Muscling for attention at Mr. Olympia event

Las Vegas man to vie for title this weekend

When the world's bodybuilding elite arrive in Las Vegas for the 2004 Joe Weider Olympia Weekend tomorrow, a local competitor will try to prevent the current titleholder from extending his streak to seven years and making history.

The competition is set for Thursday through Sunday at Mandalay Bay. The centerpiece of the event, often called the Super Bowl of bodybuilding, is the Mr. Olympia contest, to be held Saturday night.

The current Mr. Olympia is Ronnie Coleman, winner for the last six years. Coleman, who weighs 295 pounds and has 23-inch biceps and a 60-inch chest, will shoot to tie the record of seven straight Mr. Olympia titles set by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But Jay Cutler of Las Vegas will try to derail Coleman's bid. In fact, the 31-year-old Cutler is seen as the man who may have the best shot at knocking Coleman off his throne, after finishing second in the competition both last year and in 2001.

Cutler and his wife, Kerry, moved to the area from Worcester, Mass. to have a sort of hometown advantage in the annual Mr. Olympia contests.

"It helps my preparation living here because it's so scientific in the end with water depletion and sodium depletion, the carb-loading, carb-depleting process, and without the travel, I think it helps me," Cutler said. "The other guys have to fly in and then prepare out of hotel rooms. I prepare at home. That's basically why I based myself in Vegas was to win Mr. Olympia."

Cutler first entered bodybuilding contests in 1993, and he won the teenage nationals at age 18. Now it appears the only obstacle standing between Cutler and the Mr. Olympia title is the same one he's been dealing with for years: Coleman himself.

"There's always a dominant athlete in every sport, and Coleman's been one of those dominant athletes for the last few years, but I feel I've got his number this year," Cutler said. "I'm bringing a whole other package to this contest and right now I feel like it's my show to lose."

Cutler decided if he was going to beat Coleman this time around, that he would have to put on ever more muscle mass.

"I didn't quite match him in overall size at last year's competition, so this year I'm focused on being the biggest I've ever been," Cutler said. "I stayed bigger over the offseason to come down to a bigger body weight. Right now I'm around 285 pounds and I'll probably be close to 280 for the contest. Last year, I was at about 260. I'm in the best condition I've been in in years.

"The most common question I get asked is, 'How are you going to do this year?' Well, I've been second twice and there's only one position to move up to and that's first, So obviously he (Coleman) is the one I'm eyeing and the only one at this point."

Also competing against Cutler and Coleman for the Mr. Olympia title this weekend will be Dexter Jackson, Gunter Schlierkamp, Marcus Ruhl, Dennis James and another Las Vegas native, Chris Cormier.

On Friday, the Ms. Olympia competition will be held where defending champ Lenda Murray will look to retain her title against a world-class field. In the Fitness Olympia competition -- also on Friday -- Jennifer Hendershot, Alicia Garcia-Friedmansky and Kelli Ryan are likely to battle it out.

Enthusiasts can also get a look at the latest in fitness and health as the Olympia Weekend will feature a fitness expo with more than 120 exhibitors, set for Friday and Saturday.

Among notables scheduled to appear over the weekend are Schwarzenegger, WWE superstar Triple H and Sylvester Stallone, creator of the upcoming NBC reality boxing show "The Contender."

Schwarzenegger, whose record could be tied by Coleman in the Mr. Olympia contest, will attend the finals and is slated to hand out the championship trophy. For Cutler, to win the title and have a Las Vegan become Mr. Olympia would be big news and something he has dreamed about.

"It's the final goal in my career to be Mr. Olympia, of course," Cutler said. "It's the best of the best. There's no denying that if I win Mr. Olympia this year, that I'm the best in the world in professional bodybuilding. If I did win, I would definitely think about defending the crown."

Earlier this year, Cutler won the Arnold Classic for the third straight year, and with it a check for $100,000, an H2 Hummer -- his third -- and a $20,000 gold Rolex watch. Cutler also won the Dutch Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix, the San Francisco Pro Invitational, and the Ironman Pro Invitational, all in 2003, as well as the Night of Champions in 2000.

"I was the three-time consecutive champion (Arnold Classic) and set the record, but also, because they said it couldn't be done, it was a major victory for me," Cutler said. "I'm happy with where I am now. The most important thing is that I've been pretty consistent about winning and have been improving every time. I feel I still have a lot to give to the sport of bodybuilding."

Tickets for the Joe Weider Olympia Weekend can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 474-4000, the Mandalay Bay box office at 632-7580, or by calling 877-632-7400. For more information, visit www.2004Olympia.com.


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