Tag: Olympia 2022
Phil Heath Announces He Will Be Hosting & Commentating Olympia 2022
Image via Instagram @philheath
Pro bodybuilder and 7x Mr. Olympia champ Phil Heath reveals he will be doing commentary for the Olympia 2022 pay-per-view.
7x Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath has officially announced that he will be hosting and commentating at the Olympia 2022. The news comes after many questioned whether or not Heath would a comeback and compete at this year’s Olympia. News of the hosting gig essentially confirms that he will not be competing.
The Olympia 2022 weekend will be taking place on December 15-18 in Las Vegas, NV. It’s the biggest event of the bodybuilding season – essentially the super bowl of bodybuilding. It’s the very competition that helped make Phil Heath a star. He was able to dominate the Mr. Olympia competition for seven years straight – becoming one of the most legendary bodybuilders in the sport.
Phil Heath’s dominance came to a halt in 2018 when he placed second behind Shawn Rhoden. Since then – he has not been able to reclaim the title and tie for the world record of most Olympia wins, currently held by Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney with eight titles. In 2021, Phil Heath did not compete – leading to questions as to whether or not he would return this year or in the future.
But it seems that 2022 will now be the second straight year that Phil Heath does not compete. This has been all but confirmed by the news that he will be hosting and doing commentary for the Olympia 2022 pay-per-view event. The news was announced on his Instagram on Friday night.
“I am very excited to be apart this years Mr Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas this December. Commentating at this years event provides me an opportunity to express my love and support to its athletes who definitely sacrifice a ton to be on this historic stage.
To the fans I love you all and please know that I will do my absolute best in the booth, illustrating the body of work these amazing athletes showcase! Shout out to Jake Wood, Dan Soloman, the IFBB Pro League, @mrolympiallc and Jim Manion for helping make this all possible. See you all in Vegas!!!”
Phil Heath hosting the Olympia 2022 pay-per-view brings serious star power to the broadcast – which has been slowly expanding it’s production year over year. After going full pay-per-view rather than free broadcast, the PPV has included behind the scenes streams, expo streams, and a fully commentated livestream of the competition.
This news comes shortly after Generation Iron Network released the official teaser trailer for Kai – the life story biopic of Kai Greene. The documentary feature highlights the life of Phil Heath’s biggest rival. Notably, Phil Heath made an appearance in the film with a new exclusive interview – reflecting on his career and rivalry against Greene. It will be the first time in years where Heath has spoken deeply on his relationship with Greene. You can watch the trailer below:
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For more information about Kai – make sure to go to the official landing page. The film will be coming soon later this summer 2022.
It seems Phil Heath will be getting a double dose of additional attention this year between the film and his hosting duties at the Olympia 2022. He will surly provide deep play-by-play insight into the details, techniques, and skill put on display on stage. Currently, there has been no announcement of who will be doing commentary duty alongside Heath – if any.
Generation Iron will provide updates on this story as it develops. For more information about the Olympia 2022 weekend and all things bodybuilding – stick around the Generation Iron Fitness Network.
The 2022 Olympia Qualified Competitors and Requirements List
A complete list of the currently qualified bodybuilders for the 2022 Olympia weekend – plus a breakdown of the requirements.
The Olympia weekend is the pinnacle of bodybuilding in the IFBB pro league. It’s considered the Super Bowl of the sport. Those who compete in bodybuilding competitions look at the Olympia title as their number one goal. All competitors compete throughout the season to earn points for Olympia qualification – and a chance at the championship crown.
Throughout the season, there are qualification rounds for the Olympia weekend. Qualification can be obtained one of two ways – winning an Olympia qualifying competition or by earning enough points through competition placings throughout the year.
Below are the sets of requirements for each division depending on their number of respective contests.
Divisions With Less Than 25 Contests (Men’s Open, 212, Fitness, Figure, Women’s Physique, Women’s Open, Wellness)
Tier One Contests (Arnold Classic USA, Rising Phoenix):
2nd place – 10 points
3rd place – 9 points
4th place – 8 points
5th place – 7 points
Tier Two Contests (Arnold Classic Australia, Arnold Classic Brazil, Arnold Classic UK, Pittsburgh Pro, New York Pro, Tampa Pro, Toronto Pro, Japan Pro, Europa Pro Championships)
2nd place – 8 points
3rd place – 7 points
4th place – 6 points
5th place – 5 points
Tier Three Contests (Chicago Pro, Portugal Pro, Romania Muscle Fest Pro, Legion Sports Fest Pro, Puerto Rico Pro)
2nd place – 6 points
3rd place – 5 points
4th place – 4 points
5th place – 3 points
Tier Four Contests (All other contests)
2nd place – 4 points
3rd place – 3 points
4th place – 2 points
5th place – 1 point
Divisions With More Than 25 Contests (Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Bikini)
2021 Mr. Olympia
4th place – 12 points
5th place – 11 points
Arnold Classic USA
2nd place – 10 points
3d place – 9 points
4th place – 8 points
5th place – 7 points
All Other Contests
2nd place – 5 points
3rd place – 4 points
4th place – 3 points
5th place – 2 points
Here are the list of competitors who are already qualified for the 2022 Olympia. These athletes have already acquired enough points by either placing in the top five of their respective divisions at the 2021 Olympia or earning points by winning qualifiers in the 2022 season.
