Sergio Oliva

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Sergio Oliva
— Bodybuilder —
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Sergio "The Myth" Oliva
Personal info
Nickname The Myth
Born (1941-07-04)July 4, 1941
Cuba
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Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight 245 lb (111 kg)
Professional career
Pro-debut 1966 Mr. World, 1966
Best win IFBB Mr. Olympia 1967-1969, three consecutive times, 1968 uncontested and unchallenged
Predecessor Larry Scott
Successor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Active 1962 - 1985

Sergio Oliva (July 4, 1941 – November 12, 2012) was a Cuban bodybuilder known as "The Myth". This sobriquet was arguably given to him by bodybuilder/writer Rick Wayne but Oliva himself has doubted this claim.[1] Supposedly Wayne had begun calling Oliva "The Myth" (because everyone who saw him at the 1967 Montreal World's Fair said he was "Just unbelievable").[2]

Early life

Oliva was born in Cuba on July 4, 1941. At 12, he worked with his father in the sugar cane fields of Guanabacoa. When Oliva was 16, his father suggested that he enlist in Fulgencio Batista's army. In the absence of a birth certificate, the recruiting officer took the senior Oliva's word that his son was old enough to enlist in the fight against communism.

After losing the war to Fidel Castro, Oliva stayed local and took to hanging out at the beach. There, he met a fellow sun worshipper, who invited him to the local weightlifting club. After just six months of training Oliva was doing clean and jerks with over 300 lb and totaling 1000 lb in the three Olympic lifts at a bodyweight of 195 lb, considered a middle-heavyweight.

In 1962, the National Weightlifting Championship for Cuba was won by Alberto Rey Games Hernandez; Sergio Oliva took second place. Because Games received an injury, Oliva was chosen to represent Cuba at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games hosted in Kingston, Jamaica.

During his stay in Jamaica, Oliva sneaked out of his quarters while the guards were distracted. He ran at top speed until he was safely inside the American consulate. Arriving breathlessly, he demanded and received political asylum. Soon, 65 other Cuban nationals followed him, including Castro's entire weightlifting team and their security guards. Soon afterward, Oliva was living in Miami, Florida, working as a TV repairman.[3]

Life in the United States

In 1963 Oliva moved to Chicago, Illinois. There he worked at a local steel mill and began working out at the Duncan YMCA. Working 10- to 12-hour days at the steel mill and putting in another 2.5–3 hours at the gym gave Oliva very little time for anything else. Soon the bodybuilding grapevine was abuzz with gossip about a Cuban powerhouse who lifted more than any of the local Olympic champs. Oliva won his first bodybuilding competition the Mr. Chicagoland contest in 1963. Then he was successful again at the Mr. Illinois in 1964 but he lost in 1965 at the AAU Jr. Mr. America winning 2nd place even though he won the trophy for "Most Muscular." In 1966, he won the AAU Jr. Mr. America and again he claimed the trophy for "Most Muscular". He then joined the International Federation of BodyBuilders IFBB in which he won both the professional Mr. World and Mr. Universe Contests. In 1967, he won the prestigious Mr. Olympia contest, making him the undisputed world champion of bodybuilding.

Oliva then went on to win the Mr. Olympia title three years in a row, at 5 feet 11 inches and at a contest weight that went from 225 lbs up to his most massive at 255 lbs. Oliva's 1968 Mr Olympia win was uncontested. In 1969, he won his third consecutive Mr. Olympia by beating a Mr. Europe, a Mr. International, and four-time Mr. Universe winner Arnold Schwarzenegger. In his 1977 autobiography, 'Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder', Arnold tells of their first encounter: "Then for the first time, I saw Sergio Oliva in person. I understood why they called him the Myth. It was as jarring, as if I'd walked into a wall. He destroyed me. He was so huge, he was so fantastic, there was no way I could even think of beating him. I admitted my defeat and felt some of my pump go away. I tried. But I'd been so taken back by my first sight of Sergio Oliva that I think I settled for 2nd place before we walked out on the stage... I never like to admit defeat, but I thought Sergio was better. There were no two ways about it."[4]

