Phil Heath Quickly Climbing All-Time Ranks with 2014 Mr. Olympia Win

Phil Heath faced a serious challenge at the 2014 Mr. Olympia competition, but he was able to come away with a title for the fourth time in a row. This continues an illustrious career that puts him up with some of the best in bodybuilding history.

Heath came into the latest event expecting to not only win but also put himself in an elite class after the weekend, as he explained to Roger Lockridge of BodyBuilding.com:

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Winning is what I do and what I like, and I'm excited to win number four in a row. Think about the legends who have won four Olympias: Jay, Dorian, Arnold, Ronnie, and Lee. We're talking legends now. That makes me more excited to chase what's in front of me instead of behind me. Don't get me wrong. The other competitors bring out the best in me, but I prepare by thinking about looking forward.

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Fans of the sport usually only need those first names to know who you are referring to, but Jay Cutler, Dorian Yates, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney are the only ones ever to win this title four times.

Coleman and Haney have the record with eight wins apiece, although Heath explained his goal is to win "10 of them."

Of course, before he could even think of getting to that level, he had to survive a tough challenge from Kai Greene, whom the champion had disagreements with in a press conference earlier in the week:

Despite a tough challenge from the contender yet again, Heath was able to pull out his fourth title in a row, as he continues to show why his previous success was not a fluke. Former champion Cutler also expressed his admiration for the winner:

The victory certainly was not easy, though, with Greene providing as difficult of a test as Heath had ever seen. Layne Norton of BodyBuilding.com broke down what he saw in the Brooklyn native:

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Kai Greene brought his best conditioning to date, pushing Phil Heath to the absolute edge. I would argue that Greene was actually the leanest competitor onstage, outshining even Heath in this regard. The fans seemed to agree, as he ran away with the Fan's Choice Award by a large margin. This was as great an opportunity as Greene has had, but Heath ended up holding the 50th Sandow. Next year will once again be fascinating to watch.

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While some fans would question the narrow win and call this an indictment on Heath, it really further proves his greatness. Many Mr. Olympia titles are simply given out to the previous winner with little thought due to a lack of serious challenge, but this one was earned with hard work.

To be the best, you have to beat the best, and Heath accomplished this feat with his latest win.

It is obviously difficult to compare Mr. Olympia winners of different eras, but he has a chance to separate himself with his staying power. At 34 years old, he is still just the age at which Coleman won his first of eight titles. 

If Heath can continue to work hard and remain in good shape, more championships could be in his future. Based on his ability to hold off Greene until this point, it would be a mistake to doubt him.

Although it might still be a few years before Heath can be considered the best competitor ever to step on the stage, he has at least put himself in the conversation with his latest win. 

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