The 2020 winner positioned third within the 2023 contest in South Carolina.
2020 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) winner Oleksii Novikov hoped to hitch the record of two-time champions on the 2023 WSM contest in Myrtle Seaside, SC. Nonetheless, he completed in third place behind champion Mitchell Hooper and runner-up Tom Stoltman.
On Might 8, 2023, Novikov shared a 42-minute video on his YouTube channel recapping his WSM week. The previous champion reviewed his efficiency by way of the competition’s 11 occasions. Nonetheless, one key piece of knowledge he shared might shed some mild on his shocking third-place end within the Circus Dumbbell occasion on the ultimate day of competitors. Novikov has historically dominated that difficult overhead press in earlier competitions and set an unofficial world document lifting 153.2 kilograms (337.8 kilos) whereas coaching in 2021.
Novikov revealed that he competed within the 2023 WSM with an elbow damage suffered in coaching, although he didn’t talk about a selected prognosis. Novikov spoke in Ukrainian and the captions confirmed the English translation. He spoke in regards to the damage on the 30:36 mark within the video under.
Novikov suffered the damage in coaching whereas performing the Circus Dumbbell with weights heavier than what he would ultimately elevate within the contest — on the 2023 WSM, Novikov was solely capable of efficiently press 132.5 kilograms (291 kilos) overhead. He shared that he initially thought it was easy elbow ache and fewer severe than it truly was.
“Within the final coaching session [before the WSM contest], I lifted 144 kilograms (317 kilos). At 148 kilograms (326 kilos), I didn’t get the lockout. And through all these processes, I bought an damage which I didn’t pay a lot consideration to. Just a few elbow ache. I stored coaching and solely then observed this problem with my elbow.
The elbow misplaced its operate at full extension and activating the place it has to activate. And resulting from that, there have been issues with the lockout. And that’s why locking out heavy weights grew to become an issue for me … Don’t know whether or not I want a surgical procedure or not, however I’ll definitely maintain my elbow,” he stated.
He felt the problems with lockouts have been why he struggled throughout the dumbbell occasion on the final day of competitors. He’s unsure whether or not or not he’ll want surgical procedure, however Novikov made it sound as if that’s no less than being thought-about.
Novikov realized that this problem and the results of that occasion might’ve very effectively price him the title in South Carolina.
“My signature occasion grew to become an Achilles heel for me. For me, that’s an upset for certain and it introduced me down, mentally, slightly.”
Novikov additionally assessed that his points for the competitors went past bodily issues. Many athletes really feel sports activities are as a lot psychological as they’re bodily, and Novikov isn’t any completely different. Listening to and studying feedback that instructed he ‘win or not come again’ as a manner of encouragement might have backfired.
“You all need me to win, and I additionally need that. I suppose not lower than you, but it surely places some form of strain on me that I begin considering that it’s tremendous necessary, and I plan my efficiency the best way like ‘both win or nothing.’ And when some form of drawback happens, like with the [Reign Total Body Fuel Shield Carry event], it hurts me mentally, and, total, it turns into onerous to give attention to the subsequent occasions.”
Novikov additionally shared that he’ll take time without work to let his physique get well from the competitions he’s already entered this yr, in addition to to permit his elbow to heal whether or not he has surgical procedure or not.
Novikov had additionally suffered a lat damage earlier within the yr main as much as the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man contest. Clearly, an athlete of Novikov’s caliber has world-class ranges of energy each within the muscle and thoughts, however time to rebuild and refocus may very well be what he must put himself in the most effective place to succeed going ahead. He didn’t reveal what his subsequent contest will probably be or if he’ll do one other present in 2023.
Featured Picture: Todd Burandt / Courtesy of World’s Strongest Man
