Figure Olympia - Who will prevail?

[Chamorrita]

Gotta say Kentucky is not doing too bad either.  Must really be the Ohio River water.  Julie, Jenny Lynn....
 

For sure!  Not a native, but I did live in Lexington (family is still there) and graduated from UK.  I was happy to see Julie wearing her "True Blue" colors.  All those KY girls are gorgeous!  Congratulations to Julie on her great showing.

[FigureRX]

CQ, this is a public service announcement. 

Our complete Figure Olympia contest report is now available.

LINK

Team FigureRX
http://www.myspace.com/figurerx

[CQ]

CQ, this is a public service announcement. 

I'll give you a free pass for the next 48 hrs or so

[Lift Studios]

Or it's the expert work of super-trainer Mike Davies and Fitness Factory!!  Fitness has been popular in Ohio for a very long time, and then Arnold recognized that by choosing Columbus for his show.  After that it just continued to grow - there's also an excellent farm team of NPC figure talent.

Mike had a very interesting interview after the fitness finals last night, very blunt .... about some confusion at the top, Tanji's physique not fitting in, etc -- it's worth a listen.

I don't think that is why Arnold chose Columbus for his show, but he has done a great job with bringing in a lot of money to the city.

Mike is a good guy and I had a chance to talk with him a bit more through out the weekend. He did a great job with his girls this weekend as did Kim Oddo.

One thing we're not talking about this year is the "Green Goddess". She toned down her posing and found herself out of the top 6 again. I liked the look that Val brought to the stage.

Stephen - if you don't mind me asking, who is contributing to your reports as you were not in attendance?

[tommyguns]

Val got screwed... again.

She blew everyone off the stage at the Arnold, and got 5th place.  The judges told her she was too lean, too hard, too ripped, and that she would have to "tone it down" to move up.  They said they were looking for a softer look.

Val brought a softer look to the Olympia, and who was in the top six.  Nice lean, hard and ripped women... IMO the look the IFBB should be going for, but the very look they were telling the girls to abandon.  Gina and Amanda looked awesome.  I'm sure Val coulda brought that if the judges had told her to, but they didn't.  Just keep on guessing.

May be we should have two different contests... the Arnold is the fat contest, where you show up soft and mushy to win, and the Olympia where you come in ripped and hard to win.  What a joke!

Funny thing is, Mary Lado looked as bad at the Olympia as she did at the Arnold, and she won the Arnold!  She's got to be scratchin her head.  If you're looking for soft, she certainly knows how to bring it.

And the person who got totally screwed the worst is Natalie Benson.  If they want muscular and hard, she blows everyone off the stage, and what did she get???

[Lift Studios]

Val got screwed... again.

She blew everyone off the stage at the Arnold, and got 5th place.  The judges told her she was too lean, too hard, too ripped, and that she would have to "tone it down" to move up.  They said they were looking for a softer look.

Val brought a softer look to the Olympia, and who was in the top six.  Nice lean, hard and ripped women... IMO the look the IFBB should be going for, but the very look they were telling the girls to abandon.  Gina and Amanda looked awesome.  I'm sure Val coulda brought that if the judges had told her to, but they didn't.  Just keep on guessing.

May be we should have two different contests... the Arnold is the fat contest, where you show up soft and mushy to win, and the Olympia where you come in ripped and hard to win.  What a joke!

Funny thing is, Mary Lado looked as bad at the Olympia as she did at the Arnold, and she won the Arnold!  She's got to be scratchin her head.  If you're looking for soft, she certainly knows how to bring it.

And the person who got totally screwed the worst is Natalie Benson.  If they want muscular and hard, she blows everyone off the stage, and what did she get???

Actually, Val placed 9th not 5th. Val wasn't too soft in my opinion, she just didn't flex her legs like he usually does. Her look was good at this show but so were a number of others. Mary looked MUCH better at the Arnold. Mary placed 10th and a case could be made for her placing even lower.

[swilkins1984]

I think the best thing for figure competitors to do is to come in the way they think they look their best. Most of the time when you make changes for the judges it backfires. Valerie was perfect all year but when she softened her look for the judges she got booted out of the top 6 to 9th. Monica always looked great at the Olympia when she came in the way she wanted. As soon as she lost some of her leg mass for the judges favor she dropped from being the 3rd best in the world down to I think 7th? That's insulting especially to someone of her caliber.   Gina Aliotti blew me away. Some opinion is that she was too muscular but that is the look that look great on her physique and she could have won IMO. As for Mary Lado, I am trying to figure out if she was trying to add muscle because she has been criticized for being under muscled or she just wasn't as focused? Whatever the reason, if you are winning back to back Arnolds you are doing something right so why change?

