The?basketball fraternity can claim to have a stake in Phil Heath’s extraordinary success on the basketball court.
Heath, king of the sport with three successive Mr Olympia titles under his belt, once played for the University of Denver basketball team.
He was a member of the Pioneers from 1998-2002, playing 65 games as a point guard and shooting guard, before beginning his professional career in bodybuilding.
Three weeks ago, Phil Heath won his third-straight Mr Olympia contest held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nicknamed “The Gift”, Heath became just the seventh man to win the title three or more times, and he is one of only 13 Mr Olympia winners since the contest started in 1965, joining the likes of Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the world champion in bodybuilding.
Four-time champion Jay Cutler made the cut with a sixth-place trophy. His time for glory has seemingly passed as he struggles to get in shape with a less than ideal structure.
Fifth place went to Dexter Jackson, who looked great. At 43, “The Blade” continues to defy time and shows no sign of slowing down.
Fourth place went Shawn Rhoden’s way, a small step back from his breakthrough third-place finish in 2012. He’s got the right look, though; many say it’s just a matter of time before he finds himself with the Sandow.
The majestic Jamaican will take his world-class physique to Barbados next month for the Darcy Beckles Invitational Classic slated for November 2 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
The bronze medal went to big bad Dennis Wolf. While he was absent from the top six in many previews, Dennis brought an unbelievable package to the show and was handsomely rewarded. Kai Greene was awarded second place, and there was little doubt who was going to win. Phil’s structure is simply too difficult to match.
Greene outguns Heath for width, has monstrous legs, is second to none in lower lats devlopment, but the Gift has more overall detail, better chest, shoulders and arms, and simply a more pleasing physique. (MK)
