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Black and white meet in competition in South Africa. Albert Beckles (England), the great black champion, and Lou Ferrigno (USA), twice Mr. Universe, feed a baby giraffe at the Kruger Game Reserve
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The following 32 countries were present:
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Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
England
Finland
France
Germany
Holland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Luxembourg
Malta
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Mexico
Netherlands-Antilles
Portugal
Rhodesia
St. Lucia
Seychelles
South Africa
Spain
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Trinidad & Tobago
Turkey
USA
Wales
Yugoslavia
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AFFILIATION OF NEW NATIONAL FEDERATIONS
The affiliation of the following new countries was unanimously accepted:
Seychelles
Swaziland
Cyprus
Israel
Tunisia
Panama
Republic of Ireland
Mauritius
Rhodesia
Montserrat (West Indies)
Austria
President Weider then announced that this brought the total membership to 93.
THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Ben Weider said that he was astounded that 1975 brought even more progress to bodybuilding than in 1974. He credited this progress to the increased exposure throughout the world that bodybuilding received. This was due mainly to contacts with the International Sports Press Writers Association, ABC Wide World of Sport of the USA, and Visnews, a television news agency in London, England. He estimated that more than 50 million people will see the results of the championships in Pretoria, South Africa. He reported that bodybuilding was now part of the World Games. This organization comprises of federations that are not on the olympic programme, but whose sport represents widespread interest and popularity. He stressed the importance of keeping politics out of sport, and supported the Tripartite Commission on this stand. This Commission, which comprises of members of the International Olympic Committee, the national olympic committees, and the International Sports Federations roundly condemned the introduction of politics into sport, and stressed their intention to combat this in an energetic manner.
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The hosting of the "IFBB Mr. Universe", the premiere amateur bodybuilding event in the world, and IFBB International Congress was extremely interesting to authorities in South Africa, at the highest levels of government. At a meeting to discuss sport related issues, we see from left to right, Mr. John Vorster, Prime Minister of South Africa,
Ben Weider, C.M., IFBB President, and Dr. Piet Koornhof, Minister of Sport
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President Weider thanked the Medical Committee of the IFBB for their work during the past year, and was particularly pleased with the work that Professor Ernst Jokl, MD, and Professor Lawrence Golding had accomplished.
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Arnold Schwarzennegger, 6-times Mr. Olympia winner, addressing the Congress, after having been nominated to form a Professional Committee to control professional bodybuilding.
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President Weider reported that a special committee to control professional bodybuilding had been authorized and that Arnold Schwarzenegger, Reg Park and Franco Columbu would work towards this end and report back to the congress next year.
A special "President’s Medal of Honor" was created, which is the highest recognition the IFBB can now bestow on a worthy individual who has contributed to the IFBB and bodybuilding on an international level.
President Weider also reported to the congress that the Canadian government had awarded him with the highest civilian award by making him a member of the "Order of Canada". The investiture was held at Government House in Ottawa, the nation’s capitol.
Before closing, President Weider thanked profoundly Dr. Piet Koornhof, the Minister of Sport and Recreation, for his dedication and support of the championships, and also thanked Mr. & Mrs. Johann Bester, President and Secretary of the South African Amateur Bodybuilding Union, for having organized the championships in such an efficient manner. He also thanked Mr. Beyers Hoek, the Head of the Sport and Recreation Department, and Mr. Dany Swanoepoel, who organized all the details. He also thanked Reg Park and his professional committee for their cooperation in helping to unify the bodybuilding movement in South Africa.
President Weider closed by thanking the radio, press, and television for their exposure of the Championships, and felt that the experience of participating at the congress and championships in Pretoria would be one that would be remembered by all for years to come.
DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND CONGRESS
President Weider presented for the approval of the Congress the important decisions of the Executive Council:
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The Chairman of the Judges Committee, Mr. Dennis Stallard, will make a comparative analysis of judges score sheets in order to check the accuracy of their marking. |
APPROVED |
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| 2. |
The Chairman of the Professional Committee will be invited to report to the Executive Council, but will not be a member of the Council. |
APPROVED |
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| 3. |
A rule on indecent exposure by bodybuilders will be added to the IFBB article on discipline. |
APPROVED |
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| 4. |
The IFBB will not attempt to control international powerlifting, but the national federations can please themselves on how they participate in this activity. |
APPROVED |
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| 5. |
In view of the reaction of certain federations against the manner in which the Executive Council interpreted the rules in the case of Mr. Serge Nubret, a questionnaire will be sent to all the federations requesting their interpretation of the rules in question. Their replies will be studied by the President and General Secretary, who will then inform everybody of their decision. Their decision will be final.
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APPROVED |
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Winston Roberts (Canada), IFBB General Secretary, delivers his annual report to the IFBB International Congress.
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President Weider proudly presents Gold Medal of Honor #2
to Oscar State of England
(Joe Weider was the recipient of Gold Medal of Honor #1)
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Other decisions made by the Judges and Technical committees and accepted by the Executive Council and Congress were:
| 1. |
The final names of entries for the world championships must be received at least two weeks before the contest date. |
APPROVED |
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| 2. |
Only numbers will be used on the judges’ forms; no names or countries in order to preserve anonymity as much as possible, and to secure a more objective assessment from the judges. |
APPROVED |
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| 3. |
All competitors in international contests must wear uniformly colored trunks; the official IFBB trunks in navy blue have been made obligatory. |
APPROVED |
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| 4. |
A new procedure will be adopted in the public show. The top three in each category will have a final "pose-down" after which the winner will be announced and the victory ceremony held. |
APPROVED |
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| 5. |
There will be two weight categories in the "Mr. Olympia" contest - up to 200 lbs, and 200 lbs and over.
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APPROVED |
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| 6. |
The IFBB Technical and Judges committees proposed the following new height categories:
a. up to 1m 68 to be called "Lightweight".
b. up to 1m 75 to be called "Middleweight".
c. over 1m 75 to be called "Heavyweight".
Winners in each category will be known as the "World Bodybuilding Champion". In future, there will be no overall champion or "Mr. Universe".
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APPROVED |
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*Photographs of the six compulsory poses were added to the Judges Guidebook. |
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Oscar State reported that he and President Weider were very much involved in the World Games as members of the Steering Committee and that bodybuilding was accepted as one of the sports on the programme.
THE IFBB "MR. UNIVERSE" RESULTS
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The greats of the amateur bodybuilding world in 1975. From left to right you see: Robin Robinson (USA, winner of the Medium Class and second in the overall ; Ken Waller (USA), winner of the Tall Class and overall "Mr. Universe", President Ben Weider, and Wilf Sylvester (England), winner of the Short Class and third in the overall. The contest in Pretoria was the greatest Bodybuilding Contest ever organized since the inception of the IFBB.
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TOP 6 FINALISTS
SHORT CLASS
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TOP 6 FINALISTS
MEDIUM CLASS
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TOP 6 FINALISTS
TALL CLASS
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| 1. W. Sylvester (England)
2. R. Bertagna (Italy)
3. N. Kemp (Belgium)
4. S. Ruiz (Spain)
5. P. Atan (Turkey)
6. J. Raty (Finland) |
1. Robin Robinson (USA)
2. Albert Becles (England)
3. Gerard Buinoud (France)
4. Hideyuki Kosaki (Japan)
5. Janko Rudman (Sweden)
6. Walter Milner (Canada) |
1. Ken Waller (USA)
*OVERALL "MR. UNIVERSE"
2. Roger Walker (Australia)
3. Paul Grant (Wales)
4. Mike Katz (USA)
5. Ben Herder (Holland)
6. Lois Baldo (Spain)
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