Did Arnold Schwarzenegger ever lose Mr. Olympia?

Former Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger has created a legacy for himself in the world of bodybuilding. Having defeated multiple champions and bodybuilding giants in his illustrious career, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first bodybuilder ever to win seven titles.

Making his pro debut at the age of 16 back in 1963, Schwarzenegger won numerous hearts with his astounding physique.

Having competed in various weightlifting tournaments earlier in his career, Schwarzenegger made his debut on the Olympia stage back in 1969 but unfortunately lost to ‘The Myth’ Sergio Oliva. Standing tall at 6’2” and weighing 240 lbs, Schwarzenegger came second in his debut show.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and brought up in Austria, Europe. The European standards of bodybuilding were much more different than that of American standards. This is why when Schwarzenegger stepped foot on American soil for the first time back in 1968, he was shocked to his core by the results.

While size was considered the first priority in Europe, Americans preferred conditioning as well. Learning this the hard way, Schwarzenegger worked on his physique and won his first title back in 1970. Arnold became the youngest bodybuilder back then to win the prestigious Olympia title at the mere age of 23.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s views on Sergio Oliva

There are only two bodybuilders who have ever defeated ‘The Austrian Oak.’ The first was Frank Zane who defeated Schwarzenegger in 1968 and the second was Sergio Oliva who shattered Arnold’s Olympia dreams in 1969.

Talking about his defeat to Oliva, Arnold Schwarzenegger said (via Broscience):

“I understood why they called him The Myth. It was as if I’d walked into a wall. He destroyed me. He was so huge, he was so fantastic, there was no way I could even think of beating him. I settled for second place before we walked out on the stage… I never like to admit defeat, but I thought Sergio was better. There were no two ways about it.”

While bodybuilding is a sport that takes years of perfection and discipline to excel, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tale of redemption still remains one of the best ones in the history of the sport.

Arnold Schwarzenegger took the defeat in a positive way and took help from Frank Zane and Joe Weider to improve his physique. Winning countless titles following this, Schwarzenegger continues to inspire young lifters.