"One of the biggest shocks" - Hunter Labrada reflects on 7th place finish at the 2022 Olympia, shares plans for 2023
Hunter Labrada, finished in seventh place during the 2022 Mr. Olympia. In 2021, he won the Chicago Pro and earned a qualification to the 2021 Mr. Olympia, where he secured a fourth-place finish. It wasn't the same story in 2022. He would have hoped to break into the top three at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, but instead, he finished in seventh place.
Nick Walker, who finished in fifth place behind Hunter at the 2021 Mr. Olympia, made his improvements and finished in third place during the 2022 Mr. Olympia. He also won the Olympia People's Champ Award. In a video posted on Iron World's YouTube Channel, Hunter Labrada spoke about his seventh-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia and his plans for 2023.
Speaking about not being on the first call-out, Hunter Labrada said:
"That was, you know, one of the biggest shocks I'd ever endured in my life, and it was in front of God knows how many thousands of people."
The bodybuilder continued,
"How you respond to adversity is what really makes you. I will never forget that fucking feeling of that first call-out being called and me not being in it. It was in front of God knows how many thousands of people. So that was uh. That was something. The day and age that we live in. People have their favorites, and they can hide behind keyboards."
He also elaborated on what he has been doing since his seventh-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Hunter Labrada said:
"I have been off social media. I haven’t been shooting YouTube videos. I have been seeing my family and friends and keeping to myself because it shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of y’all by now, but I did not do what I was planning on doing at the Olympia this year. This is going to be the first time I kind of unpack that."
The bodybuilder stated that he wanted to share everything with his supporters.
Hunter Labrada opens up about not living up to expectations and his plans for 2023
Hunter Labrada spoke about going to his gym after competing in Mr. Olympia and not living up to the expectations around him. He said:
"I went to the gym, you know my gym, Labrada Gym, the one you’ve seen me train out of and post all my shit out of for the past year. Walking back in that room for the first time after Olympia didn’t go the way I wanted to, I fucking lost it. I was not okay about it. Just thinking about you know everything that I’ve done in that room for over a year. For it not to turn out the way I wanted it to, all the people are in the there, the biggest thing, is what the people expected around me. Not living up to the expectations of the people around me."
Hunter Labrada further spoke about his plans for 2023. The 2021 Chicago Pro title winner said:
"Placing seventh, sliding to fourth, I am no longer qualified for the Olympia this year so I will actually be competing in not one but two shows for sure outside of the Olympia this year. Regardless, if I win the first one, which I am going to do. The fact of the matter is, I need to figure my peak out. We have a really good idea of where we went wrong in those final five days. We really have a good idea of what we need to do."
Further during the video, the bodybuilder insisted that he was 'really confident' heading into the new year. Lee Labrada's son claimed that he used to set a timer in his gym and would work every day for 342 days from the 2021 Olympia to 2022 Olympia. He stated that he came up short on what he wanted to do.
Hunter Labrada also insisted on maintaining peace of mind. He will be looking forward to making a comeback at this year's Olympia, but before that, Hunter needs to win a competition to qualify for the Olympia, which he intends to do.