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Home » Bodybuilding News » Jay Cutler: Martin Fitzwater Is the Dark Horse of the 2024 Olympia

Jay Cutler: Martin Fitzwater Is the Dark Horse of the 2024 Olympia

After placing a narrow second to Nick Walker at the New York Pro, all eyes turn toward Fitzwater.

Written by Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2
Last updated on October 23rd, 2024

Speculation abounds: With exactly one month until the 2024 Olympia, the pack leaders — including the young Martin Fitzwater — of the Men’s Open division are starting to stake their claims.

  • This year’s “O” runs from Oct. 10 to 13 in Las Vegas, NV. Reigning champ Derek Lunsford will look to make his first title defense in the category after his historic win in ’23.

Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler thinks rising star Fitzwater is the one to watch out for this year. “I’m pretty impressed. [Fitzwater] almost beat Nick Walker at the New York Pro,” Cutler said on Sep. 6.

The Latest: Tonio Burton Is OUT of the 2024 Olympia

[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements for Bodybuilding]

Martin Fitzwater: The Sleeper

“I think Fitzwater is the sleeper,” Cutler said during an episode of his podcast, Cutlercast, while discussing the competitive field ahead of the Olympia.

  • “I’m impressed; he’s looking pretty dense,” Cutler continued.

Martin “the Martian” Fitzwater, just 27, booked his ticket to the 60th edition of the Olympia earlier this year when he narrowly won the 2024 Detroit Pro. A month later, in May, the Martian nearly beat the Mutant — that’s Walker — at the New York Pro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9ABwr7k16A
  • “The crowd popped for Fitzwater,” BarBend correspondent Roger Lockridge wrote on-site at the Pro. After pre-judging had wrapped, Fitzwater was just a single point behind Walker on the scorecards.

[Related: Best Supplements for Bodybuilding]

Martin Fitzwater: Fresh Blood

Fitzwater joining the Olympia conversation is a massive win for the 27-year-old, especially when his name is upheld by an industry legend like Cutler.

Fitzwater’s reputation is bolstered further by the fact that he’s among the youngest athletes slated to take the stage at the Olympia, especially if he’s on the periphery of the top five.

Here are the ages of the men currently at the front of the pack in Men’s Open bodybuilding:

  • Derek Lunsford: 31
  • Hadi Choopan: 36
  • Samson Dauda: 32
  • Nick Walker: 30
  • Andrew “Jacked” Obiekea: 39
  • Hunter Labrada: 32
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Martin “The Martian” Fitzwater (@martfitzh2o)

[Related: Best Whey Protein Powders for Muscle Growth]

Should Fitzwater win the Olympia — an extremely unlikely outcome this year, to be fair — he would be the youngest man to take home the Sandow trophy since Arnold Schwarzenegger. The “Austrian Oak” won his first Olympia title in 1970 at age 23.

  • “I’m not counting the days, but I’m making the days count,” Fitzwater wrote on Instagram while sharing a physique update on Sep. 10.

We’re counting, too. The 2024 Olympia begins on Oct. 10.

More Bodybuilding News

  • “Daddy’s Home”: Chris Bumstead Announces Part Ownership of Gymshark
  • How Does the Number 1 Bodybuilder in the World Train His Back?
  • Jay Cutler’s 10 Top Bodybuilding Exercises for Each Muscle

Featured Image: @martinfitzh2o / Instagram

About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

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