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There is no denying Derek Lunsford’s superiority on the modern bodybuilding stage. Having created a legacy for himself in the past few years with his insane physique and phenomenal work ethic, Lunsford has not only won the Mr. Olympia title but has lifted the Sandow in two different categories.
Making his debut back in 2015, Derek Lunsford competed at the NPC Indianapolis Championships. Winning his debut show, Lunsford made his IFBB Pro debut back in 2017 at the Tampa Pro and secured a win in the 212 weight class. Lunsford won his first Mr. Olympia title in the 212 division in 2021. Following this, he was invited by the IFBB to compete in the open division.
Grabbing the opportunity, Lunsford competed at the 2022 Mr. Olympia in the open category and came second to Hadi Choopan. However, with a much better physique and a wise game plan, Lunsford was able to dethrone Choopan and win the title at 2023 Mr. Olympia the following year. This made Lunsford the only bodybuilder ever to win Mr. Olympia in two different categories.
Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman was one of the first to predict Derek Lunsford’s fate at 2023 Mr. Olympia.
Ronnie Coleman’s prediction for Derek Lunsford at 2023 Mr. Olympia
Being one of only two bodybuilders to win Mr. Olympia eight times, Ronnie Coleman is surely one of the most experienced and knowledgeable athletes in the sport. Making a YouTube video just days before Mr. Olympia last year, Coleman dropped his predictions for the prestigious contest.
Talking about the sixth and fifth places, Coleman believed Brandon Curry and Andrew Jacked would be the best fit. He said:
"Brandon has kind of like not been bringing his top form lately…Andrew is really been making a lot of improvements. He has played very well in some contests.” (0:30)
Predicting about the top three, Coleman said:
"I in third place, I’m going go with Samson Dauda because Samson has made some, some real nice gains in the last two years…His conditioning has come along real, real, real nice. His muscle size, in accordance with his muscle maturity, has aged properly right on time.” (02:51)
"I’m going to put Hadi in second, and this going to be a big blow. The guy who I’m going with to win it all is Derek Lunsford.” (04:48)
With years of experience under his belt, Ronnie Coleman’s prediction for Derek Lunsford proved to be true. The latter is currently preparing for 2024 Mr. Olympia to be held in October.
What are your predictions for this year’s Mr. Olympia contest? Let us know in the comments.
