By Isaac Hinds, Hardbody.com
The IFBB’s newest division continues to explode. The New York Pro Women’s Physique division will be the largest line up to date and the judges will have a variety of physiques to compare. Look for there to be a number of call-outs and comparisons in this show. No one in this line-up has won a Physique pro show, so one lucky lady will have that honor. Who will leave the Big Apple as the first ever Women’s Physique Champion? Let’s break down the competition.
The HARDBODY 411:
If this show was an online popularity contest then Dana Linn Bailey would be crowned the winner however it’s not. Despite being the first woman awarded a pro card in the division, she’ll have her work cut out for her. She’s one of the few women who can pull off a short hair cut. She came into the Phoenix Pro show shredded and was out of the winner’s circle as a result. Look for her to come in softer but will it be enough for her to victorious? I don’t think so based on her structure / shape. She has a wide waist compared to a number of the other women in this line up and has a difficult time matching her conditioning on the top of her body to the bottom. Debbie Barrable-Leung will be making a comeback at this show and she add another division to her competitive resume. She’s competed in bodybuilding and figure over the years and look for her to hold her own at this show. She gave birth to twins and to step on stage after that is a win. Michelle Blank jumped into the St. Louis Pro show after injuring herself before the Fitness International. Look for her to improved her posing and be in the top call-out. Dayana Cadeau is a familiar name to many of you who follow the industry but typically you’d be discussing her as a bodybuilder. Big name but will be too big for the division is my prediction. Marilena Echohawk landed in the top spots at the Phoenix Pro and will look to do so again here. She’ll have a tougher time of repeating but don’t count her out. Heather Grace will be making the switch from Figure to Physique and look for her to fair better in her placings in this division than in Figure.
Marina Lopez gets the award for most persistent physique. She’s competed in every competition to date and brings a different look each time. She continues to strip muscle off her frame but when she comes in too soft it doesn’t suit her well. Jillian Reville has positioned herself as a leading lady in the division and look for her to be in the mix of the top spots again here. Jane Santos is a name we haven’t seen in awhile. Jane was a fitness competitor who packed a good deal of muscle and it will be interesting to see what she brings to this stage. Stacy Simons and Carrie Simmons also made the switch to the new division from Fitness and faired well in California. They’ll look to repeat on the East Coast. Jennifer Smythe has a great physique and if she can pose her body better she’ll move up. She should be in the mix for a top spot though. Ayanna Caroll has a tremendous physique and while she may have more muscle than some I think she’ll fair well here.
The woman I am most excited to see in this line-up is Juliana Malacarne. The Brazilian first competed in fitness and then made the switch to figure once becoming an IFBB Pro. She has a SIC physique and when the division was announced she was the first person I thought of as the “ideal”. She was always told she was too big for Figure and was too small for bodybuilding. She has the shape, structure and right amount of balance that in my opinion SHOULD be what this division is all about. When you see Juliana it’s obvious she has more muscle than top Figure competitors. I’d love to see the judges make a statement and reward her the top spot, should she bring the same look she brought to the Figure stage. We’ll have to see if the judges agree or if they feel she still has too much muscle.
2012 IFBB NEW YORK PRO WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE:
1. Maria Allegro – College Point, New York
2. Dana Linn Bailey – Reading, Pennsylvania
3. Debbie Barrable-Leung – Alberta, Canada
4. Michelle Blank – St. Simons Island, Georgia
5. Laura Boisacq – Anchorage, Alaska
6. Dayana Cadeau – Wilton Manors, Florida
7. Ayanna Carroll – Baltimore, Maryland
8. Melissa DiBernardo – Hyde Park, New York
9. Rose-Anne Duvigneaud – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
10. Marilena Echohawk – Thornton, Colorado
11. Nathalie Falk – Sachsen, Germany
12. Cassandra Floyd -Marietta, Georgia
13. Karen Gatto – East Meadow, New York
14. Heather Grace – Aurora, Colorado
15. Aurelia Grozajova – Slovakia
16. Jennifer Hernandez – New York, New York
17. Marina Lopez – Aurora, Colorado
18. Juliana Malacarne – Brazil
19. Petra Mertl – Czech Republic
20. Teresita Morales – Middle Village, New York
21. Tammy Patnode – Lake Placid, New York
22. Jillian Reville – Ridgefield, Connecticut
23. Louise Rogers – United Kingdom
24. Jane Santos – Harrison, New York
25. Carrie Simmons – Marina Del Rey, California
26. Stacy Simons-McDowell – Blackwood, New Jersey
27. Joele Smith – Hattiesburg, Mississippi
28. Jennifer Smythe – Laurence Harbor, New Jersey
29. Penpraghai Tiangngok – Chonburi, Thailand
ISAAC’S PREDICTIONS:
1. Juliana Malacarne
2. Ayanna Carroll
3. Debbie Barrable-Leung
4. Michelle Blank
5. Jillian Reville
6. Jennifer Smythe
RON’S PREDICTIONS:
1. Dana Linn Bailey
2. Jillian Reville
3. Ayanna Carroll
4. Joele Smith
5. Jennifer Smythe
6. Juliana Malacarne
As you can see Ron and I are world’s a part on who we think will win the show. I feel the top three will all have similar physiques and begin to set “the look” but Ron is all over the map with who he is predicting. Who do you like for the win? Post your comments below and when tweeting about the show use #NYPRO. Our West Coast correspondent Ron Avidan will be in attendance covering all the action.
