Nick Walker Pulls Out of the 2024 Mr. Olympia: What Happened?

by Mr. O
Posted On October 6, 2024

In shocking news for bodybuilding fans, Nick Walker has once again pulled out of the Mr. Olympia competition, making this the second year in a row that one of the sport’s biggest stars has had to withdraw. Last year, Walker was forced to step away due to a hamstring injury, but this year, the reasons seem more complex and have left many in the community asking questions.

Walker, who is coached by Matt Jansen, discussed his decision in a video alongside Jansen, and fans were quick to share their reactions. What surprised many was that, unlike previous years, it wasn’t a clear-cut injury that pushed Walker to make the difficult choice, but rather his body’s lack of response to training during his Olympia prep. While his mental and physical health seemed better than ever, his body was not delivering the results he needed to be competitive at the highest level. This turn of events, coupled with the intensity of the current competition lineup, including much-improved athletes like Andrew Jacked, Samson Dauda, and reigning champion Derek Lunsford, has added further speculation as to why Walker pulled out.

The bodybuilding community has responded with a range of opinions, and one prominent voice chimed in with a thoughtful analysis of the situation. In a recent video, Antoine Vaillant, a popular IFBB Pro, provided his own take on the matter. Here is the full transcript of his comments:

Antoine Vaillant on Nick Walker’s Withdrawal:

“Nick Walker is pulling out of the Olympia again, and I find it surprising because it’s two years in a row now. Last year, he had to pull out because of a hamstring injury, and now he’s pulling out again. I watched the video with Matt Jansen, and I wanted to talk about it because I’m curious what you guys think. I was a little confused with what Matt said, though. He mentioned that Nick used to thrive on chaos and stress, but now that he’s in a better place mentally and physically, things aren’t working the same way anymore.

Usually, when you’re stressed, your body doesn’t perform as well. But now, Matt is saying that Nick’s good mental state isn’t delivering the same results. I’m not sure what to make of it. Nick mentioned that his body wasn’t responding, and of course, there are people online saying he’s afraid, but I don’t believe that. I know Nick personally, and I can say he’s not someone who would back out because of fear. Nick believes he’s going to beat everyone someday, and I still think that’s possible.

This does open up opportunities for others, like Andrew Jacked, Samson Dauda, and Derek Lunsford, who is the current champion. Plus, Hadi Choopan is going all out to bring his best package to beat Derek again. Nick pulling out leaves room for someone to sneak into the top five, and I’m sure a lot of the top six are relieved that he’s not competing. But it’s unfortunate. I hope Nick returns for the Arnold Classic. The Arnold has some good prize money now, and I think it actually had more than the Olympia last year.

Why do I think Nick pulled out? Maybe he was pushed too hard, too early. That strategy might have worked when he was younger, but now that he’s 31, maybe his body isn’t responding the same way. My friend Quinton, who was also coached by Matt, made huge offseason gains, but pushing that hard for too long can wear the body down. Nick’s body may have maxed out from all the hard training, and now they need to adapt their approach.

They didn’t mention anything about health issues, but health could always be a reason. If his bloodwork showed something off during prep, it’s better to pull out and avoid long-term damage. Bodybuilding is a different sport—unlike football or boxing, where you see the physical damage, in bodybuilding, the damage is internal. Bloodwork can reveal issues that you wouldn’t see on the outside.

I don’t think it’s a motivation issue for Nick. He works incredibly hard because he knows he has to. Guys like Andrew Jacked and Samson Dauda have better flowing physiques, so Nick has to outwork them to beat them. I don’t think hard work is the problem.

Another possibility is that maybe the supplements or the plan wasn’t working as expected, but I doubt that. My best guess is that Nick’s body isn’t responding the way it used to after being pushed so hard for so long. It’s unfortunate, but Nick made the right decision for him. I’m curious what you guys think. Was it the body not responding, health issues, or something else entirely?

In the end, whatever the reason, Nick made the best choice for his future, and my thoughts are with him. He’s probably more disappointed than anyone else. We should support him, and I hope he comes back stronger next time.”