Derek Lunsford: From 212 Champ to Mr. Olympia Runner-up in One 12 months!
By Ron Harris
A Star Was Born
I knew from the second I first noticed Derek Lunsford that he was destined for greatness on this sport. It was the 2017 USA Championships in Las Vegas, and I used to be there to cowl the occasion for MD with Shawn Ray. As the sunshine heavyweights took the stage, I nudged Shawn and pointed to Derek within the lineup. “That child’s going to win the entire present,” I advised him. Shawn thought I used to be nuts. Not solely had that class not been judged but, however we hadn’t even seen any of the heavyweights or supers. It didn’t matter. The scale, form, and construction of this 24-year-old phenom have been merely on one other stage. We have been a professional amongst amateurs. Not solely did he fulfill my prediction, however the child from Indiana wasted no time in placing that newly minted professional card to make use of. Only one week later, he traveled to Tampa, the place he would ultimately transfer, to win the 212 division on the Tampa Professional. The non-believers referred to as it newbie’s luck and snidely famous that it hadn’t been the hardest lineup – the teen would certainly get a actuality examine on the Olympia six weeks later. As an alternative, he cracked the highest 5 behind 4 legends of the 212 division: Flex Lewis, Ahmad Ashkanani, Jose Raymond, and David Henry, and within the course of beat a couple of glorious rivals like Ronny Rockel, Charles Dixon, and Shaun Clarida, who would in fact go on to win the Olympia. It was clear that Lunsford was not going to be a flash within the pan. He had time on his facet together with a fierce work ethic carried over from his years as a standout wrestler. Derek was going to be a pressure to reckon with.
The Highway to 212 Olympia Champion
It’s fascinating to notice that apart from his professional debut again in 2017, Derek has solely competed within the Olympia. Prime 5 was an auspicious premiere, and he adopted it up the subsequent two years by nabbing the runner-up first to seven-time champ Flex Lewis, then to iron recreation veteran Kamal Elgargni. Derek was definitely “subsequent in line” for the throne. He had one minor setback in 2020, dropping again right down to fourth place and solidifying a sample the place he would look sensational simply days earlier than the present solely to step onstage flat and thus unable to show his true situation. The chatter amongst followers was that maybe it was time Lunsford moved on from the person who had coached him from day one again in Indiana, James Brown, and align himself with a coach who was extra skilled in working with athletes on the Olympia stage. In March of 2021, Derek confirmed on his Instagram that he had accomplished simply that:
“I’m proud to announce the subsequent chapter in my bodybuilding profession. I’ve teamed up with Evogen Vitamin and Hany Rambod. We made some changes to carry my finest for 2021. I’m excited to see the progress unfold as we work to attain my fullest potential. No slowing down … we’re simply getting began! Sport on!”
Hany already had 20 Olympia titles in a number of divisions to his credit score, although by no means within the 212. May Derek be his first? Each champions from the earlier two years, Kamal Elgargni and Shaun Clarida, stepped onstage in prime kind. On every other day, a kind of two males would have earned his second Olympia title, however not this time. Derek introduced a bundle we had by no means seen from him earlier than: slabs of thick muscle that was full and popping together with crisp situation. As implausible as Kamal and Shaun seemed, Derek couldn’t be denied and was awarded the title of 212 Olympia champion for 2021.
Rising Out of the 212 Class
Many people speculated that attributable to his youth and the linear progress he had already been making in mass and stage weight courting again to his novice profession, there was a excessive chance that Derek would outgrow the 212 division inside a couple of years at most. Teaming up with Hany and seeing the speedy good points he was making following his Olympia win solely served to cement this guess and steered it will occur sooner reasonably than later. The deal gave the impression to be sealed in early Might of 2022 when he visitor posed on the Pittsburgh Professional at a fully monumental 260 kilos in what was fairly respectable situation. How the hell was this man going to get again right down to 212 kilos once more? And will he? For a pair weeks, Lunsford and his future plans have been the speak of our business. Followers have been evenly divided over whether or not he ought to defend his 212 title or strive his hand on the Mr. Olympia stage with Large Ramy and firm. The one questions that remained have been, which Olympia title would Derek vie for in 2022, and if he selected Open, how would he get there? It might solely occur certainly one of two methods. Both he would enter one of many remaining Open exhibits to qualify or he would get a particular invitation.
An Invitation to Battle With the Large Boys
The reply got here on September 15 on the official Instagram web page @mrolympiallc. After they summarized the Pittsburgh look and defined that Derek’s physique had “continued to float farther from his 212 proportions,” the next paragraph outlined the logistics of their resolution.
“Lunsford submitted a proper request to obtain a particular invitation to compete within the Open division this December on the Mr. Olympia. He was in search of the identical particular invitation that was being held for former 212 king Flex Lewis. After cautious consideration, the Olympia promoters and the IFBB Skilled League have granted Lunsford a Particular Invitation. The addition of Lunsford additional bolsters what many are calling ‘among the finest lineups’ within the historical past of the occasion.”
Not everybody was overjoyed with this information. Two different males from the highest 5 on the earlier 212 Olympia, Shaun Clarida and Angel Calderon Frias, had certified for the 2022 Mr. Olympia by additionally successful Open exhibits and had thus earned the precise to face on that the majority prestigious stage. Why didn’t Derek must earn his manner there too? In the long run it was a moot level, since Clarida and Frias have been compelled to decide on which division to compete in on the Olympia and each opted for 212. The actual query right here was, why wasn’t Derek remaining within the 212 to defend his Olympia title? Two weeks earlier than the present he defined his motivation in an interview with Mike O’Hearn.
