Bernadette Galvin looked amazing at this show, I must agree; I do see the improvements.
One thing to recognize about Figure is that it judges the shape of the physique before taking conditioning into consideration. The judges want a very wide shoulder base, swooping lat structure, small waist, and a nice quad sweep that is slightly smaller than the upper body. The taller girls will usually do better because the shorter girls carry more muscle in the lower body (Pauline--a beautiful competitor--being a case in point and someone who probably needs to come into the shows leaner as a result), which overshadows their upper bodies.
Once you understand what Figure actually is and how it is judged for the most part, then you will gain a better understanding of why certain girls place where they do, even if they have better ab structures and more striations than the girls at the top of the ranks. Politics will always be a factor, but there is a bit of rhyme and reason that goes into selecting the various call outs and placings.
