Blogs | Is this curtains for Mr Olympia Shawn Rhoden after rape accusations?
- The Jamaican-American has been banned from competing in this year’s show
- He’s been seen as the future of the sport but now faces serious time in prison
Bodybuilding superstar Shawn Rhoden was considered a breath of fresh air when he won last year’s Mr Olympia, but the Jamaican-born American might suffocate under the weight of serious accusations that could see him put behind bars for a long time.
Never in the history of the Mr Olympia – the world’s most prestigious bodybuilding competition – has a champion been in this much trouble and, when rape charges were filed against him in Utah last week, Rhoden’s world came crashing down harder than a 500-pound barbell hitting the floor.
Rhoden caused a massive upset when he dethroned seven-time Olympia champion Phil Heath with his polished look and aesthetic physique winning the hearts of the judges at last September’s contest.
His victory was seen as a win for bodybuilding in general as the title for the world’s best-built man went to a smaller bodybuilder instead of the “mass monsters” we have been used to seeing, such as Heath, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler.
The 117kg bodybuilder changed the fitness landscape overnight with his chiselled frame and small waist, winning over the bloated “bubble gut” physiques that have dominated the bodybuilding scene for the past 20 years. He was seen as the sport’s future.
