The Mr. Olympia finals was a briskly run affair -- barely two-and-a-half-hours long. However, the fast pace was greatly appreciated since it made for a more entertaining event. No surprise to anyone, Ronnie Coleman walked away with the title for the fifth time -- and he deserved it. I've seen Coleman win every year and in my estimation this was his best condition. However, what did surprise everyone was Gunter Schlierkamp stealing the spotlight, and the crowd, from Coleman. In the best shape of his life, the 300-pound Schlierkamp had the audience behind him like few other competitors I've seen. Like Jay Cutler did in 2001, this year Schlierkamp lept to the forefront of the bodybuilding world and from now on will be regarded as one of the world's best. Placed side-by-side to Coleman, Schlierkamp displayed astonishing size and density and even outmuscled him on many poses. When Schlierkamp's free-posing routine finished, the crowd roared louder than for any other competitor. When he was announced in fifth place, the crowd booed with disapproval -- some feeling he should place as high as top-3, others feeling he should outright displace Coleman for the title. So when Gunter received his trophy, he became the only competitor of the evening to receive a standing ovation -- his first of two! Quieting the crowd with a few words at the microphone, the crowd quickly stood again for the well-liked competitor. Ronnie Coleman won the Olympia title, but the night belonged to Gunter Schlierkamp. The Olympia top-10 finishers were:
Highlight Photos
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