Oleksii Novikov, a well-known name in the world of strongman, is facing a minor injury setback as he enters the 2023 competitive season. The Ukrainian athlete is one of the top contenders to watch out for as he gears up for the upcoming 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man and World’s Strongest Man contests. However, recent developments suggest that Novikov’s journey to success will not be free of hurdles.
In a YouTube video published on March 18, 2023, Oleksii Novikov revealed that he had sustained a small tear in his lat muscle during a training session. The injury occurred as he was preparing for the 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man and World’s Strongest Man contests, but Novikov did not disclose the exact timing of the injury or its severity. He described it as a minor setback that occurred during a sandbag-focused workout.
Despite the injury, Oleksii Novikov plans to continue with his preparation and compete in the upcoming 2023 Europe’s Strongest Man and World’s Strongest Man contests. Novikov is the defending champion of the Europe’s Strongest Man competition and won the 2020 World’s Strongest Man title. He will face tough competition from other strongmen from around the world in the contests that are scheduled to be held in Leeds, England, and Myrtle Beach, SC, in April 2023.
In spite of his injury, Oleksii Novikov seemed unfazed and didn’t consider it to be much of an obstacle. In the YouTube video where he disclosed the injury, Novikov could be seen powering through several upper-body-centric movements, such as a standing log press, an incline press with the same log implement, and the famous Fingal’s Fingers, a popular event at many strongman competitions.
Despite his resilient approach, Novikov carefully stated that he wasn’t trying to activate his lat muscles as much as he would normally. Although Novikov’s determination to defend his ESM title and compete for a second career WSM championship is commendable, the injury could pose a challenge to his plans. If the strongman is anything less than 100% at either competition – and as the exact timeline and nature of his injury and recovery process are currently unknown – it could potentially impact both podium finishes.
2023 Europe’s Strongest Man: Roster at Time of Publication
Europe’s Strongest Man Roster:
Oleksii Novikov (Ukraine) — Reigning Champion
Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
Eythór Ingólfsson Melsted (Iceland)
Jean-Stephen Coraboeuf (France)
Dennis Kohlruss (Germany)
Pa O’Dwyer (Ireland)
Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
Shane Flowers (United Kingdom)
World’s Strongest Man Roster:
Tom Stoltman (United Kingdom) — Reigning two-time WSM Champion
Pavlo Kordiyaka (Ukraine)
Evan Singleton (United States)
Mitchell Hooper (Canada)
Trey Mitchell (United States)
Adam Bishop (United Kingdom)
Aivars Šmaukstelis (Latvia)
Kevin Faires (United States)
Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted (Iceland)
Paul Smith (United Kingdom)
Rauno Heinla (Estonia)
Bobby Thompson (United States)
Mateusz Kieliszkowski (Poland)
Gavin Bilton (United Kingdom)
Spenser Remick (United States)
Eddie Williams (Australia)
Pavlo Nakonechnyy (Ukraine)
Konstantine Janashia (Georgia)
Graham Hicks (United Kingdom)
Luke Stoltman (United Kingdom)
Mathew Ragg (New Zealand)
Gabriel Rhéaume (Canada)
Brian Shaw (United States)
Jaco Schoonwinkel (South Africa)
Mark Felix (Grenada)
Fadi El Masri (Lebanon)
*Maxime Boudreault (Canada) (qualified but withdrew due to shin injury)
Oleksii Novikov, the reigning champion of Europe’s Strongest Man, has had an impressive year in competitive strongman events. According to Strongman Archives, Novikov achieved a podium finish in seven of eight strongman competitions he participated in 2022. He secured victories in both the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic and the 2022 Strongman Rogue Invitational. While he finished third in the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competition, he trailed only Martins Licis and two-time champion Tom Stoltman.
View this post on Instagram
Despite Novikov’s recent success, he faces an injury heading into the 2023 ESM and WSM competitions. Nonetheless, Novikov is not one to let obstacles get in his way of fruitful performances. It remains to be seen if he can persevere through his injury and still shine in these two major strongman events. Regardless, there is a sense that this superstar will find a way to make it all come together beautifully.
Featured Streaming @ Oleksii Novikov [ENG] (YouTube)
Courtesy Image @ novikov_strong_wsm (Instagram)
