Hadi Choopan has competed in every Mr. Olympia final since 2019 and won the coveted Sandow trophy in 2022, but a shock announcement just weeks out from the 2026 event means that “The Persian Wolf” could be out of the running this year.
The news came by way of an announcement from the Iranian bodybuilder, via his official Instagram channel on August 26, where he wrote: “With a heavy heart, I have decided to withdraw from the 2026 Mr. Olympia.”
Choopan has been a significant fixture of every Olympia final since 2019 and has never placed below fourth. In addition to winning the title in 2022, the big man has made runner-up at bodybuilding’s most prestigious event for the past three years. In the build-up to this year’s final, Choopan appeared to be highly motivated to claim his second trophy and hired Milos Sarcev as his coach on the road to Las Vegas. “After competing in the last seven Mr. Olympias, it is extremely difficult for me to announce that I will not compete at this year’s 2026 Mr. Olympia,” said Choopan.
Why is Hadi Choopan Out of the 2026 Mr. Olympia Final?
Sharing the heartache with his almost 8 million Instagram followers, Choopan explained that visa issues were to blame for his inability to make it to Las Vegas, where the Mr. Olympia final is set to take place on September 26.
“I was very excited to return to the Olympia stage,” shared Choopan, explaining his plans went awry before the bodybuilder could catch a flight to Dubai, where he was going to stay for a few days before his interview with the U.S. Embassy there. “On Wednesday afternoon, I went to the airport in Shiraz (Iran) to take my flight directly to Dubai, I was not allowed to board,” he said.
Apparently, authorities told Choopan that his visa had been deactivated, so he flew straight to Tehran to “try again from there,” but he was given the same information. “I was told that because of the current political situation and restrictions, I would not be allowed to enter the UAE.”
As a result, Choopan says that he was unable to make it to his interview with the U.S. Embassy in Dubai or take a connecting flight to the U.S. meaning that he is still in Iran with no immediate method of reaching the United States. “I worked incredibly hard this year to bring a new version of Hadi Choopan — bigger, improved and better than ever,” said the Persian Wolf. But as things stand, the iconic bodybuilder is now set to miss his first Olympia final since taking to the stage in 2019.
M&F will bring you any further updates.
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