The 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic will take place just one week from now, on July 8th, in London, England. So, it is the next big show of the season, with 12 of the world’s greatest Strongmen taking part. However, one exciting participant will not be making it to the competition, despite initially confirming his presence. The man in question is Pavlo Nakonechnyy, as the Ukrainian has announced that he is withdrawing from the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic. The news was revealed by the organizers of the competition on Instagram.
To understand the reason for Pavlo Nakonechnyy’s withdrawal, we have to go back to March of this year, when he competed at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. At this competition, Pavlo took part in a deadlift attempt and ended up injuring his knee.
Although it seemed to be something mild at first, this injury forced Pavlo Nakonechnyy to withdraw from the 2023 World’s and Europe’s Strongest Man competitions. Unfortunately, he has still not recovered properly, so he has to withdraw from the 2023 Giants Live Strongman Classic as well.
Related: 2022 Giants Live World Open & World Deadlift Championships Results — Pavlo Nakonechnyy Wins
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Pavlo Nakonechnyy still remains in the lineups for the 2023 Giants Live World Open and 2023 Shaw Classic, both of which will take place in a few months. So, there is still hope that Pavlo can salvage his season, despite missing a lot of major competitions already.
Pavlo Nakonechnyy’s Replacement
From the day that Giants Live revealed the lineup for the 2023 Strongman Classic, they also had a reserve ready for something like this. The man they chose for this role was Gavin Bilton. So, he will now take part instead of Pavlo Nakonechnyy.
Also known as the Welsh Bull, Gavin Bilton is a humongous man, standing at 6’6” tall and weighing over 400 pounds. In addition, Gavin is currently in the best shape of his life so far, especially after winning his first International competition at the 2023 SCL Serbia.
Gavin Bilton was also announced as a replacement for Mateusz Kieliszkowski at the 2023 Shaw Classic. So, his schedule for this season has suddenly become very busy.
At this point in his career, Gavin Bilton has made 23 appearances in International and National competitions. He has won three competitions, but all of them came in the last two years. So, it is obvious that Gavin is just now reaching his peak shape.
Related: Gavin Bilton Victorious At 2021 UK’s Strongest Man, Lucy Underdown Sets New World Record
Although Pavlo Nakonechnyy has shared some impressive lifts on Instagram recently, including a 400-kilogram (880.8-pound) deadlift, he is obviously not ready to perform a full competition. Still, optimism remains that he can get back to his best by August, when the 2023 Shaw Classic is set to take place. On the other hand, Gavin Bilton will try to fill Pavlo’s shoes at the 2023 Strongman Classic and improve his status on the big scene.
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