Kaizer Chiefs’ strength and conditioning coach Muzi Maluleke has qualified for the Mr Olympia competition for bodybuilders.
Maluleke placed first in the men’s 212 bodybuilding - open at the The Europa Pro body building championships in London on the weekend to book his place at this year’s My Olympia in Las Vegas, next month.
He became the first South African to qualify in that category.
Maluleka is currently the fitness coach of Kaizer Chiefs’ Diski Challenge team, and previously worked with the first team during the coaching reigns of Arthur Zwane, Molefi Ntseki and Cavin Johnson.
After Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi arrived at Naturena with his own technical team, Maluleke was moved to the club’s junior team.
American actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is the highest profile winner and one of the most successful athletes in the history of the Mr Olympia competition.
Competing for Austria, Schwarzenegger won seven Mr Olympia titles between 1970 and 1980, before going on to have a successful career in Hollywood, and later in politics. The 1975 Mr Olympia, which Schwarzenegger won, was held in Pretoria.
Other South Africans competing were Carel Frederick Grobler, Julian Lee Ramdhari, and Monique Jansen Van Vuuren.
Grobler placed ninth in the men’s classic physique, while Ramdhari was 14th. In the women’s bikini category, Van Vuuren finished 6th overall.
IOL Sport