“My favourite quote is ‘day by day is a good day to get higher.’ For me, if I wasn’t going to problem myself to go as much as this Open division this 12 months or ever, I might simply be settling for ‘good.’ And for me, good simply isn’t adequate. I wish to progress every day. If I don’t really feel I’m maximizing my potential and have one thing extra to sit up for, I don’t want it as a lot. If I have been to compete within the 212 once more, it wouldn’t be a simple win. These guys are superb champions too. For me, I would like extra. I don’t need restrictions on how significantly better I may be.”
The Evening Earlier than Judgment
Our personal Giles “Tiger” Thomas interviewed Derek Thursday night time on the Meet the Olympians occasion. Earlier that day, he had revealed that his anticipated stage weight for his Mr. O debut could be about 235 kilos, a far cry from the 212 we had seen him at for the earlier 5 years. When requested how he felt now that he didn’t must deplete right down to that weight, he replied:
“I really feel like I ought to. I nonetheless really feel that depletion and dehydration, which is the way you’re purported to really feel as a bodybuilder in contest situation, however with the added measurement and fullness because of the little further carbs, which is sweet. I undoubtedly have extra fullness, roundness, and pop to the muscle that I used to be lacking as a 212, plus one other 12 months of muscle maturity. Actually, I believe my stability is significantly better as a result of I needed to deplete down, and my legs would present that. I’m simply excited to get onstage tomorrow night time to get onstage and placed on a very good present.” In fact, each competitor tells us he shall be his finest ever main as much as a contest, and the overwhelming majority of those proclamations find yourself being scorching air or wishful considering. I suspected on this case Lunsford may really be correct – but it surely nonetheless remained to be seen. Some, like me, had predicted he could be as excessive as second. Others felt he could be on the decrease finish of the highest 10, Quickly, we’d know who was proper.
Judgement Evening
It’s laborious to name it “Judgment Day” when the athletes didn’t get onstage till 11:00 p.m., however that’s a dialogue to desk for the long run. When the sold-out crowd on the Zappos Theater received its preliminary have a look at Derek, the response was electrical. This was the Lunsford many people had identified was doable: full to bursting and with lights-out conditioning. He was within the first callout that additionally included two-time and reigning champ Large Ramy, former Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, the monstrous Nick Walker, perennial favourite and fellow Hany Rambod consumer Hadi Choopan, and Olympia rookie Samson Dauda from the UK. Surprisingly, Ramy was left on the far proper and by no means moved to heart, because the eventual winner sometimes is. As an alternative, it was Derek and Hadi that Head Decide Steve Weinberger requested others to modify with so they may take the middle stage. To the grizzled veterans of professional exhibits like me, this was a transparent indication that the Mr. Olympia title could be altering fingers, and certainly one of these former 212 rivals was going to take the crown. Derek had a extra pleasing form and construction and rivaled The Persian Wolf in mass. Hadi confirmed extra muscle density and maturity. The gang roared its approval, particularly when Derek and Hadi hit the 2 necessary again poses facet by facet. A lot for Mr. Olympia being out of attain within the trendy period for shorter males. These have been the 2 finest physiques on the planet and this one was going to be shut.
Runner-up and the Future Seems Shiny
The present picked up once more Saturday night time for finals, and the aptly named Affirmation Spherical served to solidify what all of us already knew: both Derek or Hadi was going to be the 2022 Mr. Olympia champion, as outgoing winner Ramy was far off his finest and would in the end land in fifth. Within the last moments, emcee Bob Cicherillo paused as he made his well-known winner’s announcement: “The winner, and NEW Mr. Olympia champion … Hadi Choopan!” Whereas second place isn’t technically a win, on this case I will surely qualify it as such. Derek graciously smiled and hugged Hadi after he had fallen to the ground, overwhelmed with emotion. I spoke with him quickly after on the Olympia Victory Gala, and Derek was each happy and grateful on the end result of his first Mr. Olympia – and why not? He was only one spot away from being awarded the identical title as legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Jay Cutler, and Phil Heath. And at 29 years outdated, he has time on his facet to associate with his fierce work ethic and a coach who now has 22 Olympia titles to his credit score. Many had questioned the knowledge of abandoning his 212 title to chase the Sandow trophy. Others had derided his particular invitation and predicted a humbling comeuppance as soon as he stood amongst “the large boys.” In the long run, Derek Lunsford proved his followers and supporters proper, and his haters flawed. Now all that continues to be to be seen is, with one other 12 months of intense coaching, can this child take all of it?
//www.youtube.com/@dereklunsford_”>YouTube: Derek Lunsford
Full Contest Historical past
2015 Indianapolis Championships
Welterweight Winner and Novice Total
2015 Junior Nationals
Welterweight Winner
2016 Midwest Battle of Champions
Middleweight and Total Champion
2016 Junior Nationals
Middleweight and Total Champion
2016 USA Championships
Second, Middleweights
2017 USA Championships
Mild Heavyweight and Total Champion
2017 IFBB Tampa Professional
212 Winner
2017 212 Olympia
Fifth Place
2018 212 Olympia
Second Place
2019 212 Olympia
Second Place
2020 212 Olympia
Fourth Place
2021 212 Olympia
Winner
2022 Mr. Olympia
Second Place
Ron Harris received his begin within the bodybuilding business through the eight years he labored in Los Angeles as Affiliate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Journal” present within the Nineteen Nineties. Since 1992 he has printed almost 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and health magazines, making him probably the most prolific bodybuilding author ever. Ron has been coaching for the reason that age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives along with his spouse and two kids within the Boston space. Fb Instagram
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