Tweet
NEW YORK, July 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Media, Inc. (AMI), owner of the Mr. Olympia contest and Joe Weider'sOlympia Fitness & Performance Expo, today announced that for the first time in the event's history, fans will cast one of the votes to select the 2018 winner of the Mr. Olympia, the sport's premier event. This also marks the first time ever that this type of voting will be used at an IFBB Professional League event.
"Having our fans vote for Mr. Olympia continues AMI's tradition of adding new and exciting experiences to the sport's premier event each year," said AMI Chairman and CEO David J. Pecker. "The 2018 Olympia will make history because it raises the stakes for all the competitors, ensuring that the field taking the stage at Orleans Arena on September 14 and 15 will be the best ever."
Ticket holders for the judging round on Friday, September 14, and the finals on Saturday, September 15, will receive a special code with which they can evaluate each competitor and cast their vote on their phones. The fan votes will be collectively counted as one vote, joining the votes of the judges on the panel.
"The audience at a bodybuilding contest is different from those of the UFC, the NFL, and other sports," IFBB Pro League President Jim Manion says. "The fans are more than spectators—they live bodybuilding and fitness. Just go to any show and you can see it isn't your normal passive crowd. Many compete or have competed before. They are experts and know what to look for, and I believe they deserve a say in the final outcome."
In the event the athlete earning the fan vote does not win the title, that competitor will be crowned the 2018 People's Champion.
"Having our fans vote for Mr. Olympia continues AMI's tradition of adding new and exciting experiences to the sport's premier event each year," said AMI Chairman and CEO David J. Pecker. "The 2018 Olympia will make history because it raises the stakes for all the competitors, ensuring that the field taking the stage at Orleans Arena on September 14 and 15 will be the best ever."
Ticket holders for the judging round on Friday, September 14, and the finals on Saturday, September 15, will receive a special code with which they can evaluate each competitor and cast their vote on their phones. The fan votes will be collectively counted as one vote, joining the votes of the judges on the panel.
"The audience at a bodybuilding contest is different from those of the UFC, the NFL, and other sports," IFBB Pro League President Jim Manion says. "The fans are more than spectators—they live bodybuilding and fitness. Just go to any show and you can see it isn't your normal passive crowd. Many compete or have competed before. They are experts and know what to look for, and I believe they deserve a say in the final outcome."
In the event the athlete earning the fan vote does not win the title, that competitor will be crowned the 2018 People's Champion.
Comment