Mister Olympia 2019 - New champion in the Men's Physique

Similar to the bikini class, men's physique is one of the least comprehensible categories of all. Year after year, not only neutral observers but also seasoned experts wonder how the scores in these mainstream divisions are arrived at. This phenomenon was not to be ignored at Mr Olympia 2019 and so the results from the previous year were once again shaken up, which of course inevitably keeps the competition and tension high.

In a way, history seemed to be repeating itself in the swimming trunks class. At the 2018 Mr Olympia, Jeremy Buendia had to settle for fourth place after four years of an almost unchallenged reign and watch Brandon Hendrickson take the title from him. Around twelve months later, the then reigning champion almost suffered a similar fate. Hendrickson, whose performance dropped off sharply, also only managed fourth place in the end, which logically limited his joy. After viewing the pictures, however, it was a justifiable decision that could have been tougher.

Ryan Terry, who finished third last year, was only just behind the American. It is certainly debatable whether this should be judged as such, but on the whole it can certainly be said that the Brit always finds it difficult to hold his own in the Men's Physique, which cannot be down to his form at all. The 30-year-old impresses with his impressive toughness, but in terms of muscle mass he is sometimes well behind his rivals. This is not necessarily a disadvantage for us, as he presents an extremely harmonious overall picture. The judges, on the other hand, never want to see the Englishman at the front.

Kyron Holden was one of the beneficiaries of a weakening title holder. The American IFBB Pro finished sixth in 2018, but was able to noticeably improve his performance this weekend, which ultimately justifies his positive result. Third place is therefore fine, as there was no way around Andre Ferguson for the New York Pro winner. Last year's fifth-placed rider returned to his old strength, left nothing to chance and secured the silver medal for the second time.

The new and first-time Olympic winner in the Men's Physique was Raymont Edmonds, who is no unknown quantity, but was not necessarily the undisputed top favourite beforehand. The 1.88 metre IFBB Pro stands out due to his height alone, which can be both a disadvantage and an advantage at the same time. In this case, the judges were in favour of last year's outstanding runner-up and rewarded him with the gold medal.

After four years with Jeremy Buendia as champion, the Men's Physique is now experiencing its second successive changing of the guard within a year. His fifth triumph in total as an IFBB Pro makes Raymont Edmonds the Olympic champion of the division that is often pejoratively referred to as the trunks class. Whether this first place can be defended remains to be seen. In any case, the judges have shown that they don't exactly seem averse to variety.

Mr Olympia 2019 - Men's Physique Top 5

Raymont Edmonds

Andre Ferguson

Kyron Holden

Brandon Hendrickson

Ryan Terry