However, Schwarzenegger won his first Mr. Olympia title by edging the Myth the following year with a score of 4-3 when Joe Weider switched judges at the last minute. Oliva was banned from competing in the 1971 IFBB Mr. Olympia because he competed in the 1971 NABBA Mr. Universe. This was extremely controversial because Schwarzenegger had competed for this very same contest the year before and without Sergio to challenge Arnold, many felt that the contest was fixed. "I'd coasted to my second title as Mr.Olympia, in Paris in 1971. The only possible challenger had been Sergio - nobody else was in my league - and he'd been barred from the contest, along with others, because of a dispute between federations."[5] Oliva was permitted to simply guest pose at the 1971 Mr Olympia. After this setback, Oliva was fiercely determined to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger and prove once and for all that he was the world's greatest bodybuilder.

In 1972, under the High Intensity Training (HIT) of Arthur Jones, the designer of Nautilus training equipment, Oliva challenged Schwarzenegger for the 1972 Olympia in Essen Germany. By all accounts, Sergio was in his all-time greatest shape and completely confident he would regain the Mr. Olympia title showing up at his all-time best condition. "But in Essen, it seemed like all the top Bodybuilders turned up at their very best except for me. Sergio was back, even more impressive than I remembered."[6] Once again, Weider switched the judges at the last minute and Arnold was declared the winner in what is to this day the most controversial bodybuilding contest of all time. "Compared with all of the other Bodybuilders I've ever faced, Sergio really was in a class by himself. I was struck by that again the minute we were onstage. It was so hard to look impressive next to him with those incredible thighs, that impossibly tiny waist, those incredible triceps."[7]

After being disqualified from the 1973 IFBB Mr. International that Sergio actually won, he severed all ties with the Joe Weider controlled IFBB and continued competing for other world bodybuilding federations. He won the World BodyBuilding Guild (WBBG) Mr. Galaxy in 1972 and 1973, the WBBG Mr. Olympus in 1975, 1976 and 1978, the WABBA Professional World Championships in 1977 and 1980, and the WABBA Professional World Cup in 1980 and 1981. After a 12-year hiatus from the IFBB, Oliva was invited back to the IFBB and came out of retirement to compete in the 1984 Mr. Olympia. Finishing in a very controversial eighth place, "the Myth" still sported an extremely impressive physique and V-taper. Although he was not at his best, most bodybuilding experts and media at the time felt that he should have placed in the top five.

In 1985, at the age of 44, Oliva returned for an attempt at the famed Mr. Olympia title and would compete again in 1985. While being a favorite by many in the crowd he could manage just an 8th-place finish in each. "Anyone who loves the sport of bodybuilding knows the name of Sergio Oliva, known as 'the Myth'. I greatly admired him and consider him to be the all-time world's greatest physique. I saw him in competition many times, including his shows against Arnold. There is no doubt that with his wide shoulders and narrow hip structure he was superior to any other Bodybuilder of his generation. Sergio was not only the most aesthetic bodybuilder on stage but also the biggest... Sergio Oliva is considered by most to be the world's most genetically gifted bodybuilder... He set a whole new standard for competitive bodybuilding; loved by millions, revered by many and feared by some. He was so huge and extremely proportioned that he used to bring chills to his adversaries. This is how he acquired the name of the Myth."[8]

Personal

  • He served the city of Chicago as a police officer for more than 25 years.
  • In 1986, Sergio survived being shot by his then-wife Arleen Garrett. He sustained 5 bullet wounds to his abdomen from a .38 special.[9]
  • His son, Sergio Oliva Jr, is following in his father's footsteps into competitive bodybuilding in Chicago, Illinois.
  • Oliva co-starred with Mil Máscaras in a Mexican wrestling movie in 1975 called El Poder Negro (Black Power), in which he played a super-strong dockworker who runs afoul of the local crime syndicate and helps Mil Máscaras to bring them to justice. His co-star was Venezuelan actress and singer Lila Morillo.[10]
  • In 1977, Oliva starred in a second Mexican action film (this time a wrestling/ western hybrid) called Los Temibles ("The Fearful Ones") aka El centauro negro.
  • The character Biscuit Oliva in the Japanese manga and anime Baki the Grappler was closely based on Oliva's real-life personality and appearance.

