Jake Wood wanted to bring the show back this year but will definitely have it in 2023.
It has been a decade since the Masters Olympia competition was seen on stage. On Sunday, Olympia President Jake Wood confirmed that the competition is coming back and it will take place in 2023.
The Masters Olympia began in 1994 where Robby Robinson took home the first title. It was stopped in 2012 and Dexter Jackson was the final champion. This came after the competition was paused from 2004-2011. Now, it will return for the 2023 year and it could have been even sooner.
Wood joined The Menace Podcast on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube page to discuss the topic. He admitted there were plans to bring the competition back this year but it was unable to happen.
“Absolutely yeah, as a matter of fact, we had started plans to have the Masters Olympia in Romania this upcoming year. After looking at the immigration policies of people actually getting in, we decided it’s too risky for such a big event,” Jake wood said.
Wood continues by claiming that this event deserves its own weekend rather than being included during the Olympia weekend. The event will be held in Romania. The age requirement for the event is something that is important but unknown at the moment.
When asked about a timeframe, Wood said “definitely by 2023.”
“I think that would be too much at the Olympia weekend. No, I think it deserves better treatment than that. We definitely want to have it. It’s going to start happening here, something has to happen,” jake wood said.
The age requirement of the event will be interesting because many top bodybuilders in Men’s Open are around 40 years old. Brandon Curry is 39 while reigning two-time Olympia champion Big Ramy is 37. The magic number cold be 45 yers old when thinking of the requirement.
“Well, what do you change? You change the age requirement. Where do you set the bar as far as the age? At first, we said we would like it to be at forty and above. Wood stated. Well, there’s still a lot of the top guys who are right there. So, you know, the men’s open, and all the other classes too. I think maybe 45, might be the mark.”
This is an exciting announcement coming from Jake Wood. After the competition has been absent for a decade, it will have a chance to return and give competitors a chance to compete no matter their age.
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