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After Hadi Choopan Storms off Stage, Mr. Olympia 2023 Derek Lunsford Makes a Humble Comment: “This Is a Win for All of Us”

Published 11/05/2023, 9:49 AM EST

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The 2023 Mr. Olympia event has finally wrapped up. Chris Bumstead won the Classic Physique title for the fifth time, and Jennifer Dorie got back her Bikini Olympia title. Then came the big showdown in the open division finals for Mr. Olympia. It was a tough competition. But Hadi Choopan, who won last year, didn’t manage to keep his Mr. Olympia title this time. Right after they gave medals to the top three bodybuilders, they asked them to show off their poses on stage. However, Hadi Choopan, also known as the Persian Wolf, refused and walked off the stage.

The world of bodybuilding has a new champion in the 2023 Mr. Olympia. Derek Lunsford, an American bodybuilder, defeated the current champion Hadi Choopan. While Choopan refused to talk about his defeat, Lunsford had some kind words for his supporters.

Derek Lunsford’s words for his supporters

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Derek Lunsford recently shared a story on his Instagram account after winning Mr Olympia. He wrote “PEOPLE’S CHAMP AWARD
THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT! THIS ISN’T JUST A WIN FOR ME… THIS IS A WIN FOR ALL OF US!! #GRATEFUL”

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Derek Lunsford, who used to be the 212 champion, was invited to compete in the bigger open category last year by Mr. Olympia LLC. In his first attempt, he got second place, with Hadi Choopan winning. But this year, Derek was all ready and showed how good he was by winning the competition.

Confirmation Round at 2023 Mr. Olympia Puts These Three Bodybuilders at the Top

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Derek Lunsford became the first person to win two championships in Mr. Olympia’s history: the 212 and Sandow trophies. What impressed the judges was how much he had improved his back muscles. While Lunsford celebrated online with his friends, he also made a speech upon his win at the competition.

Lunsford’s speech after winning

After becoming the new champion, Lunsford spoke briefly and said, “I’m just, listen I’m just a guy from Indiana, some kid from Indiana that didn’t know what he was gonna do with his life. He found the gym and fell in love with it. And here we are making history… two division Olympia Champion. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

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What are your thoughts on Derek Lunsford’s victory and winning the Mr Olympia Title and People’s Champ Award?

Watch this Story: Primed to win Mr Olympia this year Derek Lunsford throws up in the gym after a crushing leg workout

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Written by:

Divya Ghughatyal

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Divya Ghughatyal is a Bodybuilding writer at EssentiallySports. Holding a Master's Degree in Journalism, she has been an avid sportsperson since childhood and was a national-level Handball player. An experience of five years in content writing and her interest in sports inspired her to delve into professional sports writing.
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Edited by:

Donna Eva