Uribe cited an undisclosed problem as the reason for his withdrawal.
In the year 2021, International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League member Darwin Uribe burst onto the scene when he won the 2021 Chicago Pro in the Classic Physique division. With an earned qualification to the 2021 Mr. Olympia, Uribe ended up forgoing the prestigious contest. The athlete would return the following year to win the 2022 Houston Tournament of Champions but decided not to compete in the Olympia again. With another competitive season now in full swing in 2023, the bodybuilder has made another tough decision.
On Feb. 21, 2023, Uribe revealed in an Instagram post that he would be withdrawing his place as a presumed Classic Physique competitor in the 2023 Arnold Classic (AC). Rather than compete in the Mar. 2-5, 2023 contest in Columbus, OH, Uribe intends to first work through some undisclosed problems first.
While Uribe didn’t clarify exactly what compelled him to withdraw from the 2023 AC (and, by extension, the 2022 Olympia previously), he maintained it was something he couldn’t just gloss over and that it was partly out of his control.
” … I am grateful for get invited for the second time in my sixth Pro show in my short career as a professional,” Uribe wrote. “Unfortunately this is something that I won’t be able to finish … sadly I can’t push through this now and finish because there are always more red flags, and red flags indicate to you it’s time to stop.”
The athlete also clarified that he apparently considered withdrawing from the 2023 AC sometime around the 2022 Olympia but had already sent his application in for the contest. Nonetheless, it seems the bodybuilder will focus on his health and well-being for now.
“This time I am prioritizing myself, looking for myself, taking in my own decisions more than expectations or what people think or want from me as an athlete.”
To date, as a relatively newer Pro League member, Uribe has never competed in the Olympia. In the only AC appearance of his career in 2022, the athlete finished in eighth place in the Classic Physique Division. Two-time Classic Physique Olympia runner-up Terrence Ruffin won his second consecutive Classic Physique AC title at that edition of the competition.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Uribe as a bodybuilder. He seems to be understandably prioritizing himself rather than the sometimes demanding rigors of competition, nutrition, and training. For now, the bodybuilding community will have to wait and see what the athlete might have in store down the line.
Featured image: @uribe_darwin on Instagram
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