In the first decade of the Olympia, there were years that the competitions were split into two groups — over 200 pounds and under 200 pounds. In 1980, the classes were unified again, which was that way for the next 28 years.
While the competitions were amazing, fans and insiders felt that the sport needed more champions to increase growth and awareness. The theory was also that lighter and shorter guys would never beat the big boys on the Olympia stage. So, the decision was made to re-establish a non-heavyweight division.
The weight limit for the new class was determined to be 202 pounds. However, after a few years at that limit, they found more athletes competing in the range of 205-210 pounds. The IFBB Pro League then changed the weight limit to 212 pounds.
212 Division Olympia Champions
- 2008: David Henry
- 2009-2011: Kevin English
- 2012-2018: Flex Lewis
- 2019: Kamal Elgargni
- 2020, 2022: Shaun Clarida
- 2021: Derek Lunsford
- 2023: Keone Pearson
The 212 division has established a legacy and fan base all of its own. Some of the athletes who have graced the Olympia 212 stage are among the most popular athletes in bodybuilding. Before we get into the yearly recap of the non-heavyweight division, here are a few introductory facts.
There have been six champions since 2008. David Henry was the first. Only two men, Kevin English and Flex Lewis, have won multiple titles at the time of this article’s publication. Lewis and 2021 champion Derek Lunsford are the only men to have not lost the title onstage. Lunsford is preparing for his first title defense at the 2022 Olympia weekend. 2020 champion Shaun Clarida is the only Olympia 212/202 winner to have won an Open show.
2008: David Henry
The new division’s debut was at the 2008 Olympia, which is historic for another reason. Dexter Jackson upset Jay Cutler to win Mr. Olympia that year. As for the 202 contest, David Henry was among the most popular non-heavyweights globally. He managed to hold off future champions Kevin English and Flex Lewis to win his first and only Olympia title.
2008 Olympia
- David Henry
- Kevin English
- Flex Lewis
- Jason Arntz
- George Farah
- Rashid “Roc” Shabazz
- Curtis Bryant
- Charles Ray Arde
- Jaroslav Horvath
- Charles Dixon
- Richard “Tricky” Jackson
- Jeff “Box” Long
- Nathan Wonsley
- Eric Castagnet
Henry would compete in the Mr. Olympia contest itself that same weekend, and he placed 15th.
2009-2011: Kevin English
New York native Kevin English was considered Henry’s top challenger for the title in 2009. He made good on his opportunity by upsetting the champion to become the second winner in the new division. Lewis was off the mark in this contest and finished in fifth place. Other notable names in this contest include Eduardo Correa and Jose Raymond.
English would win two more titles, becoming the first man to win multiple Olympia 202 contests. He would miss the 2012 Olympia, which is when a rising superstar seized the moment.
2009 Olympia
- Kevin English
- David Henry
- Eduardo Correa
- Mark Dugdale
- Flex Lewis
- Jose Raymond
- Tricky Jackson
- Jason Arntz
- Lee Powell
- John Hodgson
- Charles Dixon
- Kris Dim
- Clarence DeVis
- Stan McQuay
- Daryl Gee
2010 Olympia
- Kevin English
- David Henry
- Eduardo Correa
- Jose Raymond
- Jason Arntz
- Jaroslav Horvath
- Stan McQuay
- Tricky Jackson
- Mike Valentino
- Roc Shabazz
- Luc Molines
- Bola Ojex
- Ahmad Ahmad
- Steve Namat
2011 Olympia
- Kevin English
- Flex Lewis
- Jose Raymond
- Jaroslav Horvath
- Shaun-Joseph Tavernier
- Jason Arntz
- Stan McQuay
- Tricky Jackson
- Allan Auguste
- Marvin Ward
- Vaughn Ettienne
- Amit Sapir
- Guy Cisternino
- James Llewellin
- Myobo Edwards
2012-2018: Flex Lewis
With English out of the lineup and 10 more pounds added to the weight cutoff, this was considered Lewis’ title to win, and he did. In one of the most memorable contests in the division’s history, Lewis held off the charges of Henry, Correa, and Raymond to finally stand atop the Olympia stage. This victory began the most remarkable run for a non-heavyweight bodybuilder.
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Lewis won the next six Olympias, making his collection seven in total. Over the years, the contenders he had to face included Raymond, Hidetada Yamagishi, Ahmad Ashkanani, and the next rising star, Derek Lunsford. Lewis would retire from the division in 2018 with the intention of competing in the Mr. Olympia Open contest, but it never happened. On May 13, 2022, Lewis announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding.