[Bee72]

Or it's the expert work of super-trainer Mike Davies and Fitness Factory!!  Fitness has been popular in Ohio for a very long time, and then Arnold recognized that by choosing Columbus for his show.  After that it just continued to grow - there's also an excellent farm team of NPC figure talent.

Mike had a very interesting interview after the fitness finals last night, very blunt .... about some confusion at the top, Tanji's physique not fitting in, etc -- it's worth a listen.

Who did this interview and where can we hear it? That's what is so great about Mike Davies. He is honest and doesn't hold back. He tells it like it is.

[tommyguns]

Regarding Val's placing, she took 9th at the Olympia, but took 5th at the Arnold this past year, when she should have won.  No one can tell me that the package Mary brought to the Arnold was the type of package the top 6 girls brought to the Olympia this weekend. 

I agree with the comment that the girls should ignore the judges and bring their best package, but who can blame the girls for wanting to improve their placings?  If you bring your "A" game and get 5th at the Arnold, with soft packages in front, and the judges tell you that you're too hard, I suppose you can ignore them and just bring the same package to the next big show, but you can't blame the girls for at least considering the judges comments.

Val will be the last person to complain, and I'm sure she's happy for the people who did well this weekend, but as a fan, I wish the judges would figure out what the heck they want and then be consistent with it.

[Lift Studios]

After seeing the girls tonight dont be surprised if Mary lado wins it all she looks fantastic.

Thanks for reminding us what a moron you are, too bad I didn't some of your money on your Gina comment.

[FigureRX]

This is a great post, I agree entirely!!

I don't think Mary did anything intentionally, based on what T.Goodlad and others were saying before the show.  She was apparently just distracted a bit.  I would guess that she wants to come in the way she did at the Arnold, given that it was successful for her.  I personally hope she can hold a little bit more of her muscle on her frame when she competes - it's definitely there. 

I think the best thing for figure competitors to do is to come in the way they think they look their best. Most of the time when you make changes for the judges it backfires. Valerie was perfect all year but when she softened her look for the judges she got booted out of the top 6 to 9th. Monica always looked great at the Olympia when she came in the way she wanted. As soon as she lost some of her leg mass for the judges favor she dropped from being the 3rd best in the world down to I think 7th? That's insulting especially to someone of her caliber.   Gina Aliotti blew me away. Some opinion is that she was too muscular but that is the look that look great on her physique and she could have won IMO. As for Mary Lado, I am trying to figure out if she was trying to add muscle because she has been criticized for being under muscled or she just wasn't as focused? Whatever the reason, if you are winning back to back Arnolds you are doing something right so why change?

[swilkins1984]

Thanks for reminding us what a moron you are, too bad I didn't some of your money on your Gina comment.

Damn 

[FigureRX]

Courtesy of the potato mafia - it's somewhere in the web cast, just after the fitness finals ended.

Who did this interview and where can we hear it? That's what is so great about Mike Davies. He is honest and doesn't hold back. He tells it like it is.

[HDPhysiques]

Actually, Val placed 9th not 5th. Val wasn't too soft in my opinion, she just didn't flex her legs like he usually does. Her look was good at this show but so were a number of others.

As you are well aware, I'm the biggest V-dubs fan of all ( ), but definitely feel she was way off at this show.  I thought she was too soft, wouldn't matter if she was flexing legs or not.  She had little to no vascularity in her upper body either.... that doesn't come out by flexing legs.  If she would've come in just slightly softer than her Arnold look, there's no way anyone can deny her the O title, but she missed her conditioning by a considerable degree at this show. On the other hand, the new suits she was sportin' were terrific, and she always has the professional "package" together - total command of the stage.

I'm looking forward to seeing what she does differently for her next show.  When Val is "on", there is no one better.  But even when she's off, she enjoys herself on stage, and performs like a champion.

[Tre]

I don't give a good blankety-blank who's on, off, or sideways - V-dubs wears the crown.