Christmas came early for bodybuilding renegade, Lee Priest, when he received word that the IFBB had secretly met and voted 11-5 in favor of reinstatement. Why the IFBB changed their mind and voted to let Lee back in earlier than the original promised Olympia Weekend date is impossible to tell for sure.  One reason may be that the upcoming IFBB summer shows-- Houston, Tampa Bay, Europa, and Atlantic City-all have less than stellar lineups and Lee Priest is just the polarizing force that can breathe fresh life into a somewhat boring pre-Olympia season.  Another possibility could be the addition of the Olympia 202 Showdown that will feature the best under 202 lb bodybuilders in the world.  Without a celebrity name like Priest in that lineup, this inaugural event could wind being a one-time flop. 

Whatever the case, I'm sure Lee Priest feels like he's been given a new lease on life.  Let's just hope that he can duplicate his winning package of mass, symmetry, and conditioning that he displayed at the 2006 Ironman.

According to Lee, he plans to make his return to the stage at the 2008 Atlantic City Pro on lucky September 13th where, if all goes as planned, he'll once again qualify for the September 28^th Mr Olympia contest in Las Vegas, NV.