Star bodybuilder Gustavo ‘The Freakin’ Rican’ Badell has died aged 50.
He is known for facing off against some of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.
Badell also finished in third place twice while competing for the prestigious Mr. Olympia title.
His cause of death is unknown.
The sad news of his death was confirmed by fellow competitor and friend Eddie Abbew confirmed on Thursday (July 13).
He shared a photo of the pair of them together in their bodybuilding heydays, taken in Florence, Italy in 2007.
Reflecting on the period of time, Abbew wrote on social media: ‘I got to spend a weekend with Gustavo Badell.
‘We had a great laugh. We did a seminar together answering questions from the crowd. The crowd also watched us train together. He was very strong and put me to shame.
‘Later that year we competed at Mr Olympia together.’
On discovering his old friend had died, he wrote: ‘I woke up this morning to information that Gustavo has passed away.
‘My heart goes out to his family and friends. Gustavo was ten years younger than me. It is always sad when a young person is taken away long before their time.’
‘Rest in peace Gustavo and know that you will be missed. ??’, he concluded.
Tributes then flooded the comments section.
‘No way, this is so sad to hear, prayers to his family’, one fan wrote.
‘One of my favourites..’, wrote another.
‘May he rest in peace ??’, one added.
Muscle Tech, a supplement company that worked with Badell, also shared a tribute.
‘It was an honour to be represented by a man who was a consummate professional and one of the hardest working bodybuilders of his generation,’ a company tweet read.
‘Today we remember the lives Gustavo touched and the legacy he left.’
Badell began his bodybuilding career when he was just 19.
He went on to win his first competition in 1991 at the Junior Caribbean Bodybuilding Championship.
Badell competed in some of the sport’s biggest events, including the Arnold Classic, World Pro Championships, Ironman Pro, and the Atlantic City Pro.
He retired from professional bodybuilding in 2012, but continued to be active on social media and promoted health and fitness.
