The Tampa Pro is only a few days away and word on the street is that this is going to be one of the best and most exciting shows of the year. The competition line-up for the women will not fall short this year as it will feature some fantastic physiques, both from veterans in the game as well as brand spanking new pros. The women’s bodybuilding line-up is surprisingly larger than bikini and figure, with 19 athletes battling for top spots and Olympia qualifications.
In this line-up look for Sarah Hayes to improve her placing from a disappointing 5th at the Europa Battle of Champions in Hartford. Sheila Bleck is another stand-out who always comes in hard as nails and has an outstanding routine. Kim Perez is also a great competitor with possibly the most amazing shoulders we’ve ever seen. We are excited to see what kind of package she will be bringing to the stage.
Women’s Physique is growing by the minute and it seems like judges are getting closer to defining what the “standard” in this very new division will be. The WPD seems to be perfect for the women in figure who have been told they are too muscular and have had to tone down their training, and for the women in bodybuilding who have chosen to not get any bigger or muscular. This line-up includes crowd favorite Nola Trimble, who just won the Wings of Strength Championship, and might very well continue on a winning streak and New Yorkers Teresita Morales and Melissa DiBernardo who placed 2nd and 7th respectively at a very tough New York Pro line-up. New IFBB Pro Lisa Lopez is also one to keep an eye out for after her overall win at Team Universe.
Figure is still my favorite division and I admit I am a biased figure competitor. When the list of competitors was made public I was surprised by the small amount of competitors who decided to enter. I wonder if there will be any last minute additions. In this lineup I can very easily see Gennifer Strobo and Ann Titone fighting for 1st place. Andrea Cantone, who had just turned pro at the 2011 Nationals, seems to be moving up the ranks rather quickly with her fantastic symmetrical physique and tiny waist.
The bikini line-up, just like figure, is smaller than I anticipated. The sass of presentation and posing in order to be noticed makes this a fun and challenging class to judge. Ms. Bikini Olympia, Nicole Nagrani will be getting back on stage after a 3rd place finish at the Arnold, and I anticipate her grabbing a top spot along with Diana Graham and Yesharia Robles. Dayna Maleton seems to be improving her placin significantly this year from last, and I suspect she will also be a top finisher.
We are very excited to cover this show and will be posting interviews with some of the athletes. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @Flex_magazine for up to the minute results.