2012 Olympia
- Flex Lewis
- David Henry
- Eduardo Correa
- Jose Raymond
- Al Auguste
- Tricky Jackson
- Guy Cisternino
- Curtis Bryant
- Fernando Noronha
- Angel Vargas
- Lukas Osladil
- Derik Farnsworth
- Jamal Ahmed Elmadawy
- Lyndon Belgrave
- Raul Jimenez
2013 Olympia
- Flex Lewis
- David Henry
- Kevin English
- Jose Raymond
- Eduardo Correa
- Sami Al-Haddad
- Guy Cisternino
- Troy Alves
- Tricky Jackson
- Mark Dugdale
- Al Auguste
- Raul Jimenez
2014 Olympia
- Flex Lewis
- Eduardo Correa
- Jose Raymond
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Baito Abbaspour
- Aaron Clark
- Sami Al-Haddad
- Guy Cisternino
- David Henry
- Charles Dixon
- Ahmad Ahmad
- Mark Dugdale
- Mboya Edwards
- Raul Carrasco
2015 Olympia
- Flex Lewis
- Jose Raymond
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- David Henry
- Eduardo Correa
- Guy Cisternino
- Charles Dixon
- Ahmad Ahmad
- Craig Richardson
- Al Auguste
- Kyung Won Kang
- Alex Cambronero
- Marco Rivera
- Aaron Clark
- Tricky Jackson
2016 Olympia
- Flex Lewis
- Ahmad Ashkanani
- Jose Raymond
- Eduardo Correa
- David Henry
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Charles Dixon
- Guy Cisternino
- Ronny Rockel
- Alex Cambronero
- Mark Dugdale
- Dobri Delev
- Shaun Clarida
- Sami Al-Haddad
- Marco Rivera
2017 Olympia
- Flex Lewis
- Ahmad Ashkanani
- Jose Raymond
- David Henry
- Derek Lunsford
- Milan Sadek
- Ronny Rockel
- Charles Dixon
- Shaun Clarida
- Riccardo Correia
- Kim Junho
- Nam Eun Cho
2018 Olympia
- Flex Lewis
- Derek Lunsford
- Kamal Elgargni
- Ahmad Ashkanani
- Jose Raymond
- David Henry
- Shaun Clarida
- Alex Cambronero
- Riccardo Correia
- Dwayne Quamina
- Nicolas Vullioud
- Zane Watson
- Sami Al-Haddad
- Charles Dixon
- Samir Troudi
2019: Kamal Elgargni
In 2018, international bodybuilding champion Kamal Elgargni finally moved into the IFBB Pro League, and he made an impact by placing third in his first Olympia. That set the stage for the 2019 matchup between himself and Lunsford after Lewis’ retirement.
2019 Olympia
- Kamal Elgargni
- Derek Lunsford
- Shaun Clarida
- John Jewett
- Ahmad Ashkanani
- Sami Al-Haddad
- Eduardo Correa
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Aaron Polites
- Angel Calderon Frias
- David Henry
- Zane Watson
- Oleh Kryvyi
- Fahad Zaid Hazzizi
- Tomas Tabiciar
Elgargni, at 48 years old, showed up in the best shape of his life, and he upset the heir apparent from Indiana to win the Olympia. Finishing in third place was Shaun Clarida, who was among the lightest men in the field.
2020, 2022: Shaun Clarida
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympia was still held. However, it had to be rescheduled for December 2020 and moved from Las Vegas, NV, to Orlando, FL. Elgargni hoped to join Lewis and English as multiple champions, while Lunsford still sought to be the best 212 bodybuilder on the planet.
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Neither man foresaw Clarida swooping in and beating them with superb definition and a bigger physique.
2021 Olympia
- Shaun Clarida
- Kamal Elgargni
- George Peterson
- Derek Lunsford
- Ahmad Ashkanani
- Oleh Kryvyi
- Angel Calderon Frias
- Derik Oslan
- Bo Lewis
- Guy Cisternino
- Jason Lowe
- David Henry
- John Jewett
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Errol Moore
Clarida weighed 177 pounds — over 40 pounds less than the favorites. Clarida pulled off the upset to take the title. Placing third in his first Olympia 212 was George Peterson, who had moved over from Classic Physique.
2022 Olympia
- Shaun Clarida
- Angel Calderon Frias
- Kamal Elgargni
- Ahmad Ashkanani
- Oleh Kryvyi
Following his 2021 victory, Derek Lunsford moved up to the Men’s Open division (aka the Mr. Olympia), guaranteeing a new champion in 2022. It turns out that the “new” champion would actually be Clarida, who, after teasing a move up to the Open himself, ultimately decided to reclaim his O status at 212 and cement himself as one of the division’s finest.
2021: Derek Lunsford
With the 2021 Olympia returning to Orlando, the pressure was now on Lunsford. Instead of being called the next superstar in the division, there were questions about whether he would ever make the most of the opportunity.
Unfortunately, a dark cloud hung over the contest because Peterson died in Orlando days before the contest was held. Despite the loss, the promoters held the contest in his honor.
2021 Olympia
- Derek Lunsford
- Shaun Clarida
- Kamal Elgargni
- Angel Calderon Frias
- Nathan Epler
- Ahmad Ashkanani
- Naser Mohammed
- Kerrith Bajjo
- John Jewett
- Tonio Burton
- Pasquale D’Angelo
- Lucas Coelho
- Noel Adame
- Keone Pearson
- Ahmed Elwardany
In that contest, Lunsford finally achieved the look he wanted, reaching the summit of his division. Clarida came in second, and Elgargni finished third.
2022 Olympia
There are several questions regarding the 2022 Olympia 212 Showdown. Clarida won the 2021 Legion Sports Fest contest in the Men’s Open and is now qualified for the Open and 212. He wants to do both, but that hasn’t been granted yet.
Lunsford showed up in Pittsburgh, PA, at a guest posing event weighing over 250 pounds and looking like he could compete in the Open himself. Can he reach the 212 limit so he can even defend his title? Can Elgargni, at age 51, reclaim the crown? Is there a new champion out there we don’t know about yet? The 2022 Olympia will return to Las Vegas on Dec. 16-18, 2022, and all of those questions will be answered.
Featured Images: @flex_lewis, @shaunclarida on Instagram
