Columbu was born in Ollolai, Sardinia. Starting out his athletic career as a boxer, Columbu progressed into the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, powerlifting and later bodybuilding, winning the title of Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981. At 5 feet, 5 inches in height (some magazines reported as short as 5″3″), Columbu is shorter than most of his bodybuilding competitors, but that did not prevent him from achieving widespread success.

Columbu competed in the 1977 World’s Strongest Man competition and was actually in first place. During the Refrigerator race, with Franco ahead, suddenly he stumbled, and national television showed Franco’s leg becoming grotesquely dislocated and he collapsed. That ended his participation in the World’s Strongest Man contest. (In the end, he finished fifth place. He also received a reported $1 million in compensation for his injury).
It took 6 hours of surgery to remove all the muscle and fix his leg. Doctors told him he would never walk again, let alone work out and compete. But Franco’s impenetrable willpower proved them wrong. It took 3 years to fully recover. After Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comeback victory in the 1980 Mr Olympia, Franco followed suit and won the 1981 Mr Olympia.
Columbu is a long time friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom he met in Munich in 1965 and competed against in several international-level bodybuilding competitions. For the Mr. Olympia competitions however, he competed in the under 200 lb (90.7 kg) category, whereas Schwarzenegger was in the over 200 lb category. The final champion was determined by a pose down between the two class winners. The IFBB has since abandoned weight classes.

From the time he arrived in America in 1969, Franco Columbu was considered one of the world’s strongest men. He held a number of powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting world records. He also performed a strongman act in which he routinely broke a hot water bottle, lifted vehicles on stage (while someone else was changing a tire) and deadlifted over 700 lbs for repetitions.

Bodybuilding titles
1966 Mr. Europe, 4th
1968 NABBA Mr. Universe (Most Muscular)
1969 IFBB Mr. Europe (Medium)
1969 NABBA Mr. Universe (Most Muscular)
1969 NABBA Mr. Universe (Short)
1969 IFBB Mr. Universe (Short)
1970 IFBB Mr. Europe (Short & Overall)
1970 AAU Mr. World (Pro Short)
1970 IFBB Mr. World (Short)
1970 IFBB Mr. Universe (Short & Overall)
1971 IFBB Mr. World (Short & Overall)
1974 Mr. Olympia (Lightweight)
1975 Mr. Olympia (Lightweight)
1976 Mr. Olympia (Lightweight & Overall)
1981 Mr. Olympia