Another bodybuilding superstar has announced his impending absence from bodybuilding’s biggest weekend. 2023 Masters Olympia champion and 2019 Olympia 212 champion Kamal Elgargni was eligible to compete in both the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest and the 2023 212 Olympia contest in Orlando, FL, on the weekend of Nov. 2-5, 2023. However, he will not compete in either.
On Oct. 13, 2023, Elgargni announced he will skip the 2023 Olympia altogether due to family health reasons regarding his brother. Elgargni posted a short video on his Instagram page that can be seen below:
In the video, filmed at the BPI Sports gym in Florida, Elgargni disclosed that his brother was diagnosed with cancer after Elgargni’s 2023 Masters Olympia victory in Romania on Aug. 27, 2023. The explanation was short, but Elgargni said he would share more in a future video on his YouTube channel.
Even though Elgargni won’t compete in the 2023 Olympia, he made it clear that this was not a retirement announcement.
It’s a sad announcement for me, but family comes first. I’ll be back for sure.
Elgargni is qualified for the Olympia 212 contest for life as a past champion. His Masters Olympia Men’s Open win earned him a position on the 2023 Mr. Olympia stage. WIth that victory, he joined Dexter Jackson as the only athletes to have won an Olympia, a Masters Olympia, and an Arnold Classic (USA) title — Elgargni won the Arnold Classic 212 contest in 2018. To compete in the Men’s Open Olympia in 2024, Elgargni will have to qualify by winning a show during the 2024 season.
Since athletes can’t compete in more than one division at the Olympia in the same year, Elgargni was expected to take the stage for the 2023 212 Olympia.
With Elgargni out of the Olympia, that leaves 18 athletes on 212 Olympia roster in Orlando. The only past champion is two-time defending champion Shaun Clarida.
Elgargni’s absence from the Men’s Open lineup leaves 17 of 21 qualified athletes scheduled to compete. Three others have withdrawn from the 59th Mr. Olympia contest: Iain Valliere announced his retirement from competition in September 2023, two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh Elssbiay bowed out to recover from injuries, and Brett Wilkin withdrew on Oct. 9, 2023, due to health issues.
The 2023 Olympia is scheduled for Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. It can be watched via pay-per-view via the Olympia Productions website.
Featured image: @ifbb_pro_kamal_elgargni on Instagram
