Mr. Olympia 2019: Latest Event Schedule and Info on Past Winners

With Shawn Rhoden and Phil Heath set to miss the competition, the race for the 2019 Mr Olympia is wide open.

Rhoden was the shock winner in 2018, pipping Heath to the Sandow Trophy. However, he will not be present to defend his title a year on, as his permission to participate has been revoked after he was charged with rape in July. 

After seeing his run of seven successes in a row ended last year, Heath will have to wait another 12 months to get his hands on the most prestigious title in bodybuilding. He denied speculation regarding a possible surprise return recently, reaffirming his intention to take a year out.

It means there's a chance for a new star of the sport to emerge. Here is the schedule for the weekend and a preview of what to expect at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Event Schedule

Saturday, September 14, 7 p.m. (PT): Finals of Mr. Olympia, Bikini Olympia, Men's Physique Olympia and Classic Physique Olympia

Past Winners

Unsurprisingly, with Heath going for an eighth title in a row a year ago, few anticipated the Sandow Trophy would end up in anyone else's grasp. But Rhoden was able to surprise the world with his condition on the biggest stage in bodybuilding.

This year, the defending champion will not be in action. Per Jacob Ladon of Generation Iron, competition organisers American Media LLC decided to suspend Rhoden from the Olympia events rape charges being filed against him.

Per TMZ, Rhoden was charged with first-degree rape in Utah in July. He was accused of sexually assaulting a female body builder in October 2018. Rhoden has denied the charges but turned himself in to police in Utah after an arrest warrant was issued.

Heath is also poised to sit the competition out. After social media footage showed him in excellent condition lately, there was some buzz about the seven-time champion returning to action. However, he dismissed the speculation ahead of the event, per Jonathan Salmon of Generation Iron:

"I am thankful to finally announce that I am not competing at this year's 2019 Mr. Olympia contest. 

"As many people have known me throughout my career to compete at the sports biggest event, I will be sitting this one out, as I continue to work on other projects, inside and outside of bodybuilding. 

"I haven't stopped training, as bodybuilding is something I extremely enjoy doing, but at this point in time, I have chosen to bypass this year's event."

With the aforementioned pair not involved, the only former champion in the field this year is 2008 winner Dexter Jackson.

The Mr. Olympia Twitter account noted that it'll be a landmark appearance in the event for Jackson:

Even so, at the age of 49, it would be a massive shock if he was to clinch the Sandow Trophy, 11 years on from his first success. A year ago, Rhoden tied the record for the oldest Mr. Olympia victor at 43.

There are still those who believe Jackson is capable of victory, though:

In 2018, Roelly Winklaar was in third, although he's not enjoyed the best season so far, finishing in fifth at the Arnold Classic Ohio. The Curaçaoan will be doing all he can to be a force in this wide-open field.