2022 Olympia Qualifed Athletes
Men’s Open
Nick Walker (USA)
Nathan De Asha (UK)
Mamdouh Elssbiay (Egypt)
Brandon Curry (USA)
Hadi Choopan (Iran)
Hunter Labrada (USA)
Shaun Clarida (USA)
Regan Grimes (Canada)
Samson Dauda (UK)
Rafael Brandao (Brazil)
Angel Calderon Frias (Spain)
Joel Thomas (USA)
William Bonac (Netherlands)
Blessing Awodibu (USA)
MEN’S OPEN POINTS:
Justin Rodriguez (USA), 26
Steve Kuclo (USA), 21
Theo Leguerrier (France), 14
Emir Omeragic (Germany), 13
Quinton Eriya (Canada), 11
Maxx Charles (USA), 11
Iain Valliere (Canada), 10
Andrea Presti (Italy), 10
Vitor Hugo Boff (Brazil), 8
Akim Williams (USA), 7
Roelly Winklaar (Curacao), 7
Joseph Seeman (Canada), 7
Thiago Lins Adao (Brazil), 7
Patrick Johnson (Denmark), 6
Eiren Gauley (Canada), 6
William Martins (Brazil), 6
Krystian Wolski (Poland), 5
Vladyslav Sukhoruchko (Ukraine), 5
Sergio Oliva, Jr (USA), 5
Behrooz Tabani Abarghani (Iran), 5
Eric Salazar (USA), 5
Stan de Longeaux (USA), 5
Tonio Burton (USA), 4
Mohamed Shaaban (Egypt), 4
Charles Griffen (USA), 4
Martin Fitzwater (USA), 3
Dani Kaganovich (Israel), 3
Mohamed El Emam (Egypt), 2
Mohammad Alnsoor (Jordan), 2
Mohamed El Fatah Hassan (Egypt), 1
Eduardo Rodriguez (Paraguay), 1
Brent Swansen (USA), 1
212 Division
Derek Lunsford (USA)
Shaun Clarida (USA)
Kamal Elgargni (Libya)
Mohamed El Azim (Egypt)
Ahmad Ashkanani (Kuwait)
Angel Calderon Frias (Spain)
Felipe Moraes (Brazil)
Oleh Kryvyi (Ukraine)
Douglas Connor (US)
David Henry (USA)
Anwar Al Balushi (Oman)
Yunlong Ping (China)
Bryan Balzano (US)
Robert Taylor (UK)
Lucas Silva Coelho (Brazil)
Noel Adame (USA)
MEN’S 212 POINTS:
Abdullah Alsaif (Saudi Arabia), 13
Nathan Epler (USA), 11
Naser Mohamed (Kuwait), 11
Radoslav Angelov (Bulgaria), 9
Jafar Ghaffarnezhad Azizi (Iran), 9
Adolphus Quoida (Canada), 8
Sung Yeop Jang (South Korea), 8
Emmanuel Rodriguez (USA), 8
Stephen Didoshak (Canada), 6
Abdulrahman Al Khashti (Kuwait), 6
Derik Oslan (USA), 6
Murat Gonul (Canada), 5
Pasquale D’Angelo (Italy), 5
Ahmed ElWardany (Egypt), 4
Peter Boncardo (Canada), 4
Fabricio Moreira (Brazil), 4
Morteza Mashayekh Kordkola (Iran), 4
Mohamed Al Zahmi (UAE), 4
Hamed Mahmoud Eini (Iran), 4
Vitor Souza de Lima (Brazil), 4
Mohamed El Said (Egypt), 3
Peter Kovac (Slovakia), 3
Felipe Fierro Lobos (Chile), 3
Lin Ching-Chieh (Taiwan), 3
Boaz Henrique Oliveira (Brazil), 3
Andre Luiz dos Santos (Brazil), 3
Daniel Sticco (Italy), 2
Saleh Alturkamani (Kuwait), 2
Yuman Eaton (USA), 2
Giuseppe Zagarella (Italy), 2
Raul Sanchez (Mexico), 2
Wael Mekky (Egypt), 1
Christyan Adonay Gomez Ramos (Honduras), 1
Sami Troudi (UAE), 1
Mustafa Naseem (Egypt), 1
Abdulaziz Almurshedi (Kuwait), 1
Richard Morilla (Philippines), 1
Classic Physique Division
Brady Barnes (USA)
Darren Farrell (Ireland)
Terrence Ruffin (USA)
Georgian Andrei Birica Anghel (Romania)
Robert Wichman (USA)
Michael Daboul (Syria)
Chris Bumstead (Canada)
Breon Ansley (USA)
Peter Molnar (Hungary)
Alex Cambronero (Costa Rico)
Mike Sommerfeld (Germany)
Jorge Herrera (USA)
Jose Maria Mete Bueriberi (Spain)
Ruben Lopez Reyes (Spain)
Mehdi Larijani (USA)
Lenny Wicks (USA)
Ahmed El Halawani (Egypt)
Logan Franklin (USA)
Ramon Rocha Querioz (Brazil)
Anthony Casado (Canada)
Kyrylo Khudaiev (USA)
Mateo Vaihu (New Zealand)
Mohamed Amine Fakhfakh (Tunisia)
Urs Kalecinski (Germany)
Junior Javorski (Brazil)
Tony Duong (USA)
