The 1981

Mr. Olympia Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation ...

contest was an IFBB

professional bodybuilding Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to bodybuilding for an income and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB or Wabba International Pro Card. A professional bodybuilder may be one who earns his or her primary income from ...

competition held on October 10, 1981, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. Following the

1980 Mr. Olympia The 1980 Mr. Olympia contest was an International Federation of BodyBuilders, IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on October 4, 1980, at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The event was one of the most debated competitions ...

political controversy, a number of favored bodybuilders boycotted the event, including

Frank Zane Frank Zane (born June 28, 1942) is a retired American professional bodybuilder and author. He is a three-time Mr. Olympia, and his physique is considered one of the greatest in the history of bodybuilding due to his meticulous focus on symmetry ...

Mike Mentzer Mike Mentzer (November 15, 1951 – June 10, 2001) was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder, businessman and author. Early life and education Mike Mentzer was born on November 15, 1951, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. In gramma ...

, and

Boyer Coe Boyer () is a French surname. In rarer cases, it can be a corruption or deliberate alteration of other names. Origins and statistics Boyer is found traditionally along the Mediterranean (Provence, Languedoc), the Rhône valley, Auvergne, Limou ...

Franco Columbu Francesco Maria Columbu (August 7, 1941 – August 30, 2019) was an Italian bodybuilder, powerlifter, actor, author, producer, and a licensed chiropractor. Originally a boxer, Columbu won the Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981, and competed in the i ...

followed

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

's suit (1980 Mr Olympia) and came out of retirement for a one time appearance and won the Olympia.

Results

Total prize money awarded was $50,000.

References

External links

Mr. Olympia
1981 1981 in American sports 1981 in bodybuilding {{Ohio-sport-stub