The final Utah contestant was eliminated from NBC's "The Biggest Loser: Couples" when Rulon Gardner left the competition.
Gardner was thought to be a frontrunner to win this season. Still, he announced at the weigh-in portion of the show that he was leaving for "personal reasons."
The Olympic gold medalist from the 2002 Sydney Games and Logan resident had lost a total of 173 pounds during the show's run.
Gardner entered the weight-loss competition with an initial weight of 474 pounds. His teammate was Justin Pope, a friend and Logan resident who was eliminated six weeks earlier.
A total of six competitors had Northern Utah ties, including: LeAnn and Vance Jackson, mother-son team from Ogden; Denise Hill, of Bountiful; and Hill's daughter, Sarah Nitta, who now lives in Las Vegas.
Eliminated competitors are still eligible for a $250,000 prize for the one who loses the most weight by the May 24 finale.
It was not announced whether Gardner is still a part of that competition.



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