Vahid Badpei (Iran)
Darwin Andres Uribe Aristizabal (Colombia)
Lamar Shaw (USA)
Alexander Westermeier (Germany)
Carlos Dommar (USA
Neil Currey (UK)
CLASSIC PHYSIQUE POINTS:
Camilo Diaz (USA), 15
Jesus Rodriguez Sendra (Spain), 14
Abdullah Alsairafi (Kuwait), 12
Jeff Hallenbeck (USA), 11
Hubert Kulczynski (Poland), 10
Dancovea Anderson (USA), 9
Ruben Stouth (USA), 9
Courage Opara (USA), 8
Shane Cullen (Ireland), 8
Romain Ramassamy (Canada), 8
Abdullah Wael Alrabiah (Saudi Arabia), 8
Tommy Clark (USA), 8
Bryan Jones (USA), 7
Jack Connor (UK), 7
Valentin Petrov (Bulgaria), 7
Jordan Plantiko (USA), 7
Justin Badurina (USA), 7
Ramone Haye (Canada), 7
Damien Patrick (USA), 7
Vincent Craine (Ireland), 6
Sabur Favors (USA), 6
Blake Course (Canada), 6
Daniel Costa (USA), 6
Laszlo Kiraly (Hungary), 5
Roberto Martinez Pizana (Spain), 5
Duqann Hilton (USA), 5
Brandon Kidd (USA), 5
Andrew Wilson (USA), 5
Jay Warren (USA), 4
Toto Djong (USA), 4
Kim Santos (USA), 4
Brandon Williams (USA), 4
Jorge Tabet Aleixandre (Spain), 4
Artem Puchkov (Russia), 4
Tywuan Williams (USA), 4
Shivas Higa (USA), 4
Gabriel Zancanelli (Brazil), 4
Jonathan Seok (New Zealand), 4
Fabio Junior Ramos Vale (Brazil), 4
Jason Strayhand (USA), 4
Jeremy Dutra (USA), 4
Michael Johnson (USA), 4
Kelvin Hinde (USA), 4
Tyler Tallent (USA), 3
Aaron Sparenberg (USA), 3
Andrea Mammoli (Italy), 3
Hany Saeed (Egypt), 3
Ramon Taijeron (USA), 3
Pavel Szotkowski (Poland), 3
Hassan Mahdi Abdulreda (Saudi Arabia), 3
Erik Alstrup (Canada), 3
Julian Castano (Colombia), 3
Luis Garcia Martinez (Spain), 3
Grant Pieterse (New Zealand), 3
Yousef Aldosari (Saudi Arabia), 3
Julio Cesar Alimiento Simoes (Brazil), 3
Abdullah Albakri (Saudi Arabia), 3
Mohamed Kazem Zolfaghari (Iran), 3
Ali Shamsghamar (Iran), 3
Jared Keys (USA), 3
Tony Davis (USA), 3
Domenick DiBenedetto (USA), 2
Tyler Johnson (Canada), 2
Yevhenii Mykhailenko (Ukraine), 2
Harold Bright, Jr (USA), 2
Daniel Strong (USA), 2
Ulisses De Andrade (USA), 2
Paul Kanu (USA), 2
Vladimir Sizov (USA), 2
Paulo Henrique (Brazil), 2
Ayham Alaws (Germany), 2
Ahmad Ahmad (Iraq), 2
Michael Kingsworth (New Zealand), 2
Luan de Souza Bento (Brazil), 2
Ahmed Aljar (Saudi Arabia), 2
Abdelkarim Ammari (Morocco), 2
Kenneth Owens (USA), 2
Anthony Barbera III (USA), 2
Derek Duczynski (USA), 1
Jason Theobald (USA), 1
Petar Duper (Italy), 1
Brandon Cooper (USA), 1
James Adams (USA), 1
Shin Kodama (Japan), 1
German Pastor (Spain), 1
Zoheb Razak (New Zealand), 1
Michael Bell (USA), 1
Maycon Viana da Silva (Brazil), 1
Bartley Weaver IV (USA), 1
Omar Khaldi (Morocco), 1
Laconia Seymour (USA), 1
Daniil Famponte (USA), 1
Men’s Physique
Riccardo Croci (Italy)
Jahvair Mullings (USA)
Bhuwan Chauhan (India)
Terrence Teo Kok Hua (Malaysia)
Yousef Al Shaban (Kuwait)
Ryan Terry (UK)
Brandon Hendrickson (USA)
Erin Banks (USA
Diogo Montenegro (Brazil)
Raymont Edmonds (USA)
Carlos DeOliveira (USA)
Daniel Ammons (USA)
Kyron Holden (USA)
Ahmed Shoukry (Egypt)
Balint Nemeth (Hungary)
Alessandro Cavagnola (Italy)
Yukihiro Yuasa (Japan)
Zheyu Zhang (China)
Arya Saffaie (USA)
Vincius Mateus Viera Lima (Brazil)
David Mazzolari (Italy)
Mahmood Al-Maghrabi (Bahrain)
Emanual Hunter (USA)
Hossein Karimi (Iran)
Bong Seok Choi (South Korea)
Imran Khan (Qatar)
Ponpaisan Ruangsangpen (Thailand)
Jason Huynh (USA)
Benquil Marigny (USA)
Myron Griffin (USA)
