After the 1997 Mr. Olympia results, a fresh debate in the bodybuilding world about the actual winner began. For many, Nasser El Sonbaty deserved the title, while for others, Dorian Yates, who actually won, was the most deserving.

Such discussions don't have a clear direction. But recently, the 6-time Mr. Olympia recalled the 1997 Olympia moments and revealed how that event caused serious physical consequences for him.

On May 25, Mike Mentzer’s Instagram account shared a statement from Yates, who once said, “I lost the front double biceps to everyone at the 1997 Mr. Olympia, but I think I beat Nasser in most of the other poses.”

According to the post, “People remember the front double biceps battle from the 1997 Olympia, but bodybuilding was never judged on one pose alone. Nasser El Sonbaty brought insane size, crazy shape, and arguably won that shot pose-for-pose against everyone that year.

But Dorian’s point is that championships are won through overall dominance — conditioning, back shots, density, hardness, and presence from every angle. That’s what made the rivalry legendary: one man had the freakiest aesthetics of the era, the other had the most complete package on stage.”

Yates entered the stage to secure his 6th consecutive title, but his preparation that year was a nightmare because, 3 weeks before the competition, his left triceps underwent a serious tear, following a blow to his biceps.

Due to such issues, Yates' symmetry was not up to that level, with water in his midsection.

On the contrary, Nasser, known as The Professor, was in the best form of his life. He was tougher, bigger, and better prepared.

For many, Yates dominated the competition with his legendary back symmetry and thickness, while Nasser clearly dominated Yates with his front double biceps.

So, when the judges announced Yates as the winner, many fans were shocked.

Apart from that, Yates once revealed how his mental health helped him win the show.

Dorian Yates’ Mental Fortitude During the 1996 Olympia

The gravity of the injury was so severe that Yates had to travel from the UK to New York for his surgeries. Despite such a severe injury, the English bodybuilder still competed in the 1997 Mr. Olympia.

How was it possible?

Talking about the unity, Yates said, “It was excruciatingly painful, I think I went into shock because after the initial agony, I couldn’t feel anything!”

He also confessed that he was in a difficult mental state at that time, and for the competition, Yates stated that he exercised the unaffected part of his body.

However, it was his mental toughness and willpower that helped him win the competition.

Yates kept the same diet and focused on light weight training. Yates said, “Almost every minute leading right up to the contest and even on stage, I was almost paranoid about anything involving the triceps, especially any mere touch when competitors often clash into one another when posing.”

In 1997, Yates showed how a true champion wins a show during their tough times.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil