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This Saturday, 18 IFBB Bikini Pros will take the stage at the IFBB Tournament of Champions held in Culver City, California. The show is the second-to-last competition for those hoping to lock in a spot in the first Bikini Olympia. There are a number of women making their pro debuts and a few familiar names.
The IFBB Pro Bikini competitors slated to appear include:
1. Dina Al-Sabah (Kuwait)
2. Jennifer Celeste (USA)
3. Jessica Clay (USA)
4. Michele D’Angona (USA)
5. Jennifer Dietrick (USA)
6. Sonia Gonzales (USA)
7. Michele Gullett (USA)
8. Kat Holmes (USA)
9. Rachel Labender (USA)
10. Anca Marcus (Romania)
11. Cathy Miller (USA)
12. Nicole Moneer-Guerrero (USA)
13. Brook Mora (USA)
14. Karen Mullarkey (USA)
15. Natalie Pennington (USA)
16. Vanessa Prebyl (USA)
17. Zhanna Rotar (USA)
18. Christina Vargas (USA)
My Top Contenders:
Dina Al-Sabah has steadily improved with every show and has found her way around the new division. She teamed up with TEAM BOMBSHELL a few weeks ago and the results have paid off. Look for her to be one of the names called out in the top five.
Jennifer Celeste will be making her pro debut. She turned pro at the 2009 NPC JR Nationals and has good bikini physique. Since we haven’t seen her on stage in over a year it’s a roll of the dice on what her current physique looks like in a bikini. Jennifer is currently living in Los Angeles and has the added advantage of not having to travel.
Sonia Gonzales has two pro bikini shows to her credit but they were the first two pro shows of the year. She was the runner-up at the Pittsburgh Pro to Nathalia Melo however Melo lost to Latona, who Sonia beat at The Muscle Contest. Confused? Don’t be. Sonia has streamlined her physique with the help of trainer Kim Oddo and will be presenting a much different look than the one we saw at the beginning of the year. The key to Sonia’s success is her stage presence. If she can “own it” and present with confidence she’ll be the one to beat.
Anca Marcus will be making her pro debut. Anca, originally from Romania, successfully petitioned the IFBB Pro League and was granted pro status. She won the overall bikini title at the NPC Orange County Muscle Classic and was the runner-up to Amanda Latona at the 2009 California State Bikini Championships. We haven’t seen her against this type of competition however she has a solid track record and physique to make a case for a top five spot here.
Brooke Mora turned pro in July at the 2010 NPC USAs. Many felt she was good enough to win the overall title there, myself included. Brooke is one of the taller competitors in the line-up and has good stage presence. If she brings a similar presentation and look to this show she could be a top contender. I like her look and would be surprised if she’s not in one of the first call-outs.
The Wild Cards:
Christina Vargas will be making her Pro bikini debut after a few tries at Figure. I think this division will suit Christina better and she could be in the mix if she brings her sass to the stage. I could see her in the mix for a top five spot here.
Jennifer Dietrick was in the mix at the 2010 Europa Super show and could be here. She’ll need to improve her stage presence and have a different suit to move up. Her suit was too small from the back and will likely be one not allowed on stage after this year’s Olympia. Jennifer has a good physique she just need to show some personality and present it with confidence.
Natalie Pennington is already qualified for the Olympia but will face some stiffer competition here. She has a nice look but needs a little more booty to hang in the top spots. We haven’t seen her on stage in a few months so perhaps she’ll bring a bit more junk in the trunk to this show.
Karen Mullarkey is competing in bikini after a few runs in the Figure division. She has the sass on stage but will her physique be in line with what the judges are looking for? We’ll have to see.
There are of course a number of other women who could be in the mix here and it all depends on who shows up with the best presentation and physique on Saturday. Get more information on the show at www.musclecontest.com and we’ll see ya in Culver City on Saturday!
We wil see you there!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Friday, Sept 10th – 6:30 pm
Figure/Bikini athlete brief followed by check-ins. (NPC)
Radisson Hotel
Saturday, Sept 11th
10:00 am – PRO Athlete brief followed by weigh-ins/check-ins.
11:00am – Prejudging
6:30pm – Finals for all classes
Veteran’s Memorial
Tags: 2010 IFBB, 2010 IFBB North American Championships, IFBB Bikini, Pro Bikini
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 at 10:03 pm and is filed under FEMALE BODYBUILDING, NEWS.
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