The 2023 Mr. Olympia lineup has taken a serious hit days before the competition is set to begin. Last year’s third-place finisher, Nick Walker, has officially bowed out of the show due to tearing his hamstring in training during his prep. After contacting officials to let them know, he shared the news on his social media.
A photo of the injury can be seen in the post, and Walker tells his followers why he is bowing out of the show.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I won’t be stepping onstage this year due to unforeseen and unfortunate reasons that remind us we’re only human,” he wrote. He shared that he and his team did all the work they could to allow Walker to compete. However, their best efforts weren’t enough, and the decision to pull out was in his ultimate best interest.
Walker is already in Orlando, FL for the contest on Nov. 2-5, but he will now be a spectator. He shared at the end of the post that while he won’t be in this show, he still has his sights set on the future.
“Thank you you to those who believe in me and have supported me since day 1. I’ll be back.”
Walker’s absence does open up a big opportunity for a new contender to emerge in the top three of this year’s Mr. Olympia. Earlier this month, Olympia owner Jake Wood announced that only the top three of this year’s show will automatically qualify for the 60th Mr. Olympia in 2024. The favorites going into this weekend include defending champion Hadi Choopan, 2022 runner-up Derek Lunsford, 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, and 2023 Arnold Classic winner Samson Dauda.
Furthermore, this also means that if Walker heals up and is cleared to compete, then he will have to enter at least one other show in the 2024 season to earn a qualification to next year’s Olympia.
Fans that aren’t in Orlando can go to www.olympiaproductions.com to purchase the 2023 Olympia pay-per-view so they can see all the action from the Orange County Convention Center live as it happens.
Muscle & Fitness will be providing coverage throughout the week leading up to bodybuilding’s biggest weekend. For more information about the 2023 Olympia, go to www.mrolympia.com.
