1981 Mr. Olympia

The 1981 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on October 10, 1981, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. Following the 1980 Mr. Olympia political controversy, a number of favored bodybuilders boycotted the event, including Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer, and Boyer Coe. Franco Columbu, who had not competed since winning the 1976 Olympia due to a career threatening knee injury suffered at the 1977 World's Strongest Man competition, returned and won his second title, officially retiring after the event.

Results
Total prize money awarded was $50,000.