Jake Wood continues to attempt to make the sport of bodybuilder a safer environment.
Olympia President Jake Wood has been an advocate of safety moving forward. The sport of bodybuilding. He has spoken out about possible changes and plans that could be coming in the future. Recently, Wood revealed another plan that includes athletes getting clearance from a doctor before competing at the biggest competition of the year.
Wood joined The Menace Podcast on the Muscle and Fitness YouTube page to discuss the current happenings in bodybuilding. This includes the recent deaths that have happened around the bodybuilding world. This has caused Wood to reconsider some aspects and one could be getting some outside help from doctors.
“I thought about it, you know. What about at the Olympia? What if we said, “Hey before you come, you need to get a doctor’s clearance just like the NFL does at the beginning of the season?” We could do that.”
Of course, this is just discussion at this point and it would require some planning by Jake Wood. During the interview, it was suggested that this could begin as early as amateur level for bodybuilders. Before earning their pro card, competitors could get checked out before receiving their step forward.
“I think that would be a step in the right direction, as long as it’s done correctly. Of course, who established the criteria and what are they testing for and when do you say that it’s no good. I mean, when do you say you failed the test?”
The bodybuilding world lost George Peterson prior to the 2021 Olympia and this was a huge shock. Unfortunately, it was not the only loss and Wood has been speaking out in order to make the sport safer.
In August, Alena Kosinova passed away while preparing for the Europa Pro. This is when Jake Wood made a statement on the future.
“I AM DEEPLY SHAKEN BY THE LOSS OF ALENA. I AM NOT ONE FOR EMPTY WORDS. INSTEAD OF MAKING POSTS I’M MAKING CHANGES. I HAD A PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH JIM AND TYLER MANION THIS MORNING AND WE’RE ALL SICKENED BY THIS TURN OF EVENTS. WE AGREED THAT CONDITIONING IS OVER EMPHASIZED IN THE JUDGING CRITERIA AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. I WILL PUSH FOR CHANGE IN ALL DIVISIONS,” Jake Wood said following the death of Kosinova.
It is unknown how Jake Wood could put together a set of rules to enforce this. It does not seem as simple as a doctor’s clearance. This is a plan that might not be put into motion but the face that Wood mentioned it is telling.
It is clear that the sport needs to become safer. This was a difficult year with many losing their lives and Wood is part of a group that believes it will change.
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