From Hardbody.com, Isaac Hinds...
Unless things change in the next couple of days, we will see 15 women strutting their stuff in the first IFBB Pro Bikini show held in the US.
The first Pro Bikini show was held last weekend in New Zealand with Sonia Gonzales taking top honors. No disrespect to her and the others but when the field is only three deep it is tough to gauge of what the division will become.
Many feel Sonia is what the standard in bikini should be while others think she carries too much muscle. It’s hard to say until we see all the women stand on stage next to each other. There’s no denying Sonia is a beautiful woman but one look at the roster and she’s in good company. It will take more than a pretty face to win this show. She is one of a few women making the transition from Figure to Bikini at this event.
Sherlyn Roy competed in the Figure International and had a lackluster showing placing 17th. She competed in the Figure Olympia last year but I feel the bikini division will suit her physique better. She’ll try her hand at bikini this weekend.
Zhanna Rotar is also making the transition from Figure to Bikini for this event. Zhanna will definitely bring the sex appeal and presentation to the stage but will she be carrying too much muscle for the judges liking? We’ll have to see but she’s definitely toned down her muscle since her competitive Figure days.
Dianna Dahlgren has been blowing up the fitness modeling scene in the last few months. She only has three shows under her belt but has a look that many women and men are drawn to. She won’t have the same amount of muscle as many of the other women on stage but it could work to her advantage. It all depends on what look the judges are after with the new division.
Amanda Latona is no stranger to the competitive stage and has a near flawless presentation. Fit booty fans will go wild when she takes the stage as she has some badunka dunk. It’s definitely not a bad thing. A stunning woman who undoubtedly will be a top contender, or at least many feel she should (myself included).
Monique “Momo” Minton will present her best physique to date at this show. We got a little preview at the Arnold Classic and she’s on point. If she’s able to present her physique in a confident manner she should be another one turning heads and making the judges do a double take.
Stacey Thompson was one of the first bikini pros and has been working like a woman possessed to streamline her physique since that show. She carried a good deal of muscle when winning but from recent photos it looks like she’ll be presenting a completely different physique and one of the names to listen for in the top callouts.
Alea Suarez has a great physique and wasted no time in getting in the mix since turning pro at the NPC Nationals last fall. This Texas beauty has a chance to do well at this show but again it will all depend on what the judges are after.
My sleeper pick to shake things up in the show is Leigh Lingham. She’ll be making the trip down from Canada to compete at this show. I had the chance to meet Leigh at the Arnold Classic and she is a doll. I really like her look and if she can rock it on stage I can easily see her doing well at this show. She hasn’t seen a whole lot of love yet in the States but keep your eye on her. She’s one to watch.
Michelle D’Angona, Jennifer Dietrick, Michele Gullet, Carol King, Christie Marquez and Natalie Pennington will all have their work cut out for them to crack the top five at this show. It’s no knock on them but it is a testament of how deep the field is for this show. Natalie is already qualified for the Bikini Olympia with her second place finish at the New Zealand Pro so the pressure if off her coming into this contest.
We’ll be there covering the action throughout the weekend. You can follow along here or for faster updates follow us on TWITTER @hardbodynews.