Fabrizio Dos Santos Silva (Australia)
Sadik Hadzovic (USA)
MEN’S PHYSIQUE POINTS:
Emile Walker (UK), 21
Jeffrey Darko (UK), 12
Antoine Weatherspoon (USA), 12
Joshua Guidry (USA), 10
Ramses Rams (USA), 10
Ikenna Amaliri (USA), 9
Ryan John-Baptiste (UK), 8
Yasser Fernando Chala Blandon (Colombia), 8
Hong Xiao Long (China), 8
Farouq Ishimoto (Japan), 8
Sharif Reid (USA), 8
Daniel Leone (Italy), 8
Mark Robinson (USA), 8
Alexander Toplyn (USA), 8
Shogo Sato (Japan), 7
Andre Smith (USA), 6
Furkan Er (Turkey), 6
Hirokawa Shoichi (Japan), 6
Evan Kanu (USA), 6
Omer Bahmed (Qatar), 6
Chidube Anene (USA), 6
Mehdi Kabbadj (Morocco), 6
Jeremiah Maxey (USA), 6
Romane Lanceford (UK), 5
Youcef Djoudi (France), 5
Felipe Franco (Brazil), 5
Suruqah Shabazz (USA), 5
Andrei Lincan (Romania), 5
Steven Pettis (USA), 5
Charles Paquette (Canada), 5
Joseph Lee (USA), 4
Yashar Anbari (Iran), 4
Alex Woodson (USA), 4
Reynel Chavez Pulido (USA), 4
Corey Morris (USA), 4
Sanad Alsanad (Kuwait), 4
Anton Antipov (USA), 4
Michael Williams (USA), 4
Ali Hussain Jafar (Kuwait), 4
Yoon Sung Lee (South Korea), 4
Bader Alsabri (Kuwait), 4
Joven Sagabain (Philippines), 4
Eddie Lusk III (USA), 4
Ashley Patillo (USA), 4
Antonio Smothers (USA), 4
Viet Doan (Australia), 4
Reuben Glass (USA), 4
Andrea Mosti (Italy), 3
Miroslav Juricek (Czech Republic), 3
Micah Thomas, Jr (USA), 3
Marlon Sanchez (Netherlands), 3
Shun Kaneko (Japan), 3
Ismael Dominguez (Mexico), 3
Rodrigue Chesnier (USA), 3
Vitor Chaves (Brazil), 3
Dawid Wachelka (Poland), 3
Yujin Lee (South Korea), 3
Andre Ferguson (USA), 3
Anderson da Silva Arruda (Brazil), 3
Juan Manuel Gomez (Colombia), 3
Seungho Chae (South Korea), 3
Joshua Eng Cherng Shin (Malaysia), 3
Christopher Barr (USA), 3
Anthony Chinakwe (USA), 3
Joseph Mencel (Australia), 3
Alexis Gonzalez Benitez (Spain), 2
Joquim Camps Angel (Spain), 2
Hachemi Hemza (Algeria), 2
Godfrey Sironda (USA), 2
Edvan Palmeira (Brazil), 2
Denis Gusev (Russia), 2
Rafael Oliveira (Brazil), 2
Hashem Alfotewi (Saudi Arabia), 2
Bum Su Park (South Korea), 2
Karim Esmat Sadek (Kuwait), 2
Nishant Bansai (India), 2
Cam Harris (USA), 2
Franky Yan (USA), 2
Ali Raza (Australia), 2
Tyler James (USA), 1
Febo Gambacorta (Italy), 1
Saint Michael Moodie (Jamaica), 1
Rodney Harvey (USA), 1
Youseff Hassan (Egypt), 1
Mu Ying Zhai (China), 1
Stevelon Dennis (USA), 1
Ammar Shlash (Jordan), 1
Abdulaziz Al-Mohandes (Saudi Arabia), 1
Woo Young Seo (South Korea), 1
Hamad Al Dosari (Bahrain), 1
Mohammad Afroz Khichi (India), 1
Brett Mario Jackson, Jr (USA), 1
Mohammed Al Kindy (Oman), 1
Chevy Phillips (Canada), 1
Women’s Open
Andrea Shaw (USA)
Helle Trevino (USA)
Margie Martin (USA)
Nadia Capostosto (Italy)
MayLa Ash (USA)
Eva Montgomery (USA)
Theresa Ivancik (USA)
Donna Salib (USA)
WOMEN’S OPEN POINTS:
Michelle Jin (USA), 14
Mona Poursaleh (Canada), 12
Stephanie Flesher (USA), 12
Irene Andersen (Sweden), 11
Lisa Kudrey (Canada), 11
Branka Njegovec (Croatia), 6
Tananarive Huie (Canada), 6
Keisha Oliver (USA), 6
Anastasia Leonova (Russia), 5
Saqweta Barrino (USA), 6
Anastasia Korableva (Russia), 4
Yesenia Garcia Speck (Spain), 4
Tiana Flex (South Africa), 3
Felicia Spatarescu (Spain), 3
Ivana Dvorakova (Czech Republic), 3
Sonia Cabre Pasani (Spain), 1
Jade Beverly (USA), 1
Fitness Division
Missy Truscott (USA)
Allison Kramer (USA)
Michelle Fredua-Mensah (UK)
