Because of a recurrent injury, record-holding powerlifter Donnie Thompson of South Carolina has bowed out of the 2010 Arnold Strongman Classic and will be replaced by Strongman veteran Dave Ostlund of Minnesota.
“I really wanted to take part and I hate to let you down, but I just couldn’t go at anywhere near full speed,” Thompson told contest director Terry Todd.
Todd appreciated Thompson’s honesty and told him to stay on top and try again in 2011. Thompson’s replacement in the Arnold Strongman Classic will be Ostlund, all 6-feet-7 and 350 pounds of him. Ostlund took part in the ASC in 2009 but suffered a torn biceps early in the event and wasn’t the factor he was expected to be.
“We chose Dave because he has good strength in overhead events and he’s very structurally strong,” Todd explained.
England’s Mark Felix will remain as first alternate for the contest, but has decided to concentrate on the inaugural Mighty Mitts grips challenge event, which many people expect he’ll dominate. Should the ASC lose another Strongman, the contest committee will once again confer and select the person they believe has the best chance to do well in such a powerful field.
Reports and videos coming in daily convince Todd that many new world records will be set at this year's Arnold Strongman Classic when the strongest men in the world gather at this year's Arnold Sports Festival to decide who among them is the very strongest. Part of the reason for this optimism is that the men seem to be getting larger, with an average height of over 6-feet-4 and an average weight of much closer to 400 pounds than to 300.
2010 Arnold Strongman Classic Lineup and Information