Death

Sergio Oliva died on November 12, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois from apparent kidney failure. He was 71. His death marked the first passing of any Mr. Olympia.[11]

Distinctions

  • During his career he won 20 first place bodybuilding titles.
  • The second bodybuilder to win the Mr. Olympia competition.
  • The last man to defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger in competition and the only bodybuilder to defeat him in a Mr. Olympia contest (1969).
  • 2 Times Mr International, 2 Times Mr Galaxy, 2 times Professional World Cup, 2 Times Professional World Championships, 3 Times Mr. Olympus, 3 Times Mr. Olympia.
  • The smallest waist measurement of any Mr. Olympia champion in history at 28 inches, reputedly, and at a bodyweight of 235 lbs.
  • The only Mr. Olympia winner whose thighs measured larger than their waist measurement (32-inch thighs and 28-inch waist).
  • He maintained a 28-30 inch differential between his waist and chest measurements throughout his entire career; at his peak in 1972, his chest was 58 inches and his waist was only 28 inches.

Bodybuilding titles

  • 1963 Mr Chicago – 1st
  • 1964 Mr Illinois – 1st
  • 1964 Mr America – AAU, 7th
  • 1965 Junior Mr America – AAU, 2nd
  • 1965 Junior Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular
  • 1965 Mr America – AAU, 4th
  • 1965 Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular,
  • 1966 Junior Mr America – AAU, Winner
  • 1966 Junior Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular
  • 1966 Mr America – AAU, 2nd
  • 1966 Mr America – AAU, Most Muscular,
  • 1966 Mr World – IFBB, Overall Winner
  • 1966 Mr World – IFBB, Tall, 1st Overall
  • 1966 Mr Universe – IFBB Winner
  • 1966 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 4th
  • 1967 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, Winner
  • 1967 Universe – IFBB, Overall Winner
  • 1968 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, Winner Uncontested
  • 1969 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, Winner
  • 1970 Mr World – AAU, Pro Tall, 2nd
  • 1970 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 2nd
  • 1971 Universe – Pro - NABBA, Tall, 2nd
  • 1972 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 2nd
  • 1972 Mr Galaxy – WBBG, 1st
  • 1973 Mr International/ Mr Azteca – IFBB, Professional, 1st
  • 1973 Mr Galaxy – WBBG, 1st
  • 1974 Mr International – WBBG, Professional, 1st
  • 1975 Mr Olympus – WBBG, Winner
  • 1976 Mr Olympus – WBBG, Winner
  • 1977 Pro World Championships – WABBA, 1st
  • 1978 Mr Olympus – WBBG, Winner
  • 1980 Pro World Championships – WABBA, 1st
  • 1980 Professional World cup – WABBA, Winner
  • 1981 Professional World Cup – WABBA, Winner
  • 1984 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 8th
  • 1984 Professional Mid-States Championships – WABBA 1st
  • 1985 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 8th [12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Arnold the Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold schwarzenegger and Douglas Kent Hall, published by Simon & Schuster 1977, page 97 ISBN 0-671-79748-4
  5. ↑ TOTAL RECALL by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Peter Petre, pg. 144 (Simon & Schuster 2012) [hereinafter "TOTAL RECALL"]
  6. ↑ TOTAL RECALL, pg. 144
  7. ↑ TOTAL RECALL, pg. 128
  8. ↑ Robert Kennedy, Best Selling Author, Editor and Publisher of MuscleMag International; Sergio Oliva, Building the Ultimate Physique by Sergio Oliva and Frank Marchante, Foreword (Gras Publishing Company 2007)
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Black Power (1975) IMDb
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Sergio Oliva the Myth, Building the Ultimate Physique by Sergio Oliva and Frank Marchante 2007 page 320 {by Gras Publishing company}

External links

Mr. Olympia
Preceded by:
Larry Scott		 1967-1969 Succeeded by:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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