Whitney Jones (USA)
Oksana Grishina (Russia)
Terra Plum (Canada)
Minna Pajulahti (Finland)
Adela Garcia (USA)
Andrea Glass (USA)
Ariel Khadr (USA)
FITNESS POINTS:
Jaclyn Baker (USA), 32
Kate Errington (UK), 21
Tamara Vahn (Canada), 16
Aurika Tyrgale (USA), 9
Abbie Bolton (Canada), 8
Daniella DaCosta (Canada), 7
Corina Harkelarod (USA), 6
Danielle Chikeles (USA), 4
Rene Brosch (USA), 4
Ashley Downes (USA), 4
Giorgia Foroni (Italy), 4
Stephanie Jones (USA), 4
Kimberly Baliutavicius (USA), 3
Abbie Elsner (USA), 3
Corinne Elizabeth Bean (USA), 3
Stacy Dawn (USA), 2
Nicolette Spencer (USA), 2
Susana Beatriz Cacavieli (Argentina), 1
Figure Division
Anna Gasior (Poland)
Cydney Gillon (USA)
Natalia Soltero (Mexico)
Stephanie Gibson (USA)
Bojana Vasiljevic (USA)
Jessica Reyes Padilla (Puerto Rico)
Aksana Yukhno (Belarus)
Maria Luisa Baeza Diaz (USA)
Tereza Linhartova (Czech Republic)
Jennifer Zienert (Germany)
Felecia Harris (USA)
Angelita Lopez (USA)
Lola Montez (Canada)
Nicole Zenobia Graham (USA)
LaToyia Farley (USA)
Shanice Abrams (USA)
Jossie Nathali Alarcon Becerra (Mexico)
FIGURE POINTS:
Erika Morales Morgan (Guatemala), 19
Maryam Bamdad (Canada), 14
Gabriela Linhartova (Czech Republic), 11
Autumn Cleveland (USA), 9
Veronica Gallego Garcia (Spain), 9
Katerina Aninao (USA), 7
Maude Exantus (USA), 7
Martina Yabekova (Canada), 6
Courtney Jacobs (USA), 6
Anna Banks (Poland), 5
Her Un (South Korea), 5
Kim Clark (USA), 5
Yelena Larina (USA), 5
An Da Jeong (South Korea), 4
Sandra Grajales (Mexico), 4
Larhanna Robinson (USA), 4
Asmaa Salimi (Canada), 4
Tarryn Garlington (USA), 4
Sh’Nere Mattise Deas (USA), 4
Zulfiya Bitiyeva (Kazakhstan), 4
Wendy Fortino (USA), 3
Belinda Hope (USA), 3
Annelies Charlotte Fortuin (Netherlands), 3
Oyku Basar (Turkey), 2
Michele da Silva Pinto (Brazil), 2
Alissa Carpio (USA), 2
Paula Ranta (Finland), 2
Militsa Rivera (USA), 2
Thais Cabrices Werner (USA), 2
Shana Malcolm (USA), 2
Olesya Kochura (Russia), 1
Mandy Urner (Canada), 1
Stephanie Koerber (USA), 1
Bree Marsh (USA), 1
Samantha Jerring (USA), 1
Kiah Tiller (USA), 1
Kristen McGregor (Jamaica), 1
Women’s Physique
Sarah Villegas (USA)
Natalia Abraham Coelho (USA)
Brooke Walker (USA)
Anne-Lorranie Mohn (France)
Kristy Cox (USA)
Ivie Rhein (USA)
Rachel Daniels (USA)
Christelle Zarovska (USA)
Marie-Soulange Essoh (USA)
WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE POINTS:
Caroline Alves Dos Santos (Brazil), 15
Barbara Menage (France), 12
Ana Harias (USA), 11
Penpraghai Tiangngok (Thailand), 10
Justine Albert (USA), 10
Alexis Sullivan (USA), 9
Daniely Castilho (Brazil), 9
Ji Hye Lee (South Korea), 8
Emily Renee Schubert (USA), 7
Lisa McLean (Canada), 7
Alex Hall (USA), 7
Marea Henriquez (Netherlands), 6
Maria Redman (USA), 6
Natalie Rae Wolfe (USA), 6
Amanda Peles (USA), 6
Elisama Manuel Benta Zorzetto (Brazil), 5
Eve Gagnon (Canada), 5
Jessica Belt (USA), 5
Orlandina Balan (USA), 5
Jodi Lyons (USA), 4
Ilaria Armeni (UK), 4
Emilija Martic (Canada), 4
Jessica Martin (USA), 4
Rachel Reid (USA), 3
Tina Mauer Guadarrama (USA), 3
Yarelis Ramos Perez (Puerto Rico), 3
Jeanette Johansson (Sweden), 2
Maria Quennie Liberman (Canada), 2
Maria Barba (USA), 2
Alide Oprey (Hungary), 1
Jennifer Faccinto (USA), 1
Layla Ikahihifo (USA), 1
Donna Williams (USA), 1
Wellness Division
Casey DeLong (USA)
Francielle Mattos (Brazil)
Angela Borges (Brazil)
