Here’s how to get on the Olympia stage.
Last updated on November 20th, 2024
With the 2024 Olympia in the rearview mirror, bodybuilding fans are already shifting their gaze to 2025. T
he dates and location of that event had not been announced at the time of this article’s publication. However, the IFBB Pro League revealed a qualifying system, which is similar to 2024‘s:
2025 Olympia Qualifying Season
The 2025 Olympia qualifying season began on Sept. 16, 2024, and will continue until Sept. 14, 2025.
The 2025 competition schedule has not yet been shared publicly, but the remaining shows for 2024 fall within that timeline, meaning some athletes have already locked themselves into that event. The methods for qualifying for the 2025 Olympia are below:
Past Champions
Former Olympia champions have lifetime eligibility to enter the Olympia for the division in which they won their title. However, if five years had passed since their Olympia win, they must obtain permission from the IFBB Pro League before entering the competition.
For example, 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, who finished ninth at the 2024 Mr. Olympia, is now outside that five-year window. He would have to either make this request to the IFBB Pro League to enter or enter and win a contest if he wants to compete in the 2025 Olympia.
Top Three Finishers
The top three finishers for each of the 11 pro divisions at the 2024 Olympia are automatically qualified for the 2025 Olympia. That means they can wait to compete until the Olympia or enter other shows with the intention of keeping other athletes from qualifying. Even if they enter a pro show and lose, their Olympia spot is not at risk.
Pro Show Winners
The winners of each IFBB Pro League contest qualify for the Olympia. Even if they compete again and lose, they remain still Olympia-qualified. No other qualification will be awarded if someone previously qualified wins another pro contest.
Special Invite
The only remaining avenue to get on the Olympia stage is a special invite from the Olympia promoters or the IFBB Pro League, which are rarely used. One of the most famous examples is Kevin Levrone‘s coming out of retirement to compete in the 2016 Mr. Olympia.
The most recent athlete to receive an invite was seven-time 212 Olympia winner Flex Lewis, who received an invite to compete in the 2020 Mr. Olympia but could not compete due to an injury. Lewis retired in 2022. Derek Lunsford received a different kind of special invite to compete in the 2022 Mr. Olympia, though he was the reigning 212 Olympia champion at the time.
Wheelchair Bodybuilding Rules
The Men’s Wheelchair division still uses the points system previously used for all divisions. Pro show winners qualify, but the rest of the top five in a pro show earn points based on their rank. Those standings’ top five non-show winners qualify for the 2025 Wheelchair Olympia. The points for second through fifth are as follows:
- Second – 10 points
- Third – 9 points
- Fourth – 8 points
- Fifth – 7 points
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Featured Image: @mrolympiallc on Instagram
