Bodybuilding World Reacts To Ronnie Coleman’s Least Favorite Mr. Olympia Host City: “Sounds Cool…But No Thanks”

Ronnie Coleman‘s contribution to the bodybuilding world cannot be easily quantified. The 8X Mr. Olympia’s impact and legacy in the sport will forever be remembered by any and every bodybuilding enthusiast. Thus, the Louisiana-born bodybuilder is often posed with questions regarding his career, his take on Olympia, the current crop of bodybuilders, etc. One common question he faces is his favorite place to compete in Olympia.

Recently, Derek Lunsford turned that question around and asked Coleman his least favorite place. Coleman had an interesting answer. Coleman appeared in a recent podcast with Derek Lunsford titled “Nothin’ But a Podcast”. A snippet from it was shared on Instagram. Here’s what Coleman had to say there, and how the bodybuilding world, including a former Arnold Classic winner, reacted.

Mr. Olympia on an ice rink?

In the Instagram clip shared by Ronnie Coleman, the 212 Olympia winner, Derek Lunsford asked him, “Let me ask you this. A lot of people ask you, ‘What is your favorite place to have the Olympia'”. But reversing the question, Lunsford then asks him, “Where would your least favorite place be to have it, considering you were competing in the Olympia?” 

Ronnie Coleman doesn’t even hesitate before answering the question. He said, “That’s easy. Helsinki, Finland”. Lunsford immediately says that he had a sense of that answer, and they both shared a laugh. Coleman reasons that they were standing atop a hockey rink during their Olympia main stage. And that seemed to set his mood off.

READ MORE – Eight-Time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman Once Explained the Importance of Having 24-Inch Arms and Muscle Thickness in Bodybuilding- “I Trained It Very Heavily”

Helsinki hosted the 1992 Mr. Olympia contest on September 12. It was 6 years before Coleman won his first-ever Olympia title, and subsequently, 7 more. A young Ronnie Coleman didn’t enjoy his time posing bare-bodied in the chilly weather of Finland. To add more to his woes, the contest was held at the Helsinki Ice Hall – an indoor arena for ice hockey.

Coleman’s fans support him wholeheartedly

Ronnie Coleman came 16th in that competition, tied with Samir Bannout and Miroslaw Daszkiewicz. It was also the first of 6 consecutive Olympia victories for British bodybuilder Dorian Yates. While Coleman’s experience wasn’t any good, several modern-day bodybuilders could only imagine what it would be like for them.

“Sounds cool… but no thanks”. Lunsford who was with Coleman in the podcast, later on, commented on his Instagram post as well. Lunsford didn’t look very keen on posing on top of the ice.

“This looks really interesting and entertaining”. Flex Wheeler, who was yet to mark in Arnold Classic and Olympia in 1992, found the notion quite intriguing.

Here’s how other bodybuilding fans reacted:

“That’s crazy! “It was shrinkage, I swear!” wrote someone who could almost feel the effects of ice-cold temperature on a bare body.

“Pretty sure I read about this in Dorian Yates biography”, wrote another fan. Given that Yates won his first Olympia that year, the comment looks plausible.

While another fan wrote, “Don’t be tired king”. Someone who was simply looking out for his idol, it seems.

While that was one year of bad experience for Ronnie Coleman, he didn’t really let it bother him too much after that. Very few people have gone on to achieve what Coleman has achieved in his bodybuilding career, yet one of his dream-come-true moments was in 2021 when he received the lifetime achievement award from Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was truly well-deserved. What did you think of Mr. Olympia being held in an ice hockey rink? Do you find that idea ‘cool’ or something that should never happen again? Let us know in the comments.

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