Samir Bannoutis a Lebanese bodybuilder called "the Lion of Lebanon". Bannout won the Mr. Olympia title only in 1983 while most Mr. Olympias have held it for several years, the only other exception being Chris Dickerson.
Having first moved to Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, he competed at the amateur level and achieved IFBB pro status winning the light-heavyweight category at the 1979 IFBB World Amateur Championships. By this time he had already relocated to Santa Monica, California. Following his 4th place finish at the 1982 Mr. Olympia, he grasped the title in 1983 in Munich, Germany, with his lower back definition causing the introduction of the term "christmas tree" into the bodybuilding world. After placing 6th the following year he was suspended for three years from competing at IFBB events because of his participation at the WABBA World Championship competition. He never got a top six finish at the Mr. Olympia again despite competing at the event many times. In 1990 he won his second IFBB pro show, the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Invitational. His professional career lasted for 17 years. Today he lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Randa and two children. He was inducted to the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2002.
