Phil's To Lose?

2013 Mr. Olympia Prejudging Report

It’s not often that we get a clear-cut cue from the judges of who’s leading the pack at the halfway stage of an Olympia. But that’s just what happened tonight at the prejudging of the 2013 Mr. Olympia played out at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. This by virtue of reigning two-time champ Phil Heath being left out of the last callouts. At that stage its traditional for the champ to have to flex it out with the leading contenders, with usually the finale being a two-man comparison between the reigning Mr. Olympia and the one who is perceived as his most dangerous challenger.

But this time around the judges told Phil to stay out of the final fray and so the inference was clear that they saw him as a clear winner at the halfway stage (50% of the points are awarded at the prejudging with the other 50% being allotted at the Saturday night finals). Such an exclusion sort of took away the suspense similar to the murderer being unveiled in a who-dun-it 30 minutes into the film.

However the judge’s viewpoint can be seen, as Heath was just too complete and conditioned for his 19 rivals. That said a big winner of the night was Dennis Wolf who has just friggin’ huge and conditioned and overpowered everyone with size including pre-contest phenom Big Ramy, who looks as if he will finish out of the top five.

It seemed after his breakthrough streamlined effort of last year that Kai Green went back to the size drawing board and it didn’t work out too well. Shawn Rhoden was impressive, maintaining his condition of 2012 while adding upper body thickness, while Dexter Jackson is in there for a top five shout.

Check back at musculardevelopment.com at 7.00pm (PST) Saturday, September 28 to see how the second half of the 2013 Mr. Olympia proceeded and who will take home this year’s Sandow.

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