Phil Heath, Brandon Curry and Top Contestants Competing at 2020 Mr. Olympia
The 2020 Mr. Olympia competition is set to crown a new champion this weekend in Orlando, Florida, where a field full of former winners will show off its talents.
Seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath is back in the tournament after missing the event last year. He'll have to defeat reigning champion Brandon Curry in order to reclaim his crown. Dexter Jackson, Mr. Olympia 2008, is also back in the field and looking for his second title.
2020 Mr. Olympia
Date: Saturday, December 19
Time: 9 a.m.-11 p.m. ET
Stream: OlympiaTV (PPV)
Where: Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
Prize Money: $1.4 million total ($400,000 for the winner)
The full schedule is available at the competition's official website.
Typically held in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 2020 Mr. Olympia relocated to Orlando because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Phil Heath Returns
The 41-year-old bodybuilding star is back on the Mr. Olympia stage after losing his title to Shawn Rhoden in 2018.
If Heath is able to reclaim the crown, it will tie him for the all-time Mr. Olympia record with Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman. He's currently tied in second with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"If you felt a bit of a rumble in Orlando, Florida, don't worry," Heath tweeted Dec. 13. "It was just me arriving for the Mr. Olympia."
Heath has already prepped his website for a potential record-tying victory, with an "Olympia 8" logo donning his homepage accompanied by an "unfinished business" tagline. Much will be different about this year's Mr. Olympia contest, but a win for Heath would provide a dose of normalcy.
Roelly Winklaar Withdraws
The 2020 competition will be missing one of its biggest personalities after 43-year-old Roelly Winklaar was forced to withdraw.
Winklaar announced he tested positive for COVID-19 only days before he was set to travel to Orlando.
"We have tried everything we possibly could, but being COVID-19 positive there is really nothing else we can do," Winklaar wrote on Instagram. "In the meantime, some COVID-19 symptoms have presented and my focus is now on a full recovery."
The Curacaoan said he will be back in 2021, but his withdrawal this year could open the door for the likes of Jackson, Juan Morel and Regan Grimes to make their marks—especially with the pandemic forcing four others to drop out.
Still, Mr. Olympia 2020 loses some excitement with last year's fifth-placed finisher unable to compete.
Brandon Curry Ready to Repeat
Curry finally broke through on the bodybuilding scene as an elite competitor with his victory at Mr. Olympia 2019. Now the challenge is staying on top.
Heath's return will make that more difficult, but don't count out the reigning champion just yet.
Two weeks before taking the stage, Curry sat down with Mr. Olympia's Instagram page and called out the seven-time champ.
"I'm very comfortable going pose-to-pose," Curry said. "I think I brought enough to improve. I don't think he's going to be as dominant from the side against me. And despite what a lot of people may think, I don't think he's going to be as dominant from the back against me, either. So yeah, I'm very comfortable, very confident."
If Curry is able to repeat, he will become just 11th bodybuilder to win multiple Mr. Olympia titles since the competition began in 1965.