Phil Heath Will Compete at the 2020 Mr. Olympia

  • Thread starter Anthony O'Reilly
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Anthony O'Reilly

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Phil Heath, the seven-time Mr. Olympia, hasn’t set foot on a bodybuilding stage since his shocking loss at the 2018 Mr. Olympia. Many have wondered when he would return to competition, and some questioned if he would ever do so again.

The wait for an answer is now over: Heath confirmed in an early morning Instagram post that he will try for his eighth Sandow at the 2020 Mr. Olympia this December in Las Vegas.

“It’s time to handle some #UnfinishedBusiness,” Heath wrote in his Instagram post.



Indeed, Heath is only one Olympia victory away from the all-time record jointly held by Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman — both those legends accumulated eight first-place victories in a row. Heath’s quest to do the same was stopped by Shawn Rhoden.

“The Gift” has maintained his incredible shape, but has taken the last two years to tackle other projects such as managing his supplement company and partnering with meat supplier Mile High Meats. Even as he focused on those ventures, he never stopped thinking about bodybuilding.

“Bodybuilding is in my DNA,” he recently told Muscle & Fitness. “That has not changed one bit. I’ll always have that in my blood.”

When specifically asked if he had any plans to come back and compete, he said, ““I haven’t retired or anything like that. I love my fans, I obviously miss all the guys. If the stars align and the timing is right, who knows what will happen?”

Apparently the stars have aligned.

Heath’s return is just one of the many reasons why this year’s Olympia is one you won’t want to miss. Along with reigning champion Brandon Curry, Heath will be competing against seven-time 212 champion Flex Lewis, who’s making the jump to the Open division. Dexter Jackson, the 2008 Mr. O, will also be competing in his last-ever show before retiring.

This year’s Olympia also marks the return of the Ms. Olympia competition, thanks to the sponsorship and advocacy of Wings of Strength and its owner, Jake Wood. Ten-time Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle will be returning to compete for that prize. Elsewhere, Oksana Grishina and Adela Garcia, two of the greatest fitness champions of all time, will also be making comebacks.

Tickets and hotel room opportunities for the December 17-20 event are now available at MrOlympia.com as Trifecta Presents Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend, brought to you by Wings of Strength and by Northern Chill.

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