“Caused Decline in the Health of My Kidneys”: 43-Year-Old Bodybuilding Icon Out of Mr. Olympia 2022 Due to Upsetting Health Condition

Just days ahead of the competition, one of the contenders dropped out of Mr. Olympia 2022 before it even began. An unforeseen health condition left Egyptian bodybuilder Hassan Mostafa with no choice but to bow out of the competition. The footballer-turned-bodybuilder shared a YouTube video to announce this news.

Before starting his journey as a professional bodybuilder, Hassan played as a defensive midfielder for the Egyptian national football team. He won his first pro bodybuilding contest (Indy pro) in 2019. However, it was only in 2022 that he qualified for his first Mr. Olympia. This year’s Olympia was supposed to be his second, however; he has to quit because of his health condition.

Hassan Mostafa withdraws from Mr. Olympia 2022 due to a virus

Mostafa took to his official YouTube channel to post a video revealing the real reason behind the withdrawal. The bodybuilder shared that a virus badly affected his kidney. It had a direct impact on his preparations for the tournament. He further added that diarrhea caused by the virus left him dehydrated. Furthermore, the doctors advised him to take a break from his training and allow his body to recuperate.

“It turned out to be the virus that caused a decline in the health of my kidneys. Combined with the dehydration from bad diarrhea, it put me in a bad place. So the doctor recommended that I stop the prep and refrain from putting my body through any dehydration in the next few weeks,” the 43-year-old bodybuilder said.

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Mostafa further explained in his video that he has been prohibited from participating in different activities. Citing the reason, he said, “Critical things like using the sauna had to be stopped as well to help the kidneys get rid of water on its own through urine, instead of getting rid of fluid through other ways like excessive sweating.”

Towards the end of the video, Mostafa shared that he would rather step down now, nurse himself back to good health and then stand back up again, instead of going ahead with it now and risking it being his last Olympia ever. “I can’t risk my health and have this be the last Olympia for me. My goal is to compete for many more years,” Hassan added.

Mr. Olympia 2022 will take place from Thursday, the 15th of December till Sunday, the 18th of December. The event takes place in Las Vegas annually.

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While we wish for a speedy recovery for Mostafa, let us know in the comments section who you think among the remaining contenders has the strongest chance of winning.