, following the advice of his trainer Joe Weider, decided to wait until next year to compete in the Olympia.
Will Arnold Compete Against Sergio Again?
Some fans in the crowd were hoping to see the New York appearance of the massive Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold was already a sensation in the bodybuilding world by 1968.
At only 21 years old, the massive Schwarzenegger was the biggest bodybuilder in the world at 6’2” and 250 pounds.
He was a two time Mr. Universe and the enthusiastic bodybuilding fans at the Brooklyn Academy of Music were anxiously hoping to see the New York debut of this rising superstar.
Unfortunately, Arnold would not arrive in the United States until weeks later when he competed against Frank Zane for the IFBB Mr. Universe in Miami.
Sergio Wins Uncontested
So all that was left was Sergio Oliva. The crowd, just like the year before, was shocked when Oliva stepped onstage.
Even bigger than in 1967, Sergio blew away the sold-out crowd with his freakish proportions and massive muscularity.
No one, not even Sipes, Poole, Draper or Schwarzenegger, could have stood a chance against Sergio Oliva in 1968.
The combination of his outrageous proportions and tiny waist created an image of invincibility and superiority over anyone foolish enough to share the stage with him.
By this point, Sergio had become known by the moniker “The Myth”. It was a perfect nickname to describe a bodybuilder that was so dominating and so perfect, it didn’t seem real.
Sergio Oliva was now a two time Mr. Olympia champion and it would take someone even more freakish to defeat this perfect assemblage of Bodybuilding Perfection.
Were you disappointed about the lack of competition in the 1968 Mr. Olympia contest? Are you ready to see what happens in 1969? Make sure you check out the next recap of the 1969 Mr. Olympia contest.
