Arnold Schwarzenegger was attacked from behind Saturday during an athletic competition he holds annually in South Africa.
Video recorded during the Arnold Classic Africa in Johannesburg showed Mr. Schwarzenegger, 71, being blindsided by a man who dropkicked him on the sidelines of the sports event.
The unidentified assailant was quickly apprehended by security and removed from the scene.
The former governor of California and star of the “Terminator” movie franchise, Mr. Schwarzenegger took to Twitter afterward to downplay both the incident and individual responsible.
“Thanks for your concerns, but there is nothing to worry about. I thought I was just jostled by the crowd, which happens a lot. I only realized I was kicked when I saw the video like all of you,” Mr. Schwarzenegger tweeted.
“Do me a favor: instead of sharing the video of the guy who wants to be famous, watch some of our @ArnoldSports athletes like this young hero proving that fitness is for everyone who deserve to be famous,” he added.
In a statement, Arnold Classic Africa described the encounter as an “unfortunate incident by a mischievous fan” who is known to police for orchestrating similar incidents in the past.
Mr. Schwarzenegger has no intentions of pressing charges against the person, the statement said.
The Arnold Classic is held on six continents, according to its organizers. More than 20,000 athletes were scheduled to compete in 90 sports in South Africa, said Mr. Schwarzenegger.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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