The 2026 Arnold Strongwoman Classic has gathered ten incredible women in Columbus, Ohio, to battle for one of the most coveted titles across the span of two days on March 6-7. The reigning World’s Strongest Woman, Andrea Thompson, was one of the most notable names in the roster, being one of the favorites to battle for the top spot. However, unfortunate news emerged in the early stages of the competition, revealing that Andrea has decided to withdraw.
From the very start of the competition, it was clear that Andrea Thompson was not feeling her best. The first event of the 2026 Arnold Strongwoman Classic was the Elephant Bar Deadlift, which has traditionally been a decent event for her. However, Andrea’s heaviest lift came out to 596 pounds (270.3 kilograms). As a result, Andrea placed 6th in the event.
Andrea Thompson withdrew before the start of the second event, the Dumbbell Challenge. She revealed that her decision to withdraw was made due to a hamstring injury that she picked up a week before the competition. Moreover, in her last post prior to the competition, Andrea disclosed that the prep she had was the ‘worst one yet’ and that she was 15 kilograms (33 pounds) lighter than last year. So, it is clear that she was dealing with issues even before making her appearance.
Related: Strongwoman Andrea Thompson Sets a 140-kg (308.6-lb) Log Lift World Record
Andrea Thompson is easily one of the greatest Strongwomen in history, having been competing for over a decade now. In that time, Andrea has achieved a lot in the sport, from setting world records to winning titles. So, although she has encountered a setback that forced her to withdraw from the 2026 Arnold Strongwoman Classic, there is no doubt that Andrea will come back even stronger.
Andrea Thompson has taken part in over 20 major competitions over the course of her career and achieved a number of impressive wins doing so. Most notably, she was crowned the World’s Strongest Woman twice, once in 2018 and the second time in 2025. Her second title was particularly eventful, as Andrea initially placed second but ended up receiving the title after it was declared that the winner was a transgender athlete.
Andrea Thompson finished in fourth place at last year’s Arnold Strongwoman Classic, which goes to show how great of an addition she is to the competition. However, having encountered setbacks in the prep and the competition, Andrea decided to withdraw.
Andrea Thompson is not the only woman who withdrew from the competition, since Rebecca Roberts did the same in the leadup to the 2026 Arnold Strongwoman Classic. So, a total of nine women remain, including the defending champion, Inez Carrasquillo, and some impressive challengers like Angelica Jardine, Olga Liashchuk, and others.
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