Nine-time Canada’s Strongest Man JF Caron is out of the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, OH. He sustained an injury to his lower body on March 5, 2022, the second day of competition.
Caron suffered what appeared to be an injury to both his knees during the first event on day two — the Log Press. The 39-year-old entered the day in fourth place, behind Rob Kearney, Oleksii Novikov, and Martins Licis. On March 4, he won the max squat event with a 438-kilogram (966-pound) lift.
Update: On March 6, Caron confirmed to BarBend that he tore both quads and hurt his ankle. He underwent surgery in Columbus, OH, and is now recovering.
Caron at the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Day Two
After successfully completing his first two attempts at the log press, at 380 and 400 pounds respectively, Caron’s lower body caved in during his third attempt at 420 pounds. He was able to give a thumbs up to the crowd in Columbus as he was helped off the arena floor. He was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance. The log press event was paused for around 45 minutes before it continued.
While the injury that forced his withdrawal appeared to be to his knee, Caron also mentioned that his shoulder injury from the 2021 Rogue Invitational wasn’t fully recovered after he failed to hit a single rep in the Monster Dumbbell event here on day one.
[Related: 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Day One Results]
Caron’s Strongman Career
The nine-time Canada’s Strongest Man won the 2022 Força Bruta earlier this year, where he dominated all three events. He pulled six reps in the deadlift event, successfully cleared all 10 kegs in the keg toss, and finished the truck pull in only 47 seconds. He also holds the Hummer Tire deadlift world record from the 2020 Shaw Classic, where he pulled 1,202 pounds.
BarBend will update this article as more information about Caron’s injury becomes available.
[Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Announces “Rise of a Champion” Video Series Ahead of 2022 Arnold Sports Festival]
How to Watch the Arnold Classic
If you want to access any of the events taking place at the 2022 Arnold Classic, you can head over to Fanmio to buy the pay-per-view. It costs $34.99 as of March 4. You’ll be able to access to different “stages” of the Arnold Sports Festival, including the Strongman Arena.
Featured Image: @jfcaronstrongman / Instagram