The biggest night in bodybuilding is upon us. Here’s how the pros are looking with two weeks to go.
Last updated on September 30th, 2024
The 2024 Mr. Olympia is just around the corner. The four-day extravaganza in Los Vegas, NV, lasts from Oct. 10 to 13 and will feature the historic 60th edition of the biggest night in bodybuilding.
- In September, Olympia President Dan Solomon told BarBend that this year’s event will be, “bigger than ever.” He was referring to the expo itself, but it also applies to the physique athletes taking the stage at the “O.”
Mr. Olympia and history maker Derek Lunsford will attempt his first title defense in just two short weeks — and he’s got one hell of a fight ahead of him. Let’s take a look at the most recent public physique updates of the pack leaders at the 2024 Mr. Olympia:
2024 Mr. Olympia | Top 5
These athletes occupied the top five positions at last year’s contest. We’ll also briefly include some honorable mentions and fan favorites, such as Nick Walker and Hunter Labrada, toward the end.
Editor’s Note: The round-up below contains the most up-to-date photos or videos of these competitors as of Sep. 30, 2024.
2024 Mr. Olympia: Derek Lunsford
In 2023, Lunsford made Mr. Olympia history when he became the first athlete to win both the Men’s Open and 212 divisions.
- “It’s extraordinary to be Mr. Olympia,” Lunsford said during an interview with NPC News Online on Sep. 12. “It’s a greater responsibility than people can understand.”
Lunsford looked ready to rock and roll during a chest workout on Sep. 28:
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While he’s known for having the biggest, beefiest back in bodybuilding, Lunsford is clearly taking action to ensure he’s got an impenetrable defense planned for the Olympia stage. If he can nail his conditioning in the dwindling days before pre-judging begins, we might be looking at a two-time champ.
2024 Mr. Olympia: Hadi Choopan
“You will not be ready,” said Choopan back in July during a mid-prep physique update. The “Persian Wolf” and 2022 Mr. Olympia lost the Sandow to Lunsford one year ago — despite both men being coached by renowned muscle-maker Hany Rambod, Choopan and Lunsford have a friendly rivalry brewing.
Choopan plays things pretty close to the chest on social media, but you can clearly see his current status during this social media post from Sep 24:
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At the 2023 Mr. Olympia, Choopan angrily stormed off stage when Lunsford was announced as the division’s latest champion. Sportsmanship aside, bodybuilding rivalries up the ante and inject a bit of (mostly) harmless drama into the show. Fans are in for a treat when Lunsford and Choopan collide again in Las Vegas.
2024 Mr. Olympia: Samson Dauda
The United Kingdom’s best and beefiest is on the come-up. Dauda placed sixth at the “O” in 2022 and then lept to third last year. He placed second at the Arnold Classic this year — a position he might just match at the Mr. Olympia.
Here’s the package he brought, and what he’ll have to offer fans on stage in Vegas:
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“We never stop pushing. We never stop driving to be better every single time we get on stage,” Dauda said shortly after finishing up in France. Based on his trajectory over the last year, Dauda is anything but all bark and no bite.
2024 Mr. Olympia: Brandon Curry
After a long, almost ridiculously storied career, Curry bagged his Mr. Olympia title in 2019. We’re five years on from that career high, and Curry is still in the mix. He placed fourth last year and, based on what we’ve seen of him during his contest prep, another top-five finish seems assured.
The question is where exactly he’ll land. Curry is a bit on the shy side when it comes to sharing physique updates, but we can see his general shape and conditioning during this back workout from Sep. 23:
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“ Very fortunate for all the support around me, it fuels my spirit from day to day,” Curry remarked. “God willing I make it to the stage with something impactful to share. “
2024 Mr. Olympia: Andrew Jacked
Jacked looks lean, mean, and impressively vascular just weeks from his appearance at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. In ‘23, Jacked rounded out the top 5 — bumping Hunter Labrada to sixth — and made a strong case as one of the sport’s rising stars.
Here’s how Jacked was looking on Sep. 24:
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Standing at 6’2”, Jacked brings tremendous stature and golden-era flow to the Olympia stage. His trainer, Chris Lewis, had this to say about Jacked’s Mr. Olympia prospects on Sep. 28:
- ‘[Jacked] is the most complete and aesthetic mass monster EVER! … If judges are not so enamored with shredded glutes, Andrew should be the champion.”
2024 Mr. Olympia: Honorable Mentions
Last year’s top five aside, the 2024 Mr. Olympia roster runs even deeper. Here are four other athletes who have serious chances at making it into the top five — or winning the event outright:
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Featured Image: @dereklunsford_, @hadi_choopan, @samson__dauda / Instagram
