In 1970, Arnold Schwarzenegger reached the pinnacle of bodybuilding. In just about two weeks, he triumphed in the most prestigious contests held by the top three bodybuilding federations.
His foremost victory was securing the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe title in London, marking the beginning of his triumphant journey. The very next day, he won the 1970 AAU Pro Mr. World contest in Columbus, Ohio, defeating Sergio Oliva for the first time.
Arnold’s firsthand account of this momentous event can be found in his autobiography, “Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder.”
The announcer cleared his throat and rustled a pile of papers.
“In third place”, he said, “Dave Draper.”
The audience grew silent. “Second place,” the announcer said, pausing…
“Sergio Oliva.” Beside me, I heard Sergio say, “Oh, shit!”
There it was, then, that cry again: “Arnold! Arnold!” I had won. In a single second,
I had taken the final step. I had conquered every great bodybuilder in the world.
I hated Sergio’s attitude. It’s tough to lose, but that’s no reason to be a poor loser. I watched him, thinking, “Last year you beat me, Sergio. I got you tonight and I’ll get you again in two weeks.” That gave me even more momentum to go to New York.
A fortnight later, Arnold clinched his inaugural IFBB Mr. Olympia title in New York, securing his second victory over Sergio in as many weeks.
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