Written by Peter McGough
15 July 2015

15dorianyates-30yearsago

Dorian Yates:  30 Years Ago

Casting His First Shadow

 

 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

 It was July 20, 1985 and I was on my way to England’s West Coast Championships being staged in the seaside town of Morecambe. I worked for the British magazine Muscle & Co at the time and for months I’d heard that a bodybuilder from Birmingham was making quite an impression on those observing his progress. His name was Dorian Yates (which I always thought sounded like a character from Wuthering Heights) and he was making his debut in the intermediate class (in USA its probably termed “novice”) at the aforementioned West Coast soiree. In those days there was no Internet, emails, cameras that took photos, so no one outside his gym knew what he looked like. To be honest I’d heard these “You Gotta See This Kid” proclamations many times, so unlike Harry Houdini’s signature trick I wasn’t about to hold my breath. Unfortunately thanks to a horrendous traffic jam I was hours late in reaching the town’s Central Pier, the venue for the contest.

As I entered the hall I asked someone if the intermediates had been on and was told they were just about ready to start the posing round for that class. I spotted Frank Richards on the far side of the hall who had recently finished fifth at New York’s Night of Champions in his first contest for 14 years. Aptly nicknamed The Lionheart following a near fatal industrial accident in 1971, wherein even when he was out of imminent danger it seemed he would have to have a foot amputated. I went to congratulate him on his Olympia qualifying performance and we moved to the side of the hall: he facing the stage and me with my back to it. I asked him, on the basis of such a great result, how long would he go on competing? A couple of years was his reply. I was surprised and asked why so? As I finished the question I heard the opening techno riff of The Eurythmics Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) throbbing from the sound system. Frank looked over my shoulder and nodding at the competitor just appearing, said, “Because of fuckers like that coming through.” I turned and to the background of the purring tones of Annie Lennox had my first sight of Dorian Yates. I’ll never forget that moment.

What hit me immediately was his rock-hard chiseled muscularity. He resembled a walking statue and his 210-pound blend of mass, shape and hardness had quality written all over it. But in recalling that first Yates sighting the other main aspect that stands out in my mind was his purposeful walk toward center stage. He strode like an athlete sans the traditional exaggerated “Whoops! Mistook superglue for the underarm deodorant again” lat spread or the ponderous gait to hopefully indicate legs that made Tom Platz’s look like Olive Oyl’s. Throughout his career, that’s how he would walk out: all business, ready to take on all-comers. That no-nonsense man-at-work walk just summed him up as a bodybuilder and as a man. I also noticed a slight stoop to his neck and when I (some months later) asked, why the stoop, he replied, “You’d have a stoop too if you had traps like mine.”

Whatever, after just 18 months of training he brought the house down. Manning a booth in the hall reigning British Champion Andrew Searle watched proceedings no doubt figuring this novice was the last thing he wanted to deal with when the unknown transitioned to the heavyweight division. As a fan you dream about being there when a star is born; my day was July 20, 1985 in Morecambe, England.

 Dorian easily took first place and made a somewhat rapid exit from the hall. I followed him and his fiancée Debbie onto the windswept pier, and told them that I wanted to do an interview and photo shoot with him. I’ll never forget the look of astonishment on his face. He was incredulous that his physique was worthy of such treatment. We were then joined by the late and much missed Ron Davies EFBB (English Federation of Bodybuilders) President, a bundle of energy who put the newly formed EFBB firmly on the map and who was a phenomenal show promoter who really opened some doors for me early in my career. (So readers my longevity is all Ron’s fault.) Ron told Dorian he’d like him to be part of the English team for the following weekend’s World Games in London. It was such a Star is Born Hollywood type moment that all that was needed now was for Ron, Dorian, Debbie and I to hold hands and skip down the pier singing, We’re off to see the Wizard ….

All who witnessed Dorian Yates stepping onto the first rung of bodybuilding’s ladder of success on that July day 30 years ago wondered how high up that ladder this 23 year old would ascend. As it turned out, with me in tagging along in his shadow he would climb to the very top. What a helluva ride it was my fiend and we’re still sharing our individual journeys.

 THE SHADOW RECEDES

 (I posted this story earlier in the year but perhaps it’s worth repeating as a bookend to the previous anecdote.)

 It now the stuff of legend that on September 19, 1997, Dorian won his sixth Olympia crown three weeks after tearing his left triceps. With his triceps literally hanging by a thread from the tendon it was his ultimate blood and guts performance.

A month after that contest he had the triceps operated on. Recovery was slow and in May 1998 he was still not able to train at 100 percent capacity, and so he announced he would not defend his title but was hopeful he would be back in 1999.

 However a month before the 1998 Mr. Olympia being staged in Madison Square Garden, New York, dismayed at his lack of progress, he took the decision that he would retire and would announce it to the Big Apple crowd. At the start of the evening finals, dressed in a dark suit, Dorian duly told the Madison Square throng that they would never see him compete again. The realization of what he was saying drew a collective gasp from the 5,000 attendees and he left the stage to deafening applause.

Moments after his speech Dorian, his wife Debbie and I found ourselves alone in a backstage recess with others keeping a respectful distance. It was a poignant moment. We sort of looked at each other, spoke of this being the first Olympia since 1991 that Team Dorian had not been in action, and recalled other incidents from the past. Debbie summed up our collective mood when she said, “Only us three were in it from the start. Only we know how much Dorian gave to win those Sandows.” I hugged her. Then I looked at Dorian. You should know that we Brits are a pretty stoic lot and in the previous 13 years of accompanying Dorian on his rollicking ride to bodybuilding immortality, our only congratulatory contact had been a handshake. I looked at a man who I respect above all others as a bodybuilder, at a force of nature whose drive was unsurpassed, at an athlete who truly had the heart of a lion, and said, “I’m proud of you mate. Thanks for your friendship.” Then we, “Ahem I say hold on there old boy”, hugged.

 

DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON THE MD FORUM

DORIAN YATES' GUIDE TO BUILDING A BETTER BACK

READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS IN THE MCGOUGH REPORT

DORIAN YATES: THE ICONIC PICTURES THAT CAUSED SHOCK & HORROR