From Flexonline -
OLYMPIA FANS WON’T GET THEIR PHIL
Written by: Peter McGough
After winning the Colorado and New York pro shows on May 13 and May 20 respectively, Phil Heath is seen as hot a prospect as bodybuilding has had in years. So the ever-growing legion of Heath fans will surely be disappointed to hear he is sitting out the 2006 Olympia. It’s a decision the 26-year-old made only after days spent searching his soul and gathering feedback from his small, but valued, circle of advisors.
“Believe me when I say I would love to compete in this year’s Olympia,” says Heath. “But I don’t feel it would be in my best interest at this stage of my career. It’s always been important to me to be able to make significant improvements from show to show. I think I put on some quality size in the 10 months between the USA last July and Colorado this past May, and to continue that improvement curve I’d like to work for a similar 10-month period before entering my next contest. Doing the Olympia on September 30 just wouldn’t give me the time I want to improve. The last thing I want to do is go into the Olympia looking the same as I did in Colorado or New York.” While he won’t be competing in Las Vegas come September 29-30, he will certainly be in attendance, probably looking healthy and full as he continues to add quality mass in preparation for his next competition, the 2007 Arnold Classic.
“By next March I will have had another 10 months to improve upon the physique I showed this May,” he says. “I think I should have a decent shot at qualifying for the 2007 Olympia at the Arnold if I can make the kind of gains in the offseason I’m expecting to make.”
He sees the six months between next year’s Arnold and the Olympia being sufficient time for him to make further improvements before making a Big O debut, “if”, as he says, “I qualify.” Any bets against him not doing that?
THE BLADE RETURNS
Written by: Peter McGough
Just when you thought this year’s Mr. Olympia contest had enough storylines, along comes a real blockbuster. Dexter Jackson, who many thought would from here on in concentrate on just the Arnold Classic, has signed the contract to compete at the Mr. O being staged in Las Vegas September 29 and 30.
The Blade last competed at the O in 2004, where he controversially slipped to fourth behind Gustavo Badell thanks to the machinations of the Challenge Round. He bypassed the Olympia last year and — let’s be honest — the contest missed him. At 230 hard, separated and balanced pounds, he personifies an aesthetic that many think is what Mr. Olympia should look like. Indeed, in FLEX’s reports of the 2003 and 2004 contests, this scribe commented that in a different age (perhaps sometime in the future?) under a different criteria Dexter’s complete package could be Mr. Olympia.
Now back where he belongs — on the stage where it’s decided who is the best bodybuilder on the planet — Dexter brings a fresh threat to the top two (Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler) of the last three years. Against those two size monsters Dexter, who has won the last two Arnold Classics, will be a legitimate menace to split them and who knows how high he can climb now he has the smell of Olympia action back in his nostrils.
For full details of Joe Weider’s 2006 Olympia Weekend go to
www.2006olympia.com 
