Jono Macfarlane friends and fans might have been shocked to see their man finish in 8th place at the recent Australian Highlander, but don’t worry, he has not gone soft.

“I've just had a number of people ask why I came 8th in this event, especially since I've been either 1st or 2nd best strongman for the last 3 years in New Zealand,” Jono Macfarlane told IronMind®, “and was a favourite going into this event.

“My points basically came from 2 events, after which I withdrew due to a back niggle that I didn't want to aggravate.”

And for very good reason, as Macfarlane went on to explain, “In a few weeks I'll be doing my seeding total for IPF Junior Worlds and also attempting to qualify for the Commonwealth games in Olympic lifting, so a back injury isn't something I want to risk!”