Are Mr. Olympia competitors banned from using steroids?

Modified Mar 13, 2024 12:33 GMT

Breon Ansley, Big Ramy and Chris Bumstead in one frame

Joe Weider came up with the idea for the Mr. Olympia competition. Joe planned the inaugural Mr. Olympia contest in 1965. In the 1960s, anabolic steroids appeared on the scene in competitive bodybuilding, changing the norm for what to appear like natural muscle growth. Massive thighs and shoulder muscles were fashionable in the 2000s. Based on appearance, many men in this transition cannot be classified as average.

Each contestant sought to increase their muscular mass, level of body fat, and vascularity as the sport developed. Many previous Mr. Olympia champions have come clean about using drugs throughout the years. As a result, steroid usage in Mr. Olympia's competitions has consistently raised concerns.

However, IFBB, the organization that oversees the competition, has regularly denied the usage of steroids in the competition.

WADA - The Anti-Doping governing body in Mr. Olympia

In 2004, the World Anti-Doping Code was established by the IFBB. The list of chemicals that are prohibited in sports is regulated and updated annually by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The medicines WADA has highlighted are likewise followed and prohibited by the IFBB. Every year on January 1st, the FDA changes its list of banned chemicals.

WADA bans a drug based on three criteria. When a substance complies with two of the three criteria, WADA prohibits it. The substance must meet three requirements to improve athletic performance. Drugs can endanger an athlete's health or have the potential to do so. Giving the athlete an unfair edge over his competitors goes against the spirit of the game.

It is fair to assume that the IFBB forbids the usage of steroids by its participants in the Mr. Olympia competition. According to organizations, athletes who are detected using drugs lose whatever titles they may have won.

The strange case of Drug-Free 1990 Mr. Olympia

Joe and Ben Weider repeatedly emphasized the introduction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which handled the drug testing, to the competition. This was due to a pair of factors. The IOC has the most experience in this area because they have been testing for drugs since at least the 1970s. Second, Ben Weider fought for the inclusion of bodybuilding in the Mr. Olympic Games. IOC drug testing is used to link the Olympic movement with bodybuilding.

Joe Weider made it clear in his remarks that the testing was carried out to protect the athlete's health and the sport's reputation. Maybe the Weiders might convince the IOC to accept bodybuilding as a sport, leading to their admission to the Olympics.

Five of the twenty contestants failed their tests. Even without the unfortunate five, the competition continued. Despite these obstacles, the competition continued and produced a tight finish between that-time current champion Lee Haney and the rest of the pack, which was led by Lee Labrada, Shawn Ray, and Mike Christina. Haney eventually performed well enough to prevail, earning him his eighth Mr. Olympia title.

Although it is well known that PEDs are used in bodybuilding, the IFBB abides by the strict rules that WADA establishes.