Choopan finally breaks through.

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Hadi Choopan is the winner of the 2022 Mr. Olympia. After a dynamite overall performance from all the top Men’s Open contenders in Las Vegas, NV, Choopan captured his first career Mr. Olympia title. Choopan had been on the doorstep of bodybuilding’s ultimate greatness for some time, finishing in at least the top four in each of the previous three years. The athlete finally broke through on the biggest stage and stood on top of the Olympia podium on Dec. 17, 2022.

Here are the top five athletes in the Men’s Open division at the 2022 Mr. Olympia and the respective prize money they earned:

2022 Mr. Olympia Results

  1. Hadi Choopan— $400,000 | 2022 Mr. Olympia Champion
  2. Derek Lunsford — $150,000
  3. Nick Walker — $100,000
  4. Brandon Curry — $40,000
  5. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay — $30,000

Choopan’s victory not only gives him his first career Mr. Olympia title, it also topples previous two-time reigning champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay. The former defending champion finished in fifth place. Meanwhile, in his Men’s Open debut, Derek Lunsford took runner-up to Choopan’s Olympia championship.

With final comparisons made earlier in the night, here are how the callouts shook out in the Finals of the 2022 Mr. Olympia.

Callout 1

  • Samson Dauda
  • Nick Walker
  • Hadi Choopan
  • Derek Lunsford
  • Brandon Curry
  • Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay

Callout 2

Callout 3

  • Antoine Vaillant
  • James Hollingshead
  • Patrick Johnson
  • Charles Griffen
  • Justin Rodriguez
  • Akim Williams

Callout 4

Callout 5 

  • Andrea Presti
  • Theo Leguerrier
  • Andrea Muzi

Callout 6

  • Hadi Choopan
  • Derek Lunsford
  • Brandon Curry
  • Nick Walker
  • Samson Dauda
  • Mamdouh Elssbiay

The top six athletes in both the first and last callouts saw themselves shifted on multiple occasions as they were compared. Eventually, the top contenders performed their posing routines in the order as follows:

  • Hadi Choopan
  • Andrew Jacked
  • Derek Lunsford
  • William Bonac
  • Nick Walker
  • Brandon Curry
  • Hunter Labrada
  • Rafael Brandao
  • Samson Dauda
  • Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay

Choopan’s first career Mr. Olympia title bookends a night that also saw champions crowned in the Bikini, Men’s Physique, Classic Physique, and Wheelchair divisions.

Amidst a torrent of relative hype for the other competitors, Choopan kept his nose to the grindstone and saw his hard work and commitment pay off. With his first Mr. Olympia title under his belt, Choopan can officially join the elite of the elite in bodybuilding’s all-time pantheon.

Featured image: @mrolympiallc on Instagram

About Robert Zeglinski

Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).

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