The list of competitors for the 2019 Mr. Olympia will have one more named added. 2017 Arnold Classic winner Cedric McMillan has received a special invite from the IFBB Pro League and will be onstage competing in Las Vegas next month in hopes to be the 15th man to add the Olympia title to his mantle.
Aside from his bodybuilding success, McMillan is best-known for his commitment to service in the US military which goes back to being stationed in Iraq. According to IFBB Pro League President Jim Manion, that was considered when the invite was given.
“Cedric’s military duties come first and we completely understand that. We will grant a special invite this year being that those circumstances were out of his control along with our consideration of his notable accomplishments within the IFBB Professional League.”
McMillan hadn’t won a show this season. He competed in March at the Arnold Classic and finished 4th in that contest behind Luke Sandoe, William Bonac, and champion Brandon Curry. All three of those men will also be in this lineup. He was unable to compete in any of the later shows of the season due to his military obligations. Therefore, he didn’t secure enough season points to earn the qualification. McMillan stated that this was what led him to request the special invite.
McMillan’s previous best finish at the Olympia was 7th in 2016. Last year he finished in 9th place. This will be his 5th career appearance at bodybuilding’s biggest show. The South Carolina native is very popular among bodybuilding fans thanks to his charisma onstage and ability to connect with fans everywhere he goes. So his addition to this lineup will bring a lot of positive attention to the show.
Featured image: @cedricmcmillan on Instagram