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The Classic Physique is one of the ever-evolving divisions at Mr. Olympia, and Terrence Ruffin is an important name in the division. However, this year, things might be different at the 61st Mr. Olympia, as Ruffin has decided to sit out of the competition.
Ruffin recently shared an Instagram post, breaking the news to his fans. During a Q&A session, a fan asked about his participation in the event, to which he replied:
“No, not this year. After last Olympia (2023), I was contemplating sitting out to try to get closer to my weight cap. The elbow injury basically solidified that decision,” wrote Terrence Ruffin.
The American bodybuilder is currently focusing on working on his weight class. Ruffin pointed out that according to his height, the weight class he should weigh in is 187 pounds. But 'Ruff Diesel' generally weighs in at 170 pounds. He even spoke to his friends before making the decision.
“I spoke to a few people Lee Labrada, Tyler Manion and long time friend @fellow_cambronero. And I love what he said in particular, 'You can’t show to a show not at your best because when people beat you they won’t care about the reason,'” the 30-year-old added.
Ruffin hasn’t competed in any show this season. However, he won his Olympia qualification by competing at the Sher Classic Mumbai held in November 2023.
“Being able to play around with 17 pounds, I hope to bring something truly incredible next year,” concluded Terrence Ruffin.
Terrence Ruffin's Mr. Olympia journey
Ruff Deisel began his Mr. Olympia journey in 2016 and finished ninth in the event. Since then, the Alabama native has been on a trip to become better than the previous year.
Terrence Ruffin sat out the 2019 Mr. Olympia and was the runner-up in the 2020 edition behind Chris Bumstead. He managed to land the same position once again in 2021. But things changed in 2022. Mr. Olympia was suddenly in sixth place, and he's been trying to push his rank since then.
“I’ve been in this division longer than anyone and there really only 1-2 others (Breon and Robert Tims) who have been able to keep up with the sports as it evolves and for me to remain competitive, just like I did in 2019, I have to put my head down for a season,” Ruff Diesel wrote in the same Instagram post.
What do you think of Ruffin’s decision to sit this one out? Let us know in the comments.