Isabelle Nunes (Brazil)
Giselle Machado (Brazil)
Anna Mroczkowska (Poland)
Yarishna Ayala (Puerto Rico)
Sunny Andrews (USA)
Juliana Mota Esteso (France)
Kassandra Gillis (Canada)
Barbara Cesar (USA)
Julia Chitarra (Brazil)
Marissa Andrews (USA)
Devone Martin (USA)
WELLNESS POINTS:
Jasmine Payne (USA), 13
Leonida Ciobu (Moldova), 10
Lorena Ragusa (USA), 10
Brooke Donnelly (USA), 9
Celeste Morales (USA), 8
Aysegul Besli (Turkey), 7
Emily Azzarello (Canada), 7
Rafaele Zen (Brazil), 7
Maria Paulette Aranguren (Spain), 6
Alexis Rosalia (Mexico), 6
Judian Wilson (USA), 6
Charlene Mas (France), 5
Lisa Christin Meiswinkel (Germany), 5
Michelle Capponi (Switzerland), 5
Amanda Werner (USA), 4
Pamela Bonaccorso (Italy), 4
Alisha Sturkie (USA), 4
Neride Garcia Strey (Spain), 4
Tarcila de Almeida Moura (Brazil), 4
Amanda Rezende (USA), 4
Tracy Williams (USA), 4
Zelma Santos (USA), 3
Devyn Cambre (USA), 3
Carrie Goforth (USA), 3
Rayane Fogal (Brazil), 3
Mariela Peres Carvalho (Brazil), 3
Michele Ibata (Brazil), 3
Mia Samuels (USA), 3
Sheila Martins (USA), 3
Jenny Smith (USA), 2
Luz Rodriguez (Mexico), 2
Martyna Staszewska-Tiu (Poland), 2
Renata Guaraciaba (Brazil), 2
Tatum Schneidmiller (USA), 2
Avis Evans (USA), 1
Michelle Ibata (Brazil), 1
Tatiany Vaillant (Brazil), 1
Laleska Bruschi (Brazil), 1
Figen Sahin (UK), 1
Debora Pereira (Brazil), 1
Kat Williams (USA), 1
Bikini Division
Erika Roxana Marquez (USA)
Jennifer Dorie (Canada)
Elisa Pecini (Brazil)
Ashley Kaltwasser (USA)
Ottavia Mazza (Italy)
Phoebe Hagan (UK)
Lauralie Chapados (Canada)
Francesca Stoico (Italy)
Jourdanne Lee (Canada)
Wiktoria Gasior (Poland)
Ivanna Escandar (Spain)
Allison Testu (France)
Sally-Ann Kato (Japan)
Shenese Case (Canada)
Alessia Facchin (Italy)
Cristiane Silveira (Brazil)
Jennifer Ronzitti (USA)
Danielle Phelps (USA)
Yan Gao (New Zealand)
Maureen Blanquisco (Norway)
Eli Fernandez (Mexico)
Jil Meret Schmitz (Thailand)
Ashlyn Little (USA)
Ha Yeun Kim (South Korea)
Aleksandra Banda (Australia)
Lucia Malavaze (USA)
Sierra Swann (USA)
BIKINI POINTS:
India Paulino (USA), 15
Janet Layug (USA), 14
Noora Mahonen (Finland), 13
Jessica Nicole Dolias (USA), 13
Adair Libbrecht (Canada), 12
Lawna Dunbar (USA), 10
Gessica Brun (Brazil), 9
Ana Maria Vintu (Italy), 8
Elizveta Shmukler (Japan), 8
Stine Hansen (Denmark), 8
Mahsa Akbarimehr (USA), 8
Romina Basualdo (Argentina), 7
Anastasia Gonzalez Andreu (Spain), 7
Marie Isobe (Japan), 7
Diane Brunet (Canada), 7
Lauren Dannenmiller (USA), 7
Erin Stern (USA), 7
Phoebe Hagan (UK), 6
Yuma Kurokawa (Japan), 6
Karen Wall (Canada), 6
Vania Auguste (USA), 6
Hye Kyeong Hwang (South Korea), 6
Maria Goncalves (USA), 6
Liana Giannamore (USA)< 6 Jade-Kelsie Wolfenden (UK), 5 Melissa Carver (Australia), 5 Adrianna Kaczmarek (Poland), 5 Miho Shibutani (Japan), 5 Rukiye Solak (Turkey), 5 Laura Ziv (France), 5 Maria Julia da Silva de Lemos (Brazil), 4 Hope Harper (USA), 4 Jessica Wilson (USA), 4 Adrianne Onofrei (USA), 4 Tatiana Lanovenko (Russia), 4 Matilde Biagini (Italy), 4 Calysta Cornell (USA), 4 Kate Mickleson (New Zealand), 4 A Reum Song (South Korea), 4 Shane DiCicco (Australia), 4 Jessica Jones (USA), 4 Jodie Jean-Yuncker (USA), 4 Peyton Hunton (USA), 4 Carla Garthwaite (USA), 3 Eliana Guzman Reyes (Spain), 3 Evita Breide (Spain), 3 Halanna Jully (Brazil), 3 Elizabet Vang (Faroe Islands), 3 Rachel