The 2024 WSM will be without one former champion.
The 2024 World’s Strongest Man will feature some of the best competitors in the world fighting for the top prize in the sport. This year, it will be without one former champion. The official WSM Instagram account shared that the 2020 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion Oleksii Novikov has withdrawn from the 2024 WSM event.
There was no official word on the reason behind Novikov’s withdrawal. Those familiar with Strongman noticed Novikov dealing with a bicep issue but it is unknown if this is the reason he decided to pull out of the event. Novikov has been dealing with certain injuries for some time now.
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Novikov has 15 victories in his career as he has taken part in 46 competitions around the world. He was crowned the World’s Strongest Man champion in 2020. Along with his work in competition, Novikov also did work to help his home country over the years.
Oleksii had been actively raising funds through social media for Ukrainian Soldiers fighting against the Russian invasion that began on Feb. 24, 2022. Novikov was awarded $25,000 for winning second place at the 2022 ASC held on Mar. 4-5. However, since the strongman had pledged to donate all his winnings to Ukraine’s war efforts, Arnold Schwarzenegger increased Novikov’s prize purse to equal first place ($80,000) during the award ceremony.
Oleksii Novikov Workout Plan
1. Dumbbell Training
Novikov is arguably the best in business in the heavy dumbbell for reps contest and currently holds the world record in the event, completing 11 repetitions in 75 seconds with a 100-kilogram (220-pound) dumbbell at the WUS “Feats of Strength” series.
2. Loading Medley
Since the loading medley is one of the most common events at elite strongman contests, the Ukrainian strongman makes it a point to incorporate the lift in his training regimen.
The strongman’s medley training includes carrying the following objects down a track and tossing them over a high bar:
- Sandbag: 120 kilograms (264 pounds)
- Heavy shield: 110 kilograms (242 pounds)
- Atlas stone: 120 kilograms (264 pounds)
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