The 2021 Mr. Olympia competition kicks off on Friday, Oct. 8 (Saturday in Australia) and continues through Saturday. Mr. Olympia is a world renowned annual bodybuilding contest that has dated back to 1965.
The event is hosted by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB). Back in 1965, a Canadian bodybuilder named Joe Weider began hosting the Mr. Olympia event with hopes to give the Mr. Universe winners another outlet to compete and earn money in.
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One of Mr. Olympia's most well-known winners is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who won seven times. He won six consecutive years from 1970-75, then won again in 1980. He became the youngest person to win at 23 years of age.
Mr. Olympia weekend consists of various bodybuilding events for professionals and amateurs to qualify in. There is also a female version of the competition named Ms. Olympia, which began in 1980.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2021 Mr. and Ms. Olympia competitions, including how to watch it, who's competing and how much money is involved.
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When is Mr. Olympia in 2021?
- Dates: Saturday, Oct. 9 - Sunday, Oct. 10
The first round of pre-judging events begins at midnight AEDT on Saturday morning (9 a.m. ET on Friday in the US). The final events take place starting at 10am on Sunday (7pm on Saturday in the US).
This year's event is held in Orlando, Florida, in the Orange County Convention Center.
Mr. Olympia schedule
Here is the live stream schedule for Mr. Olympia and Ms. Olympia events on Friday and Saturday.
Note: During each designated time, there are multiple events. Therefore, each event listed might not start on time.
| Date | Time (ET) | Event |
| Oct. 9 | 12am | Ms. Olympia Pre-Judging |
| Oct. 9 | 10am | Ms. Olympia Finals |
| Oct. 9 | 10am | Mr. Olympia Pre-Judging |
| Oct. 10 | 10am | Mr. Olympia Finals |
Is Mr. Olympia on TV in Australia?
- TV channel: n/a
- Live stream: Mr. Olympia pay-per-view
Mr. Olympia will not be televised in Australia this year. Viewers can access the event on Olympia TV, where you can purchase a Premium Package for US$59.95 (AU$82).
Who is competing at Mr. and Ms. Olympia?
In order to qualify for the events, the competitors must meet requirements that are set forth by the IFBB Professional League, which is the official sanctioning organization of the Olympia.
16 men from eight countries qualified for the Mr. Olympia event, while 16 women from seven countries qualified for the Ms. Olympia event.
Mr. Olympia 2020 was Mamdouh Elssbiay from Egypt. He will be making a return at this year's event. Other past Mr. Olympia winners returning for this year's competition include Brandon Curry, the 2019 champion, and Phil Heath, who won in seven consecutive years from 2011 to 2017.
The 2020 Ms. Olympia champion was American Andrea Shaw. The event wasn't held from 2015-2019, so no other current qualifiers are previous winners.
Below outlines who will be competing from each of the countries.
Mr. Olympia qualifiers
| Name | Country |
| Brandon Curry | USA |
| Phil Heath | USA |
| Justin Rodriguez | USA |
| Nicholas Walker | USA |
| Patrick Moore | USA |
| Akim Williams | USA |
| Hunter Labrada | USA |
| Regan Grimes | Canada |
| Iain Valliere | Canada |
| James Hollingshead | UK |
| Nathan De Asha | UK |
| Andrea Presti | Italy |
| Mamdouh Elssbiay | Egypt |
| William Bonac | Netherlands |
| Hadi Choopan | Iran |
| Roelly Winklaar | Curacao |
Ms. Olympia qualifiers
| Name | Country |
| Andrea Shaw | USA |
| Margie Martin | USA |
| Helle Trevino | USA |
| MayLa Ash | USA |
| Leah Dennie | USA |
| Michaela Aycock | USA |
| LaDawn McDay | USA |
| Sheena Ohlig | USA |
| Reshanna Boswell | USA |
| Nadia Capostosto | Italy |
| Silvia Matta | Italy |
| Virginia Sanchez | Spain |
| Irene Andersen | Sweden |
| Anastasia Leonova | Russia |
| Mona Poursaleh | Canada |
| Margita Zamolova | Czech Republic |
What are the other events held during the weekend?
There are a total of 11 events held throughout the weekend. Mr. Olympia and Ms. Olympia are the two biggest events.
The other events for men go as follows: 212 Olympia, Men/s Physique Olympia, Classic Physique Olympia and Wheelchair Olympia. The other events for women go as follows: Figure Olympia, Fitness Olympia, Bikini Olympia, Women's Physique Olympia, Wellness Olympia and Wheelchair Olympia.
Mr. Olympia prize money
There are 11 events held during the weekend. The total purse for these 11 events is $1.6 million (AU$2.19 million), which is the most in the competition's history. This is an increase from the 2020 purse of $1.4 million.
The event has not specified the amounts per place and per competition. Last year's Mr. Olympia winner took home US$400,000, so an increase is expected.
Mr. Olympia winners list
This list denotes the previous Mr. Olympia winners from 2000-2020.
| Year | Name |
| 2020 | Mamdouh Elssbiay |
| 2019 | Brandon Curry |
| 2018 | Shawn Rhoden |
| 2017 | Phil Heath |
| 2016 | Phil Heath |
| 2015 | Phil Heath |
| 2014 | Phil Heath |
| 2013 | Phil Heath |
| 2012 | Phil Heath |
| 2011 | Phil Heath |
| 2010 | Jay Cutler |
| 2009 | Jay Cutler |
| 2008 | Dexter Jackson |
| 2007 | Jay Cutler |
| 2006 | Jay Cutler |
| 2005 | Ronnie Coleman |
| 2004 | Ronnie Coleman |
| 2003 | Ronnie Coleman |
| 2002 | Ronnie Coleman |
| 2001 | Ronnie Coleman |
| 2000 | Ronnie Coleman |
Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005) and Lee Haney (1984-1991) are tied for the most Mr. Olympia wins in history with eight apiece. All of their wins were in consecutive years as well. Phil Heath (2011-2017) falls behind them with seven wins, all consecutive as well.