Linares (USA), 3 Marisa Woo (USA), 3 Chloe Hunter (New Zealand), 3 Ariel Barley (USA), 3 Yeoni Lee (South Korea), 3 Sara Choi (South Korea), 3 Calista McKenzie (Australia), 3 Bridget Bailey (Australia), 3 Gabriella Mohamed (USA), 3 Cheuk Nam Yuen (HKSAR), 2 Cassie Hunter (UK), 2 Denetra Blackshear (USA), 2 Mirian Barbosa (Brazil), 2 Aimee Jacobs (New Zealand), 2 Elisangela Angell (Brazil), 2 Nicole Tan (Australia), 2 Janine Herrera (USA), 2 Theresa Miller (USA), 1 Aneta Szoltysek (Poland), 1 Melanie Cyr (Canada), 1 Danielle Combs (USA), 1 Herlayne Braga (Brazil), 1 Catherine Daniel (New Zealand), 1 Marissa Rivero (USA), 1 Nittaya Kongthun (Thailand), 1 Uchral Byambatseren (Mongolia), 1 Rachael Oberst (USA), 1 Liana Martinez (USA), 1 Hyojung Kim (South Korea), 1 Leslie Billups (USA), 1 Tara Grier (USA), 1 Men’s Wheelchair Harold Kelley (USA) Gabriele Andriulli (Italy) Antoni Khadraoui (Algeria) Adelfo Cerame, Jr (USA) Tyler Brey (USA) Tory Jones (Canada) MEN’S WHEELCHAIR POINTS: Bradley Betts (USA), 9 Chad McCrary (USA), 8 The date for the 2022 Olympia will be held on December 15-18th, 2022. Stay tuned. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Derek Dufour has been managing all digital operations on the Generation Iron Network for over six years. He currently manages a team of editors, writers, and designers to provide up-to-date content across the GI Network.
Big Ramy Breaks Silence: Apologizes To Jim Manion & IFBB Pro
Big Ramy issues a direct apology to Jim Manion, the IFBB Pro league, and the fans for missing the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro.
After a long period of silence, Big Ramy has issued a direct statement apologizing to Jim Manion and the IFBB Pro league for his unexplained guest posing absence at the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro. His apology comes after a wide amount of criticism from fellow athletes, coaches, and fans. While Ramy does directly apologize, he still does not provide a detailed reason for why he missed the guest posing – other than citing “personal issues.”
The 2022 Pittsburgh Pro is one of the most exciting pro competitions of the year. This is largely because of the massive selection of super star guest posers that appear to pay tribute to IFBB Pro president Jim Manion. This year, Big Ramy was the featured headliner for the guest posing event. However, Ramy did not appear. Instead, Derek Lunsford jumped on stage last minute to replace him.
Fans were confused – and we later found out that even Big Ramy’s own coach Dennis James was confused as well. There was no advance notice of Ramy’s absence. In fact, even after the Pittsburgh Pro event, which was on May 6-7th, Ramy and his team were virtually silent with no explanation. Now just two and a half weeks later, Ramy has opened up and spoken directly for the first time about the issue.
You can watch Big Ramy’s official statement, which was posted on Instagram, below:
In the video, Big Ramy appears solemn and somewhat reserved. He acknowledges that he has been silent for quite some time – and then jumps directly into an apology to Jim Manion:
“Hey guys, I know I have been absent for a while now and I would like to explain to you all what has been happening. First I would like to apologize to Mr. Jim Manion and IFBB Pro league for not coming to the Pittsburgh Pro.”
