"Not this year" - Bodybuilder Nick Walker says he won't compete at 2023 Arnold Classic

Nick Walker, the American bodybuilder who finished third in the 2022 Mr. Olympia, will not compete in next year's Arnold Classic. The bodybuilder revealed the news while interacting with a fan in the comments section of an Instagram post he posted on December 22, 2022.

One of Walker's followers wrote, "Just long enough to win the Arnold". But the 2021 Arnold Classic champion swiftly replied:

"not this year"

Nick would have made the decision so he could give some extra rest to his body after a tight schedule in 2022 and put more concentration on preparing for the 2023 Mr. Olympia. Under the same comment in which Walker announced that he wasn't competing in the 2023 Arnold Classic, another fan wrote:

"he's got bigger fish to fry. He's an Olympia caliber athlete. There's no doubt the Arnold is a phenomenal show but Nick is out for blood next year so I'm sure he's going all out for the next Olympia."

The path to this year's 2022 Mr. Olympia hasn't been a smooth one for Nick Walker. According to Fitness Volt, Nick and his coach Matt Jansen parted ways in the month of February this year. No proper reason was known for their split.

Some suggested that Walker was eager to compete in the 2022 Arnold Classic, but his coach didn't approve of it, according to Fitness Volt. Supplement contracts are also considered the main reason for their split.

But despite all this, Walker and Matt reunited in the nick of time, just 12 weeks before the 2022 Mr. Olympia, and set the stage on fire. Although Nick had promised Matt that he would be Matt's first Men's Mr. Olympia champion in the Open Division, Nick Walker eventually finished in third place.

Walker earned prize money of $100,000 for finishing third in Mr. Olympia. The 2022 Mr. Olympia title in the Open Division was won by Hadi Choopan and second place was clinched by Derek Lunsford.

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Nick Walker's career so far

Nick Walker was born on August 3, 1994. According to Fitness Volt, Nick was molested as a child, which led him to grow up as a loner because it was hard for him to trust anyone.

This traumatizing experience led Walker down a dark path towards drugs and alcohol. But at some point in life, Nick realized that he had to change, and hence, he found interest in lifting. The American Bodybuilder’s first competition was after he graduated from high school.

He didn't put up a great performance in his first competition, but the crowd continued cheering for Walker. According to Fitness Volt, Nick Walker claimed that it was the first time that he felt proud.

Nick Walker was very attracted to the process of bodybuilding. He became a Pro in 2020 after winning the 2020 NPC North American Championships held in Pittsburgh. Then in 2021, he clinched the New York Pro title in the Open Division. Justin Rodriguez was the runner-up in that competition.

Winning the 2021 New York Pro title earned him a ticket to compete in 2021 Mr. Olympia. Walker also won the 2021 Arnold Classic in Ohio and earned prize money of $130,000. The Arnold Classic is considered to be the second-most prestigious bodybuilding competition in the world behind Mr. Olympia.

Before the Arnold Classic, Nick Walker had claimed that he would emerge victorious in the competition when he gave an interview. According to Fitness Volt, Walker said,

"I'll tell you right now, I'm going to win the Arnold. I'll say it a million times until we're done here, I don't care."

Making his debut in the Men's Open Division of the 2021 Mr. Olympia, Nick Walker finished fifth in his first-ever Mr. Olympia competition. Big Ramy was the champion in that edition of Mr. Olympia.

This year, he finished in third place in 2022 Mr. Olympia behind Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford.