The 2024 Mr. Olympia contest is rapidly approaching, but sadly, the lineup has already taken another hit. In a post shared via Instagram on September 9, 2024, Tonio Burton and his coach confirmed that he won’t be competing at the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest, slated for October 10-13 next month in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fan excitement around the annual Mr. Olympia contest continues to build as the world’s most accomplished bodybuilders ready their physiques for war. Simply qualifying for the prestigious event in the Men’s Open division is unbelievably challenging. Not only are there limited Pro shows available to mass monsters of the category, but the skill, size, and conditioning required to win gold have reached new levels.
Tonio Burton, a surging Men’s Open contender, earned his right to compete at the biggest event of the year after claiming gold at the 2024 California State Pro. In addition, he turned in a pair of impressive finishes at the Arnold Classic South America (second to Rafael Brandao) and New York Pro, where he took third in a stacked lineup that featured the winner Nick Walker.
Bodybuilder Tonio Burton Withdraws from 2024 Mr. Olympia
Now, despite the apparent momentum, it appears Tonio Burton has decided to bow out of the 2024 Mr. Olympia next month. He and his coach explain below why health, longevity, and coming off performance-enhancing drugs played a role in their ultimate decision.
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“It’s coo when they do it, it’s problem when I do it”
“I understand. Some don’t think I need an off season and i appreciate those who feel I’m there already.”
“I also understand. Some know with more muscle density with my shape and conditioning, I’m knocking off their favorite BBs.”
Tonio Burton explained that he wasn’t forced to step away, instead, he decided he wanted to take the break to better himself in the long run.
“This wasn’t a choice based off me being sick or unhealthy, but it feels great not banging anything and still able to grow and maintain low bf% levels. This was mid day I’m about 255-258. Today I woke up at 253.9 lbs”
“One off season away from making some great achievements
Once the picture is done being painted it’ll make sense”
Burton’s coach went into greater detail about why they decided to bow out of the 2024 Mr. Olympia competition, revealing that time off the PEDs played a major role in stepping away.
“May 22 for Cal [2024 California Pro] so when you couple all that together, one, we never really had a lot of time to really grow. Never really had a lot of time to let his health come back.
You know what I mean? Time off the PEDs is important for these guys, especially when it comes to us managing his blood work and making sure he is internally healthy because that’s how we’re going to keep you guys in the game for as long as we can,” his coach explains.
Burton’s coach’s primary focus is on health and longevity which translates to getting the physique on point with proper muscularity.
“Longevity has to be the priority when you’re talking Open Bodybuilding because it simply takes that long to get your physique up to that point from a muscularity standpoint.”
Burton’s coach also points out that other bodybuilding greats have sat out from the Olympia to do what was best for their overall health and physique.
“So anyways, long story short, those are the reasons why that we decided that we are not going to do the Olympia this year. We’re going to sit out. There have been other people in the past that have sat out. Jen Dorie, the reigning Ms. Bikini athlete is sitting out this year. Jay Cutler has sat out of an Olympia.”
It’s been a hectic few weeks in the world of bodybuilding with many notable athletes choosing not to compete this year. Just days ago, reigning two-time Ms. Bikini Olympia Jennifer Dorie announced that she would not be defending her title. She withdrew from the prestigious contest and explained that personal obligations were the reason why she pulled out.
In the growing Classic Physique category ruled by Chris Bumstead, his rival, former two-time Arnold Classic champion Terrence Ruffin, decided it was best not to compete this year. According to ‘Ruff Diesel’ he chose to pull his name from the competition due to an ongoing elbow injury alongside his desire to grow into the Classic Physique weight cap, which recently allowed him to add more weight to his frame.
Tonio Burton’s compact muscle volume and Dexter Jackson-like fullness could have presented legitimate problems for Open contenders eager to make a statement. While veterans ‘in the know,’ have mostly left Burton out of their top five predictions, there’s no denying that when Burton’s on point with a dialed-in peak, he can wreak havoc on stage.
His withdrawal also raises questions about the dangers of PEDs, especially during the most intense points of prep. With bodybuilders dying at an alarming rate, perhaps his decision to take some time off could pay dividends for him in the future.
Deaths of young bodybuilders have become a major talking point among stars of the sport, including former eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, who recently warned that young athletes are dying now more than ever whereas his era of competitors are alive and doing well, often making it to their eighties.
The Open lineup at the 2024 Mr. Olympia definitely took a hit with Tonio Burton out of action. But the show must go on and there’s still a crop of determined threats who plan to make history when they step on stage. Don’t miss the 2024 Mr. Olympia Weekend next month!
RELATED: Bob Cicherillo Gives Top 6 Picks for the 2024 Mr. Olympia, Breaks Down Men’s Open Lineup
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