2008 IFBB Atlantic City Pro Womens Figure and Fitness!
ATLANTIC CITY PRO FITNESS:
While Lisa Aukland was busy collecting her prize money for a
third straight Atlantic City Pro Championship victory in the women's
bodybuilding division, Tracey Greenwood was making a strong statement of her
own in capturing a convincing win in the fitness category. With good things seemingly coming in threes
at this event, Greenwood
has been on a torrid pace over her last three competitions. Before her
unanimous win here, she also posted victories at the Houston Pro Figure in
July, and the Europa Super Show in August. That trio of top placings combined
with her fifth-place finish at the Ms. International to begin the 2008 competitive
season and this Delaware Diva (who was also the winner of the Atlantic City event last year) appears ready
to take her best shot at the Ms. Olympia in two weeks.
Notching the runner-up spot to Greenwood was another veteran of several Ms. International and Ms. Olympia competitions - Mindi O'Brien. Always in superb physical condition when she competes, this dazzling Canadian also appears ready to make a solid run at the top five in Las Vegas.
Long and lean Laticia Jackson scored a solid third-place finish to earn her first Ms. Olympia qualification, primarily on the strength of very strong scores in the two routine rounds. In fact, her evening routine was second only to winner Tracey Greenwood. And in a feat that is very difficult to achieve, Jackson's scores progressively improved in each of the four rounds of judging. No other competitor in the contest could make that claim.
Fourth went to Canada's vibrant Myriam Capes. Diminutive in her physical presence, there are few fitness performers today who exude as much in the way of stage presence and a professional approach to their fitness performances. Capes' strong suit is always her routine rounds, but her physique scores often put her in the always difficult position of playing catch-up, thus falling short of her desire to reach the top three and make a major breakthrough for future events. Put simply, she has simply been unlucky in gaining the notice of pro judges. She is arguably one of the best at what she does and in time will no doubt rise to the Olympia level.
Rounding out the top five in the 14-contestant field was Bethany Wagner. Posting victories at the NPC Junior USA and NPC Team Universe in 2007, Wagner has also quietly added a sixth-place finish at this year's New York Pro Fitness show in her efforts to climb through the ranks of the pro fitness division and earn a future Ms. Olympia appearance. At this event, Wagner was dynamic in the physique rounds posting a second-place spot in round one, and third in round two. Unfortunately, the wheels came off in the routine rounds and she slipped to the fifth position. Still, her showing here proves she possesses all the necessary tools to move up in 2009.
__________________
ATLANTIC CITY PRO FIGURE
For Jennifer Gates the road to her victory in the figure category of the Atlantic City Championships was also a unanimous one, but she was forced to achieve her win with twice as many contestants on stage as Tracey Greenwood contended with in the fitness division.
Dealing with the
potnetial judging nightmares that can accompany an event with 30 competitors,
Gates' aim here was to use the event as a tune up for the Ms. Olympia in two
weeks, and polish up any needed areas that might need attention. The reality was
she needed little in the way of attention to any perceived weaknesses. In fact,
she was downright breathtaking.
Coming off a spectacular rookie season last year that ended with a fourth-place finish at the Ms. Olympia, Gates started where she left off by adding a runner-up finish at the Ms. International back in March. With a victory at this Atlantic City event, she has shown she is ready to chase down Gina Aliotti, Sonia Adcock and any other challengers who might have designs on a top-three placing at the Ms. O in two weeks.
Pennsylvanian Amy Fry collected runner-up prize money for her second-place finish to Gates. After her attention-getting third-place finish at the Ms. International earlier in the year, Fry re-surfaced at the Pittsburgh Pro Figure to capture the hometown event. Adding her strong placing in this contest, Fry becomes a prospect - rather than a suspect - when considering her chances for a top-five finish at the Ms. Olympia.
The third qualifier for the Ms. Olympia was Canada's Jane Awad. After earning third-place prize money here, Awad could be excused for feeling a bit dizzy considering her rather rollercoaster-like journey to the stage in Las Vegas. Prior to this event Awad had finished fifth at the Jacksonville Pro Figure, but also experienced a spiraling plunge to 11th at the Houston Pro Figure and 12th at the Europa Super Show. Clearly Awad is a Ms. Olympia-quality performer, and it was nice to see her squeeze in - even if it was at the last minute.
Rounding out the top five was Desha Rodriquez (a short class winner at the NPC USA in 2007 where she eanred her pro card, and the NPC Southern States champion in 2006) in fourth, and Kristin Gomes (who also earned pro status with a short class victory at the NPC USA in 2006). Since then, Gomes has competed on several occasions as a pro with a highest placing of 10th at the California Pro Figure Championships in 2007 before scoring a top-five spot here in Atlantic City.
And what pro figure contest report would be complete without mentioning that, once again, Brazil's dazzling Juliana Malacarne was swept away to another low placing (this time 13th) for her usual level of beautifully sculpted muscle on a structurally perfect frame. It should be noted that Malacarne did receive a level of consolation when she placed fourth in the Masters Pro Figure division earning $1,000 for the effort.