Gustavo Badell was a standout in Men’s Open during his prime years.
Open Bodybuilder Gustavo Badell has passed away at 50 years old. The news was reported by multiple outlets on Wednesday night. The cause of death has yet to be revealed and will be confirmed by an autopsy at a later date.
Badell, nicknamed “The Freakin’ Rican,” had been dealing with kidney issues for awhile now. RxMuscle reported that this was not life threatening and heard it was allegedly due to a stroke. Again, the official cause has not been shared at this moment.
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In his days off stage, Badell has been working as a trainer to share his passion and knowledge about fitness to others. Badell was loved by many and it shows with comments on his most recent Instagram post.
“RIP Gustavo… You were one of the best in the WORLD!!!!! 🙏🏾😢 one of the best bodybuilders in the world!!!!! And that not everyone succeeds!! Legend!!! “The Freaking Rican,” one commenter wrote.
Gustavo Badell enjoyed a career that spanned across three decades. He was an incredible athlete growing up and quickly took an interest in different forms of fitness. This included boxing and weightlifting to add muscle mass. He was able to turn it into a bodybuilding career that included a victory over the great Ronnie Coleman.
The Career of Gustavo Badell
At 19 years old, Badell entered his first junior show and was victorious. In 1997, Badell competed in the adult category of the Caribbean Championships and earned first place once again. With this, Badell earned his Pro Card. This began a successful International career.
Over the course of his career, Badell appeared on some of the biggest stages and has earned victories over the likes of Dexter Jackson, Chris Cormier, and Victor Martinez.
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Badell made his first of seven Olympia appearances in 2002. He continued to improve over the years and hit his stride beginning in 2004. Badell was featured at the Olympia during Coleman’s reign and finished third during the 2004 Olympia, behind Coleman and Jay Cutler.
In 2005, Badell finished third once again during the official Olympia competition but earned a victory over Coleman during the Challenge Round. This is where competitors were judged by former Olympia greats. Badell used his combination of a great physique and elite posing to earn a victory over Coleman.
Gustavo Badell won the 2005 Ironman Pro Invitational and 2006 San Francisco Pro Invitational over the course of his career. In 2009, Badell stepped on stage for the last time. He competed at both the Olympia and Arnold Classic while also winning the Atlantic City Bodybuilding Championships.
Badell was a standout in Men’s open during his time on stage and continued to share his love for fitness after stepping off for the final time. Generation Iron sends condolences to family and friends during this time.
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