МИСТЕР ОЛИМПИЯ 1976

The 1976 Mr. Olympia contest was the 12th edition of the IFBB professional bodybuilding competition, held on September 18, 1976, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. It was the first Mr. Olympia contest without a defending champion since 1967, as six-time winner Arnold Schwarzenegger had retired and become a co-promoter alongside businessman Jim Lorimer.

The contest was divided into two weight categories at 200 pounds. In the under-200 pounds division, five competitors participated: Franco Columbu, Frank Zane, Ed Corney, Bill Grant, and Boyer Coe. Columbu, the favorite after two previous wins, narrowly defeated Zane by a single point, 187 to 186, with four judges favoring Columbu and three for Zane. Ed Corney placed third ahead of Grant and Coe.

In the over-200 pounds category, only two competed: Ken Waller and Mike Katz, who was competing with a back injury. Waller won this division convincingly.

In the overall final comparison, Columbu beat Waller to claim his first Mr. Olympia title, becoming the fourth different champion since the contest began. The judges' decision stirred controversy, and shortly after the contest both Columbu and Zane announced their retirements; however, both soon returned to competition. Zane went on to win three consecutive Mr. Olympia titles afterward, and Columbu won again in 1981.