Nathan De Asha may not be competing in this year's Olympics!

British bodybuilder Nathan De Asha's participation in Mr. Olympia 2023 is going through unexpected challenges as the 30-year-old pro experiences significant complications during his journey over the past two days. The champion, who has already notched up eleven professional victories, including triumphs at this year's Flex Weekend Pro 2023 and Sheru Classic France Pro 2023, was looking forward to making his long-awaited return to Mr. Olympia after a nearly five-year hiatus since 2018. He was confident that he had all the necessary paperwork for his trip to the United States, where the competition was scheduled to take place in less than two weeks.

However, upon arrival in Florida on Saturday, Nathan ran into trouble when he was refused entry by immigration authorities at the airport. Instead, he was sent to a hotel to await his return to the UK. While he was excited about his anticipated start at the pinnacle of professional bodybuilding on his way to the US, hours later he was sitting in his hotel room with the worst thoughts. Nathan was convinced that the only sensible solution would be to forgo his participation in Mr. Olympia 2023 to avoid the risk of being abroad illegally, which could prevent him from returning in the future.

Nathan also expressed his hope that the organizers of Flex Weekend and similar competitions should be able to provide more help to athletes facing similar problems. He suggested that such events could be held in countries such as the European Union, Canada, or Dubai, where athletes would have easier access than in the United States. That could help not only Nathan, but other athletes such as Iranian tight end Behrooz Tabani, who is facing visa difficulties and could miss out on a second Mr. Olympia.

After several hours, Nathan finally had a glimmer of hope. His friends seemed to have found a way to solve the administrative problem that had derailed his US entrance interview. The plan is for Nathan De Asha to return to the UK to try to work out the situation with the authorities. If all goes according to plan, he could subsequently return to the United States and participate in Mr. Olympia. With several other bodybuilders withdrawing for various reasons, such as Kamal Elgargni, Brett Wilkin, Mamdouh Elssbiay and Iain Valliere, the starting field for this year's competition will probably be reduced by ten participants compared to last year.

Source: fitnessvolt.com