IFBB Pro League Men’s Open bodybuilder Brett Wilkin was the first athlete to qualify for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest when he won the 2022 Bigman Weekend Pro. On Oct. 9, 2023, Wilkin officially withdrew his name from the 2023 Mr. Olympia, slated for Nov. 2-5, 2023 in Orlando, FL. Wilkin announced that he had to bow out due to digestive issues in an video published to his Instagram page that can be seen below:
[Related: Theo Leguerrier Wins 2023 Italian Olympus Pro Bodybuilding Show]
“To make a long story short, the body was not responding like it should be from the get-go,” said Wilkin. “I had some early red flags, and that just progressed into me not being able to keep food down, keep meals down.”
Wilkin revealed in the video that he hadn’t trained in two weeks as of the time the video was filmed. He estimated losing 15 to 17 pounds in that time due to digestive problems that he’d suffered for several weeks.
After initially keeping the issues to himself while trying to continue his prep, he consulted his wife, Ivana, and coach, Matt Jansen, to pull out of the Olympia. The IFBB Pro League and Olympia promoters were made aware of his decision before Wilkin’s public announcement.
Several of Wilkin’s fellow competitors and renowned bodybuilding champions offered support following Wilkin’s decision, including seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, seven-time Olympia 212 champion Flex Lewis, and fellow Mr. Olympia competitor Nick Walker, whom Wilkin would’ve shared the stage with in November.
Wilkin’s victory in the 2022 Bigman Weekend Pro was his first victory in the IFBB Pro League, and he would’ve made his Mr. Olympia debut in Orlando had he competed. He also became a father to a daughter in 2023.
Wilkin is the third athlete to withdraw from bodybuilding’s world championship event. Two-time Sandow Trophy winner Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay bowed out due to injuries in September 2023. Earlier that same month, 2023 Toronto Pro Supershow winner Iain Valliere withdrew from the contest and announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding.
With Wilkin’s absence, the 2023 Mr. Olympia roster has 21 athletes scheduled to take the stage as of the time of this article’s publication. The qualifying season concluded on Oct. 9, 2023, which means the only way another competitor can join the lineup is if they are offered a special invite by either the IFBB Pro League or Olympia promoters.
Wilkin concluded his video by sharing his optimism about competing again to potentially qualify for the 2024 Olympia.
Featured image: @brett_wilkin on Instagram
