The 2021 Arnold Classic champion and 2022 Mr. Olympia third-place finisher, Nick Walker, has withdrawn from the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest, set for Nov. 3-4 in Orlando, FL. Walker says his decision was due to a hamstring tear he suffered while training for the contest.
It’s with a heavy heart that I won’t be stepping on stage this year due to unforeseen and unfortunate reasons that remind us we’re only human.
Walker revealed the news in a post on his Instagram page on Oct. 31, 2023, which can be seen below:
Walker explained that the injury took place while training for the 59th Mr. Olympia in his home area of Las Vegas, NV. Walker and his coach, Matt Jansen, worked to make adjustments in order to compete, but the choice to pull out was clear as Walker’s injury was not healing.
We thought it was best to pull out because we knew there was no shot at placing top three at this point or higher, and I didn’t want to drop placings.
Walker contacted Olympia promoters and IFBB Pro League officials to share the news before posting to social media. Walker’s absence reduces the lineup from 21 to 17 due to the other withdrawals of two-time Mr. Olympia champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay; Iain Valliere, who retired from competitive bodybuilding earlier in the 2023 season; and Brett Wilkin, who pulled out due to digestive issues during his prep. Nathan De Asha’s status for the Olympia remains unknown at the time of this article’s publication due to travel issues he faced while trying to enter the United States.
With the 2022 third-place finisher out of the 2023 Mr. Olympia lineup, that leaves an opening in the first callout for another contender to step up. The top three from the 2023 Mr. Olympia will automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympia, though the date and location of that show has yet to be announced at the time of this article’s publication.
Walker’s withdrawal almost ensures that he will compete in a pro show during the 2024 season to re-qualify for the 2024 Olympia, assuming his injury sufficiently heals during the qualification window.
BarBend will continue providing updates and news for the 2023 Olympia weekend until the Sandow Trophy is handed out on Saturday evening, Nov. 4, 2023.
Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram
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