The Classic Physique lineup at the 2024 Mr. Olympia is now down by one competitor. In a recent Instagram post shared on August 21, 2024, Terrence Ruffin confirmed he won’t compete at the Mr. Olympia; he said his decision was ‘solidified’ after suffering from an elbow injury. In addition, he wants to use the time away from the stage to grow into his weight cap.
Terrence Ruffin is one of the most established athletes in the Classic Physique category, having secured two Arnold Classic titles in 2021 and 2022. He is also one of the few men to defeat reigning five-time Classic Physique Olympia king Chris Bumstead on stage, which he accomplished in 2016 at the IFBB Dayana Cadeau. In 2023, he led a busy yet successful season that culminated in a victory at the Legion Sports Fest Pro before he placed fifth at the Mr. Olympia.
Ruffin qualified for this year’s extravaganza after claiming gold at the 2023 Sheru Classic Pro. However, it appears the recent weight/height cap adjustment announced by the IFBB Pro League influenced his latest decision. With wiggle room to grow, Ruffin believes the time away could pay dividends down the line in the future.
Terrence Ruffin Will Not Compete at 2024 Mr. Olympia, Says Elbow Injury and Time to Grow Into Weight Cap Influenced Decision
Considering Ruffin’s history as a top Classic Physique competitor and his fifth-place performance on the Olympia stage last year, this could pave the way for a new contender to take his spot. Aside from the heavy hitters of the division like Ramon Queiroz, Wesley Vissers, and Urs Kalecinski, other surging IFBB Pros will aim to break into the top five this year, such as Matthew Greggo and Michael Daboul.
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Find Terrence Ruffin’s statement below, where he reveals that his cut-off for the Classic Physique weight cap stands at 187 pounds. For reference, he weighed 169-171 last season.
“No not this year:
After last Olympia I was contemplating sitting out to try to get closer to my weight cap. I weighed 169-171 last season and my weight cut off is 187 (outside of 2 shows I’ve done).”
While he was already thinking of not competing at the Olympia, he said a recent elbow injury nudged him over the line.
“The elbow injury basically solidified that decision. I spoke to a few people Lee Labrada, Tyler Manion, and long time friend @fello_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,” shares Terrence Ruffin.
He opened up on how he was feeling about the decision since this could be the last time fans get to see Chris Bumstead compete on stage. The famous Canadian champion has made it clear that he intends to step away from the sport for good by the time he is 30 years old.
“It sucks because it seems like it may be Chris and Breon’s last run and I would to be on stage with them one last time since we all basically began together back in 2016. But with my own career in mind sitting out is the right choice.
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 sport as it evolves and for me to remain competitive, just like in 2019, I have to put my head down for the season.”
He specified that the ‘top guys’ such as Bumstead, Queiroz, Kalecinski, and Ansley, are ‘tapped out’ when it comes to adding size due to the weight cap restrictions.
“The top guys Chris, Ramon, Urs, Breon (not sure about Wesley) are basically tapped out when it comes to the weight cap and there for tapped out when it comes to making major improvements and bringing up weaknesses.
No hate there just an observation. Obviously they have the best physiques on the planet currently.
With being able to play around with 17lbs I hope to be able to bring something truly incredible next year.”
Aside from his competitive endeavors, Ruffin will continue to run his growing YouTube channel, regularly providing workouts, training tips, and updates on his bodybuilding career. Although we won’t see him grace the Olympia stage this October, fans expect him to come back better than ever in 2025.
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