“Mr. Olympia” 2024 will be held from October 11 to 12 in Las Vegas, but will be missing several athletes. American bodybuilder Tonio Burton has voluntarily decided to withdraw from the culmination of the professional bodybuilding world, choosing to give his body a break after his recent prep, and plans to work on overall mass in the upcoming season. British bodybuilder Nathan De Asha will also miss the competition after facing visa issues last year. In late September, his coach, Stefan Kienzl, confirmed that De Asha would not participate in “Mr. Olympia” 2024, as he plans to improve his physique.
Recently, Iranian bodybuilder Behrooz Tabani officially announced that he would also be withdrawing from the competition. His coach, Milos Sarcev, stated that Behrooz’s visa application for travel to the U.S. would once again not be processed in time. Tabani qualified for “Mr. Olympia” in 2022, 2023, and 2024, but unfortunately, he has never had the opportunity to compete on the world’s biggest stage.
His U.S. visa application was submitted in 2021, and the administrative processing has been ongoing since then. In fact, this situation is arguably worse than if his application had been rejected outright, as he could then reapply. As a result, he has no choice but to be patient and hope that it eventually gets resolved. Every year, Behrooz prepares for the most important event in his sport, knowing that his efforts might be in vain. Meanwhile, his athletic achievements and the potential earnings slip through his fingers. With the absence of Behrooz Tabani, Tonio Burton, and Nathan De Asha, sixteen athletes will compete in “Mr. Olympia” this year.
