DREAMS (AND A NIGHTMARE) IN SAN MARINO
We begin at the San Marino Pro at the very beginning of June, where former Hottest Hard Woman in the World Cris Goy Arellano led a Spanish Physique 1-2-3.
Thanks to some recent work she's done with Awefilms, we need no longer wonder whether she can bounce those magnificent pecs, and for my money Cris is currently looking better than ever neck down. What is going on with the face though...
All her IG images (example left, above) seem to be in some way doctored - and are really quite scary. No less scary are those that haven't been manipulated (see above right, with amiga Paloma Parra). Physique dream, but facial nightmare.
And she used to be so gorgeous!
Anyway, the ever shredded Paloma was the 2 in the 1-2-3, with Joanna Romano 3rd.
Swell especially dug Joanna's deep dark tan - and (now) trademark groovy moves.
Had I been a judge at the San Marino Pro, Joanna would have placed first on my scorecard simply for the pleasure of watching her do this right in front of my (no doubt popping-right-out-of-their-sockets) eyes. Caliente as f***! (as they say in Spain).
THE TORONTO TWO
I don't wish to discount the rest of the (excellent) line-up in Toronto, but while Margie was steam-rolling the Bodybuilding class, there was a genuine contest in Physique, with two of the division's current finest battling it out for this prestigious title.
In the sparkly blue corner, we have the defending Toronto champ, FMS fave Eleonora "Ella" Dobrinina. Perhaps she wasn't at her most ridiculously shredded, but still a glorious sight to behold, hitting those poses with her customary thrilling abandon, as always looking as though she was having the absolute time of her life on stage.
And in the sparkly purple and gold corner, Braziian phenom Daniely "Dany" Castilho, former Physique International champ. A much more classical, toned-down poser than Ella [is ANYone quite as full on as she? - ed.], Dany oozed class from every pore with her beauty plus muscle package. I truly enjoyed being on stage with you, wrote Ella as they awaited the final verdict. I feel your fire! Dany, in turn, reminded her IG followers that Ella is "a sensational athlete". Can you feel the love?!
It almost seems irrelevant but Dany, I think rightly - just too good from the back - got the nod. However, congratulations should very much go to both of these Physique dreams for a double act of muscle and beauty which, if it didn't in fact, deserved to have the whole audience on its feet clapping and cheering and whooping and hollering (and possibly moaning and groaning as their tentpoles gushed all over the place).
[EASY! - ed.]
OMG-AHA!
And so to the following weekend and the Wings of Strength production in Omaha. Now we will be returning here to review what transpired in the Female Bodybuilding class later in the week, but for now let us focus on a Physique line-up so good that the absolutely stunning Keri Ann Heitzman not even making the top 15 (and incidentally looked as though she'd have done OK if she'd switched to FBBing).
Among many of the dreams outside the top 6, Swell dug (and swooned for) the styling and attitude of Brittany Bull (12th - good name for a muscle woman!); the sheer amount of muscle on Sara-Aude Salbot (9th, another who might consider FBBing next time?) and Brazilian goddess Ivie Rhein (7th); and last but by no means least Christina Thome and the way her posing suit rode so high up her hips.
It's always good to get a reminder of how little I really know about the sport, and in Omaha that came in the very beautiful form of Kristy Davis. Pro debut? I wondered, perhaps a veteran returning after many years away, utterly unaware of Kristy two pro shows last year, her Open and Masters class wins at the 2016 North Americans, and her years of Physique contests before that. Proper most muscular, killer abs, a jawline to die for, and if not impressed already, check out Kristy just 16 weeks before the show...
OMG-aha indeed.
Jill Diorio's world-class calves (and the rest of her, which is by no means shabby) placed 6th, and gorgeous Allison Schmohl (and her world-class peaks) was 5th.
In 4th and 3rd respectively were Robyn Mays and Valentina Mishina - two women who only need to stand there with all that definition all over their quads in order to get me reaching below the keyboard. [final warning! -ed.] Robyn is, in case you didn't know, an evergreen 45+ Masters competitor, while Valentina should be all too familiar, both as your Hot and Hard 100 high new entry this year, and a woman who was competing for the 5th time in 2018 and the 7th time since September. She really does like to punish herself (and bring joy to the female muscle lovin' world).
Runner-up on the day was a Physique dream good enough to win on most other days, that of Australia's Lee-Ann Temnyk. It always takes something special to beat her, and in Omaha that special thing turned out to be former Figure phenom Mayla Ash.
Mayla had finished a lowly 10th at the Optimum Physique Pro earlier in the year. Conditioning improvements had obviously been made and the judges (and ol' Swell here) approved. She looks so damn HARD all over but at the same time extremely feminine and glam. Like a (slightly) older and bolder Shanique. Or something.
OFF TO SUNNY SPAIN
And finally, back to Europe for the last of the early June Physique shows - the new Veronica Gallego Classic. Again, it was a Spanish 1-2-3. Cris didn't need to bother - she was probably seeing the plasic surgeon asking if anything could be done - and so veiny Paloma Parra claimed top spot this time, with Joanna Romano 3rd again.
And the not inconsiderable meat in the Parra-Romano sandwich was provided by Mirea Henriquez, the newly-carded Dutch Physique pro with the very Spanish-sounding name. Mirea has been thrilling us for a while now, not least because of her penchant for some very close-up views of her pumped and striated muscles. Her build up to this show afforded her many such opportunities, and if you want to see more of her, this gnarly abs shot is a good place to start your exploration of her Instagram.
NPC News Online has pretty extensive galleries of all the shows mentioned above, and we especially recommend their (particularly extensive) galleries from the Veronica Gallego Classic. FTVideo were also in Toronto if you want to check out the (many) pro Physique dreams at that show who didn't make it into today's (necessarily condensed) review, plus the Toronto amateurs, including (one of) Lauren Martin Stow's first foray(s) into the Physique division - well worth some female muscle lovin' time!
Enjoy!
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