Torn hamstring takes prime contender out of the combination.
Even “The Mutant” is human.
Sadly for Nick Walker, his Olympia journey has already come to an finish attributable to a hamstring tear he suffered whereas coaching for crucial bodybuilding present of the 12 months. Regardless of his finest efforts, the third-place finisher on the 2022 Mr. Olympia couldn’t overcome an damage that occurred on the worst doable time.
With the 2023 Olympia weekend about to get underway in Orlando, FL, from Nov. 2-5, Walker introduced his determination to bow out of the competition by way of an Instagram publish on Oct. 31, 2023.
Though he regarded stage-ready on the floor, the 2021 Arnold Basic winner revealed his hamstring stays a serious subject.
“I attempted to push by means of it. I attempted to do no matter I might and get no matter therapy I might, nevertheless it simply progressively acquired worse,” Walker defined. “It didn’t progress in any manner, form, or kind. Me and my workforce thought it was finest that we simply pulled out as a result of we knew there was simply no shot of us inserting top-three at this level, or greater. And we don’t wish to drop inserting.”
After all, recent changes to the Olympia Qualifying System stipulate that solely the highest three finishers within the 2023 Mr. Olympia robotically safe a spot within the 2024 contest. Although Walker completed behind solely Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford within the Males’s Open division a 12 months in the past, he absolutely would have confronted an uphill battle to fend off the likes of 2023 Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda and 2019 Mr. Olympia winner Brandon Curry for third place on one totally wholesome leg.
After delivering the information to promoters and officers, the 2021 Arnold Basic winner stated he obtained nothing however help from IFBB Professional League president Jim Manion and Olympia proprietor Jake Wooden.
“They requested me if I ever wanted something and that simply makes me proud to be a part of this group,” Walker stated.
Shifting ahead, there are main ramifications for everybody concerned. Walker faces a troublesome activity to get well from a torn hamstring and remind everybody why he was thought of one of many prime contenders to take dwelling the Mr. Olympia crown in 2023. In the meantime, his absence opens the door even wider for somebody like Dauda, Curry, and even Hunter Labrada, who took dwelling the 2023 Tampa Pro Men’s Open title in August, to punch their ticket to subsequent 12 months’s present with a top-three end.
In spite of everything, with Walker, two-time Mr. Olympia champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, 2022 Bigman Weekend Professional winner Brett “The Butcher” Wilkin, and 2023 Toronto Pro Supershow winner Ian Valliere all withdrawing for varied causes, the stage received’t be fairly so crowded (or aggressive) with just a few large names lacking.
Though it could be simple for Walker to view his setback negatively, he confirmed spectacular resolve and interior energy when talking about what’s subsequent.
“If I realized something from that is that something can occur at any given second,” he defined. “However it’s the way you deal with it; it’s what you do this defines who you might be and the character you’ll develop into.”
Featured Picture: nick_walker39 / Instagram
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