X-ray vision: Shawn Ray looks deep into this year's Olympia lineup - 2002 Joe Weider's Mr. Olympia Preview

Flex, Sept, 2002 by Jim Schmaltz

After 13 years -- 12 consecutive -- of posing in his skivvies on the Mr. Olympia stage, Shawn Ray is taking a breather and skipping the 2002 Mr. 0 (see page 151 for more on his decision). Ray's keen physique critiques make him the perfect FLEXpert for our Mr. Olympia preview. So we wound him up (well, he was already wound up) and let him go. Here's what the Shawnster thinks of the combatants who will vie for this year's Sandow trophy, beginning with the man Ray believes will win his fifth straight Olympia title. (The age given for each competitor is as of the day of the contest.)

Reign Man: the winner

Ronnie Coleman

Age: 38

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 255 pounds

Last Contest: Winner, 2001 Mr. Olympia

Shawn Says: "Ronnie Coleman just has to show up and he'll win. I'll bet everything I have that unless he's injured and doesn't compete, he will win his fifth straight title. Since 1984, all a Mr. Olympia has to do is show up. That said, he could clinch the deal physiquewise if he just drops 10 pounds [from last year] -- and the rest will take care of itself. He dropped 14 pounds between the 2000 Olympia and the 2001 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic and he was a whole different bodybuilder. But even if he doesn't, he'll win. Ronnie can tear a muscle, come in with a distended stomach, show up late to the athlete's meeting, and he'll win. End of story."

CHRIS CORMIER

Age: 35 Height: 5'11"

Weight: 260 pounds

Last Contest: Winner, 2002 Australia Grand Prix

Shawn Says: "You never know which Chris Cormler is going to show up. Every year, he shoots his wad in the early-season contests. This year, he won the Ironman, got second place at the Arnold and San Francisco, won the Austria and Australia grand prix -- all those contests take a lot out of Chris. Come October, hers going to be a duplicate of what he was last year when he finished fifth. Chris will come in looking good but not very hard, a little too heavy -- around 260 pounds, when he should be around 245. He won't have the detail to move up and do serious damage to Ronnie. That said, Chris is still a top-three pro this year because some of the other guys are missing, like Jay Cutler."

Age: 32

Height: 5'6 1/2"

Weight: 220 pounds

Last Contest: Second place, 2002 Australia Grand Prix

Shawn Says: "Dexter's another guy who's a victim of overcompeting. I told him two years ago that he needed to sit out and reevaluate how many contests he's doing, so he can make some personal gains. That said, I believe he's going to be a top-six guy at the Olympia this year. As far as his physlque, he's got to be cautious about his thighs getting too big for his upper body. He needs to bring his lats down a little more, as well as do some deadlifts and low rows to work on shortening the gap between his waist and lower lats. Still, Dexter's a consummate pro and he seems to come in ready for most contests. We haven't seen the best of him because he competes too often, but he'll finally make the top six this year."

FLEX WHEELER

Age: 37

Height: 5' 10 1/2"

Weight: 230 pounds

Last Contest: Third place, 2000 Mr. Olympia

Shawn Says: "I'm working in a limited fashion with Flex [see Hard Times]. If he does what he says he's going to do, there's no reason why he won't wind up second at the Mr. Olympia. Flex has had to humble himself. His whole identity was stripped from him when he retired from bodybuilding. Now, he realizes he has everything to gain by coming back in the best shape of his life. Face it: Flex on a bad day can beat 90% of bodybuilders on their best days. There's no reason why he can't beat Chris Cormier, whose focus is not 100%. Flex has found religion; that helps to balance him out. He's grounded. And now he realizes how valuable and important the Mr. Olympia is to him. That said, he has to come in less than 230 pounds to be the kind of Flex Wheeler that will get the job done. The lightest he can be is 220. If he weighs in at 225, take it to the bank: He'll be the runner-up to Ronnie." [Wheeler is able to compete in the 2002 Olympia by virtue of the ruling that gives second- and third-place finishers in the cont est a two-year qualification.]

LEE PRIEST

Age: 30

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 200 pounds

Last Contest: Winner, 2002 San Francisco Pro Grand Prix

Shawn Says: "With Jay Cutler and me not in the Olympia, Lee Priest can claim a top-six spot. Lee is still young, the fire's still burning, and he knows this is a golden opportunity. He had that heart ailment last year, came back this year and competed 15 pounds lighter than usual and redeemed himself with second at the Ironman, then won the San Francisco show. That was huge, because beating Cormier [in San Francisco] should be a great confidence booster for him. His physique is one of the best in the world. However, he's got to get some details in his hamstrings and try to get more separation in his quadriceps. Actually, if Flex Wheeler is off, Chris Cormier is seriously burnt out from the early-season travel, and Lee is around the 200-pound mark, he will make the top three. But those three things have to line up for him."