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Lenda's reign continues
Following the 1992 debacles, the judging rules were rewritten. The new rules
retained provisions for aesthetics, but allowed the contests to be judged as
physique contests. Lenda Murray continued to dominate the sport through 1995,
matching Cory Everson's record of six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles. Murray's
closest rival was probably Laura Creavalle, who won the Ms. International title
three times, and twice was runner-up to Murray at the Olympia. During this time,
some additional professional shows were held, in addition to the three
mainstays. The 1994 schedule included the Canada Pro Cup, won by Laura Binetti,
and the first of three annual Grand Prix events in Prague, won by Drorit Kernes.
1996 saw an additional Grand Prix in Slovakia. Besides providing the competitors
with extra opportunities to win prize money, these contests also served as
additional Ms. Olympia qualifiers.
A new Ms. Olympia
1996 was notable for another reason - after six consecutive victories, Lenda
Murray was dethroned as Ms. Olympia by Kim Chizevsky. Chizevsky had been the
runner-up in 1995 and had two Ms. International titles (1993 and 1996) to her
credit, but her victory came as something of a surprise, since many had regarded
Murray as virtually unbeatable. After an unsuccessful attempt to wrest the title
from Chizevsky in 1997, Murray retired from competition. Chizevsky successfully
defended her title again at the 1998 Ms. Olympia. The 1998 contest was held in
Prague, the first time the competition had been held outside the United States.
1999 Ms. Olympia controversy
The 1999 Ms. Olympia was originally scheduled to be held on the 9th of October
in Santa Monica, California. However, one month before the scheduled date, the
IFBB announced that the contest had been cancelled. The main cause was the
withdrawal of promoter Jarka Kastnerova (who promoted the 1998 contest in
Prague) for financial reasons, including a low number of advance ticket sales
for the 1999 event. The backlash following the announcement led to a flurry of
activity, with the contest being rescheduled as part of the Women's Extravaganza
(promoted by Kenny Kassel and Bob Bonham) in Secaucus, New Jersey on the 2nd of
October. Last minute sponsorship came from several sources, most significantly
in the form of $50,000 from Flex magazine. Amid all the turmoil, Kim Chizevsky
won her fourth consecutive title.
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