3x Mr. Olympia, 1967–1969
Sergio Oliva
Sergio Oliva was a Men's Open Bodybuilding competitor from Cuba with a competitive record spanning 1966–1985.
Where the titles came from
Counted from the same results table below: an appearance is one contest entered (in the years the Olympia also judged weight classes, one appearance can carry two placings), an Olympia title is the overall win in that division, and Top 3 counts first, second and third together. The last row is every professional contest on record for Sergio Oliva.
Mr. Olympia
All contests on record
Professional results
Every professional contest result on record for Sergio Oliva, 11 in all. Won by names the winner of the division Sergio Oliva competed in, and shows a dash where that winner cannot be pinned to one person in the database.
| Year | Contest | Division | Place | Won by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #8 | Lee Haney |
| 1984 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #8 | Lee Haney |
| 1981 | Pro World Cup | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 | Winner |
| 1980 | Pro World Cup | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 | Winner |
| 1972 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #2 | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| 1971 | Universe - Pro | Division not recorded (Tall) | #2 | Bill Pearl |
| 1970 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #2 | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| 1969 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 | Winner |
| 1968 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 | Winner |
| 1967 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 | Winner |
| 1966 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #4 | Larry Scott |
Where these results come from. Each contest in the table was recorded from a named source, and for Sergio Oliva that source is MuscleMemory. Open any contest above and that page names its own source and links to it where the source is still reachable. That archive no longer answers at the addresses we hold, so it is credited by name here and not offered as a link.
Every professional season
- Pro Debut
- 1966
- First Win
- 1967
- Last Contest
- 1985
Sergio Oliva at the Olympia, year by year
| Year | Placement | Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 4 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1967 | 1 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1968 | 1 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1969 | 1 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1970 | 2 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1972 | 2 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1984 | 8 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1985 | 8 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
Data updated
How Sergio Oliva measures up
Fat-free mass index turns the height and weight on this profile into one number for how much muscle a frame carries, so a shorter competitor is not flattered by a bodyweight comparison. The normalised figure adjusts it again to a standard height, which is the version worth ranking. Both assume the 6% body fat a competitor steps on stage at, because that is the only condition the recorded weight was taken in.
The closest Olympia champion on that measure is Larry Scott, at 30.4, the same figure.
What this rank is not. This database holds a height and a weight for just 463 athletes, and they are overwhelmingly the ones somebody bothered to measure: 74 of them hold an Olympia title. Almost every competitor on record carries no measurement at all. The pool also mixes every division and era together, from the lightweight women's classes to the open heavyweights, so it ranks size and nothing else. It says where Sergio Oliva sits among the athletes we hold measurements for, not among competitors.
Amateur and other shows not counted above
21 results from amateur shows and other contests this archive does not class as professional. Every total on this page covers the professional career only, so these are listed here but never counted, and they have no contest page.
Show the list
| Year | Contest | Division | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | World Championships | Division not recorded (Professional) | #1 |
| 1978 | Olympus | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 |
| 1977 | World Championships | Division not recorded (Professional) | #1 |
| 1976 | Olympus | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 |
| 1975 | Olympus | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 |
| 1974 | Mr International | Division not recorded (Professional) | #1 |
| 1973 | Mr International | Division not recorded (Medium) | Unplaced |
| 1972 | Mr Galaxy | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 |
| 1970 | Mr World | Division not recorded (Pro Tall) | #2 |
| 1967 | Universe | Division not recorded (Tall) | #1 |
| 1966 | Junior Mr America | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 |
| 1966 | Junior Mr America | Division not recorded (Most Muscular) | #1 |
| 1966 | Mr America | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #2 |
| 1966 | Mr America | Division not recorded (Most Muscular) | #1 |
| 1966 | Mr World | Division not recorded (Tall) | #1 |
| 1965 | Junior Mr America | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #2 |
| 1965 | Junior Mr America | Division not recorded (Most Muscular) | #1 |
| 1965 | Mr America | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #4 |
| 1965 | Mr America | Division not recorded (Most Muscular) | #1 |
| 1964 | Mr America | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #7 |
| 1964 | Mr America | Division not recorded (Most Muscular) | #3 |
More Men's Open Bodybuilding athletes Athletes from Cuba Sergio Oliva peak window
Most-met rivals
Compare any two athletes →In 3 meetings, Arnold Schwarzenegger finished ahead of Sergio Oliva 2 times to 1.
Opponents are ranked by how often they shared a stage and how big the stage was, not by reputation. A meeting is one contest where both competed in the same division and both were placed.
Win rate here is first-place finishes as a share of all 11 professional contest results. It is published only where a career holds at least five, because below that a single placing moves the figure by twenty points or more.
Latest Coverage
- Sergio Oliva – Complete Profile: Height, Workout And Diet
- The Golden Ratio of Gains: Ranking the 18 Most Aesthetic Bodybuilders of All Time
- Frank Zane Discusses Competing vs Sergio Oliva & Longevity Tips: “Don’t Stay Peaked”
- Sergio Oliva Jr. Looks Jacked Recreating Legendary Father’s Poses
- Jay Cutler Talks Mike Mentzer Quitting After losing to Arnold Schwarzenegger at 1980 Mr. Olympia
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Says Toughest Rival Was Sergio Oliva: ‘It Took Everything I Had To Beat Him’