Big Ramy then moves on to mention the reason for his inability to make it to the Pittbsurgh Pro event. However, he does not give much detail at all – stating that he cannot go into detail about the situation for an undisclosed reason.
“Due to personal reason that I cannot go into details about, I can’t fly to Pittsburgh. It’s nothing hurts me more than to know I missed that event and I let many people down. Mr. Jim Manion and last bodybuilding fans, I am very sorry from the bottom of my heart.”
Big Ramy then takes a moment to confirm that he is still dedicated to being a champion bodybuilder – and always strives to do what is best for the sport. But he also acknowledges that he is human and that mistakes do happen and will likely happen again in the future.
“I think you all know, I am from day one I start bodybuilding, I try to do my best to be a good guy for any person he need to be a bodybuilder. Maybe I make some mistakes but I am a human and I know in the future I will make some mistakes because I am still a human.”
Big Ramy is the current and 2x Mr. Olympia champion. With that crown comes a responsibility to the sport. Many fans look up to him as a champion and expect the best attitude and performance from his presence year after year. His silence and his absence at the Pittsburgh Pro, to many, was unbefitting of a Mr. Olympia champion.
That being said, Big Ramy has finally addressed the fans, his fellow athletes, and the league directly. This will likely build, perhaps, some good will in those who have been waiting for some sort of answer.
On the flip side, Big Ramy still is not able to give a specific reason for missing the show or his silence. Perhaps it truly is a private issue that he cannot publicly comment on. However, there will be some who see this as a cop out and a non satisfying answer.
Regardless of how the larger community reacts to this – his apology will hopefully put this conversation behind us and allow the sport to look forward towards Big Ramy’s next showing at the Mr. Olympia later this year.
Generation Iron will update this article as more information becomes available. Until then, stick around the Generation Iron Fitness Network for news and coverage on all things bodybuilding, strength sports, and fitness.
Did Mr. Olympia Just Finally Tease A Special Invite For Flex Lewis?
Image via Instagram @flex_lewis
The Mr. Olympia top brass made a surprise visit to Flex Lewis’ gym – is it for an official special invite?
On Friday, March 4th, 2022 – Dan Solomon posted what he labeled a “developing story” by making a surprise visit to Flex Lewis seemingly teasing a special invite to Mr. Olympia 2022. This news comes after much controversy earlier in the year, when Solomon seemed to indicate that, without an official special invite, Flex Lewis was currently not qualified to compete at the Olympia. While the video in question did not reveal or confirm a special invite – it ended with a “too be continued” graphic.
Flex Lewis has had quite the roller coaster of a career ever since his retirement from the Men’s 212 stage in 2018. Lewis is already a confirmed true legend in the sport. He is a 7x Men’s 212 Olympia champion. He is considered by many to have one of the greatest physiques in modern bodybuilding history. After his retirement, many thought he was done for good. But he later confirmed that he would in fact move up to the Men’s Open division to compete in the Mr. Olympia.
Unfortunately, we have yet to see him on the Mr. Olympia stage. Due to a variety of circumstances, Flex Lewis had to defer his Men’s Open debut. Many believed that 2022 would finally be his year to step on stage and challenge the Men’s Open top brass.
But this excitement was somewhat dashed when Dan Solomon did a Q&A on Instagram earlier in the year. Answering a fan question, Solomon claimed that, as it stands now, Flex Lewis is not qualified for the Mr. Olympia 2022. Usually former Olympia champions and top 5 athletes get automatic invites to the next year Olympia. But due to a technicality, Lewis has not yet qualified. While he was a Men’s 212 Olympia champion – he never competed in Men’s Open. So technically he is not yet qualified.
But all of that seems to be about to change based on the teaser video Dan Solomon posted on Instagram. In the video, Dan Solomon along with other key Mr. Olympia personnel made what they call a “surprise visit” to Flex Lewis’ gym. The camera follows them through the parking lot, into the gym, and show a hardy greeting with Flex Lewis. Then the video cuts to show a graphic – “TO BE CONTINUED.”
Dan Solomon also included this comment with the video:
“Developing Story: The Olympia bosses made a surprise visit yesterday to the Dragon’s Lair gym in Las Vegas….and the cameras were rolling!”
The fact that Solomon has posted the video using official Mr. Olympia branding seems to all but confirm that he will be receiving a special invite. When they decide to drop the other half of the video revealing the full info is currently unknown.
Many fans and fellow athletes were enraged upon originally hearing that Flex Lewis was not automatically qualified for the Mr. Olympia. Though there were some who believe that a special invite was always in the cards – and that the Olympia brand was simply trying to drum up headlines to build excitement and promote the event as a whole.
While we cannot at this moment say that Flex Lewis is officially invited, it seems more than likely considering other special invites that have been given over the years. There’s no doubt Lewis being present on the Olympia stage is a big draw for many fans. It will be one of the true X factors of the event. We hope that he will be able to compete – whether it be via special invite or an official qualification through competition. Time will soon tell.
Make sure to stick around the Generation Iron Fitness Network for more updates on everything bodybuilding, fitness, and strength sports!