Legendary strongman — and eight-time Arnold Strongman Classic Champion — Zydrunas Savickas announced via Instagram that he’s pulling out of this year’s competition after sustaining an injury in training. The Arnold Strongman Classic is set to start on March 3rd.
From Savickas:
With sadness I must announce that practicing superyoke got injury and not able to participate in the Arnold Strongman Classic 2017. Superyoke weighing 710kg squeezed my nerves and disconnect my deltoid muscle. Reahabilitation may take about 2 months. I hope asap to return to competitions. Thank you to all my fans and I am sorry that in this Arnold appear. I wish for all the participants good performance and prevent injuries.
One of the most celebrated strength athletes in Europe and abroad, Savickas’ withdrawal will come as a disappointment to many strongman fans, who were anticipating a heated competition between “Big Z” and reigning World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw.
Late in 2016, Savickas made waves on social media for documenting his impressive offseason weight cut, which has become a habit of the Lithuanian strongman. Perhaps even more impressive than his numerous records and victories is Savickas’ longevity; at 41 years old, he’s arguably still among the top handful of strongman athletes in the world, as evidenced by his victory at the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic.
We’re wishing “Big Z” a speedy recovery, and the strength world hopes to see him back in competition form soon.
Featured image: @savickas_bigz on Instagram
