The 2024 Bikini Olympia lineup has lost another high-profile competitor. In a recent Instagram post shared on October 10, 2024, Maureen Blanquisco announced that she has bowed out of the prestigious competition due to an ankle injury sustained weeks ago after falling off an escalator.
The 2024 Olympia Weekend is here, taking place from October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There will be a total of 11 bodybuilding divisions vying for supremacy, bragging rights, and the sport’s most decorated title. Two venues will be used for this event which includes the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Resorts World Theatre.
Maureen Blanquisco Pulls Out of 2024 Bikini Olympia Due to Injury
According to Blanquisco, this injury occurred after a man bumped her with his large bag on the escalator. Having won the 2022 Bikini Olympia title, Maureen Blanquisco was considered one of and possibly the biggest frontrunner to take home gold this weekend, when competitors meet on Saturday for the highly anticipated event.
“I just wanted to announce that I will not be competing at this year’s Mr. Olympia… and I guess some of the people kind of knew already and I just wanted to update you guys for my reason” Blanquisco stated.
Get Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Blanquisco explained that, while at the airport, she tripped and fell off an escalator leading to her pulling out of the event due to an injury.
“The 24th of September, I was on my way to Pittsburgh… And at the airport, my partner and I, we were walking up to an escalator. When we were almost up half way, there was a guy who is holding his bag. So I guess I didn’t see him because he was coming from behind. He accidentally, truly an accident guys, he accidentally bumped me with his big bag. And so of course my natural reflect is to step back. So when I step back, I tilt over, and I fell off the escalator.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first Bikini Olympia to pull out of the 60th Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend. Reigning two-time Ms. Bikini Olympia Jennifer Dorie also pulled out of the contest. Dorie made it clear that personal obligations prevented her from competing at the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding.
Outside of the Bikini category, fans have watched other notable athletes withdraw from the competition. Nick Walker revealed that he was out of 2024 Mr. Olympia because his body needed rest and wasn’t responding. That means this is now the second time in a row that ‘The Mutant’ has not made it to the Olympia stage.
In addition, Men’s Open standout Tonio Burton pulled out of the 2024 Mr. Olympia. He and his coach confirmed that he wanted time to improve his physique while focusing on his health. They also mentioned that the move was inspired because he wanted to take some time off from using performance-enhancing drugs.
Maureen Blanquisco, who knows the taste of Olympia victory, will not be in attendance this weekend. However, with former three-time Ms. Bikini Olympia Ashley Kaltwasser and three-time Arnold Classic champion Lauralie Chapados in the mix, the event is still stacked with talent.
The 2024 Mr. Olympia kicks off from October 11-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Don’t miss live Fitness Volt coverage of the prejudging and finals!
Experience the thrill of the 2024 Mr. Olympia with our complete coverage! From prejudging highlights and event recaps to expert analysis and results, find it all at our Olympia hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia. Follow our Live Blog for real-time event updates. Stay tuned for every moment of the action!
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
