King Kamali discusses how the Mr. Olympia 2020 is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The pandemic plaguing the world has caused a massive shift in just about everything. This includes bodybuilding, which has had its season decimated by cancellations and postponements throughout the year. The biggest victim came in the form of the Mr. Olympia being postponed to December. But as we get closer and closer to the new date – will the world be safe enough for the competition to go as planned? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, King Kamali discusses whether or not he thinks the Olympia should be cancelled this year.
When it comes to massive gatherings and events, many experts agree that these kinds of activities will likely not be able to resume until next year. That’s not stopping every sports league, concert hall, and festival from finding out a way to try and avoid cancellations this year. The Mr. Olympia is one such massive event. It’s the Super Bowl of bodybuilding. It’s the most important event of the year for the sport.
After being postponed to December 19th, many had hoped the world will be under more control by that time. Now just four months away, things have only gotten worse in certain areas of the country. As the clock keeps ticking away – the pressure gets heavier and heavier for the Mr. Olympia event. Will it be safe? Should it simply be cancelled?
That’s the very question we asked King Kamali, a former pro bodybuilder who is never afraid to speak honestly no matter how difficult the question. When we asked King whether or not he thought the Olympia should be cancelled – he was a bit torn.
King Kamali admits that logicially it would make the most sense to cancel the Mr. Olympia. It’s become more and more clear that the virus will not be gone come December. No matter what happens, the Olympia event will be marred.
On the other hand, King Kamali understands not throwing in the towel just yet. Unlike many other mainstream sports, bodybuilding and bodybuilders can’t afford to skip a year. The damage done to the sport of bodybuilding in 2020 has been painful to see. Further cancellations would only make it worse.
Due to this, King Kamali understands why the Olympia producers are holding strong on the December 19th date. There’s always still the chance that things get cancelled closer to December. But for now, the bodybuilding community needs to be hopeful simply because the sport itself can’t afford to just skip a whole year.
While the constant changes can be frustrating for fans, the state of the world is putting everyone into unknown territory. Of course we want to see the league and the Olympia producers lead us with strength and focus. But the fact is things are changing at such a rapid pace that nothing can be guaranteed. Only time will tell what the ultimate fate of the Mr. Olympia 2020 will be.
You can check out King Kamali’s full comments about the Mr. Olympia 2020 in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
