Despite entering the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest as the reigning champion, Derek Lunsford left Las Vegas without his second straight Sandow trophy and a record-setting prize purse of $600,000 that accompanied it.
He didn’t secure the silver medal, either. Lunsford’s quest to retain his Mr. Olympia title hardly played out as expected:
In a video posted on the NPC News Online YouTube Channel, Lunsford discussed his disappointing third-place finish at the 2024 Olympia with NPC News Online on Oct. 13, 2024 a day after the event wrapped.
While nobody viewed Lunsford as a lock to become the first Mr. Olympia to repeat since Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay captured back-to-back titles in 2020-’21, few expected him to slide to the number three spot. However, between Dauda’s sheer size and Choopan’s signature conditioning, the judges determined the defending champion didn’t measure up to two of his peers.
Although Lunsford acknowledged he had room for improvement coming off his historic 2023 victory, he felt he took strides in “some places” to set himself up for a knockout performance.
“For it to be even close and then dropping to third, it was just a shock, it’s crazy.”
Dropping out of the winner’s spot didn’t just cost Lunsford his Mr. Olympia crown and bragging rights. By falling to third, he went from potentially bagging $600,000 to settling for a $100,000 prize purse.
Still, Lunsford proved why he’s well-respected by his peers and bodybuilding fans with the way he handled his interview with Tony Doherty. Displaying genuine emotion and appreciation, Lunsford had nothing but praise for the man who toppled him from his Olympia throne:
“I said this to them on stage to him and his wife, I said ‘This is your moment. I am so happy for you guys,’” Lunsford recalled. “Even though it sucks for me, you can never take that away from somebody else.”
In what had to be a trying moment, Lunsford maintained humility and grace. He also provided valuable perspective on what it’s like to be part of a community of driven individuals who share the same goal.
I look at this as more colleagues than competitors because we are helping each other elevate to be our best. I say it all the time, and I say it now, but I genuinely mean that, but we all wanna be the champion but there can only be one champion.
Lunsford’s statement spotlights the challenges bodybuilders face to balance their competitive drive with being supportive of their fellow competitors. However, that internal battle doesn’t always end gracefully.
Lunsford learned that in 2023 when Choopan, his Evogen Nutrition teammate, walked off the Olympia stage after settling for second place. On the other hand, Chris Bumstead’s cool, calm, and collected approach on and off the stage has helped him garner widespread respect from fan and his fellow competitors.
But with the six-time champion retiring and the Classic Physique division up for grabs, will the next champion handle himself with the same degree of humility?
Lunsford going from first to third in the matter of a year certainly raised some eyebrows. However, he’s not the only Mr. Olympia winner to experience a disappointing sequel.
Here are a few notable competitors who fell short of defending their title:
2022:Big Ramy went from winning consecutive Olympias to failing to crack the top-four.
2009: Like Lunsford, Dexter Jackson settled for a bronze medal just one year after taking home the Sandow trophy. “The Blade” continued his backslide over the next two years, finishing fourth in ’10 and sixth in 2011.
1984:Samir Bannout went from standing atop the Olympia mountain in ‘83 to sixth place the following year. He never came close to earning another title, sandwiching eighth-place finishes in 1988 and 1990 with a ninth-place result in 1989.
In addition, Chris Dickerson went from winning the 1982 Mr. Olympia to finishing 11th in 1984 (after a one-year hiatus). Only time will tell if Lunsford can course-correct and make it back to the top of Mount Olympia.
