23/03/2018
12 people walked on the Moon, but only 11 won the Sandow in Mr. Olympia competitions. The Sandow is bodybuilding’s highest honor, but the trophy’s elusive story remains largely uncharted.
In 1901, legendary strongman Eugen Sandow created “The Greatest Competition”, the first major physique competition the world had ever seen. The three top winners of the contest held in London’s Albert Hall received 3 statuettes of Sandow himself, made out of bronze, silver and gold.
For almost half a century after that, the Sandow remained in the shadows.
In 1950, the organizers of the Mr. Universe competition in London retrieved the original bronze Sandow trophy awarded at the beginning of the century at The Greatest Competition. The victor that year was Steve Reeves and he took the trophy to the US.
Although the prize created a lasting impression on bodybuilding enthusiasts of the day, the Sandow returned in the shadows, this time for over a quarter century.
Then in 1977, the promoters of the Mr. Olympia rediscovered the statue and offered it as the prize for the overall winner at the contest. The very first Mr. Olympia Sandow was won by Frank Zane.
Since then, just 11 people won the Sandow at Mr. Olympia.
