Phil Heath Is Officially Out of the 2019 Olympia

With the Olympia quickly approaching, there’s been seemingly endless discussion about seven-time champ Phil Heath. After his shocking loss last year, it wasn’t clear whether or not Heath would take the stage in an effort to reclaim the Sandow in 2019. Now, fans have the definitive answer from the man himself: “The Gift” is sitting the 2019 Olympia out.

“I’m thankful to finally announce that I am not competing at this year’s 2019 Mr. Olympia contest,” Heath told Muscular Development online editor Ron Harris in an interview ahead of the magazine’s October issue. “As many people have known me throughout my career to compete at our sport’s biggest event, I am sitting this one out as I continue to work on other projects inside and outside of bodybuilding.”

Heath clarified that he hasn’t stopped training, just that he’s chosen to skip the Olympia. Check out the full video here:

The throne is wide open this year, and many fans wondered if Heath would try to reclaim it. But that’s a pretty solid answer, and he seems sure that he’s making the right choice. He even took to Instagram shortly after the news broke to reassure fans that he’s not done just yet. 

If you’re not caught up with this year’s top competitors in the contest Heath dominated for so many years, check out our top predictions here.