SWEAT
2018 MR. OLYMPIA RECAP
he’d done nothing that was impressive.
Before winning the Olympia, Rhoden
had been knocking on the door for the
past seven years. He finished eleventh
in 2011, third in 2012, fourth in 2013,
third in 2014 & 2015 and runner up in
2016. 2017 was fraught with injuries
and setbacks, but he still managed to
place 5th. "Going into the 2018 Olympia
I was at a the point where I don’t give
a shit anymore about being politically
correct." Fireworks set off at this year's
press conference when Rhoden went as
far as to dissect and lampoon all of his
Heath’s poses. “His front double biceps
is crap and his lat spread is crap." To
which, Heath responded to Rhoden’s
rhetoric, “I have nothing to say to him.
Talk is cheap. He’ll find out tomorrow
and have the same Eeyore look on his
face back stage.”
Rhoden and Heath’s rivalry will prob-
ably continue for years to come as nei-
ther of them seems to lack motivation
and both seem to still have something
to prove. But for Rhoden nor Heath,
winning the 2019 Mr. Olympia isn’t a
40 MUSCLE MEMORY
HERE'S HOW THE REST OF THE 2018 MR. OLYMPIA WENT DOWN.
slam-dunk. There’s a myriad of up-and-
coming bodybuilders just waiting for
their chance to win bodybuilding’s most
elusive crown. Among the contenders
is Roelly Winklaar, who was born in
Curaçao and finished third in this year's
line-up and was crowned the people's
champion. Not to mention “Big Ramy”
Mohammed Hassan Elssbiay, an Eygp-
tian bodybuilder who finished second
at the 2017 Mr. Olympia, won the 2017
Arnold Classic Europe and placed sixth
at this year's showdown. Then there’s
William Bonac the 235 pound 5’7 Gha-
naian who finished fourth at the 2018
Mr. Olympia and Dexter "The Blade"
| DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019
Jackson the 2008 Mr. Olympia body-
building champion who has won more
professional bodybuilding titles than
any other person. If Rhoden can main-
tain his incredible conditioning we saw
this year, he will have a strong chance
of retaining the title in 2019. However,
Heath will be desperate to return to
the top too. He may have missed out on
equaling the record of eight consecutive
title wins, but an eighth Sandow would
still be the highest tally overall tied with
Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman, as well
as taking him past Arnold Schwarzeneg-
ger's seven. Bodybuilding fans will be
waiting with bated breath.