Olympia Blog

Well…time is winding down as the Olympia is drawing nearer and nearer each second. So I’ve made some predictions on how the female side of the Olympia could go down in a matter of weeks. Instead of outright picking a winner for each category, this year, I did something a little bit different. For Figure and Ms. Olympia, I picked out the five women who I think will give the current champions a run for their money, as well as highlight the current champions, and pick a wildcard competitor who could shake up the event. For Fitness Olympia, I chose the six women who I think could win the Fitness Olympia title due to Adela’s injury, as well as a wildcard that could pull off an upset.

Fitness Olympia
http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2008/08/2008-fitness-olympia-predictions.html

Figure Olympia
http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2008/08/figure-olympia-2008-predictions.html

Ms. Olympia
http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2008/09/2008-miss-olympia-predictions.html

There are my predictions. What are yours?

Post by: cray17

I think this year will prove to be quite the soap operah.  You never know which way things will go. This is what I think will happen if the top athletes come in conditioned and don’t spill over.

Mr. O

1. Jay Cutler (takes a lot to beat the current king)
2. Victor Martinez
3. Ronnie Coleman
4. Dexter Jackson
5. Toney "the X man Freeman

Ms. O

1. Dayana Cadeau
2. Iris Kyle
3. Yaxena Oriquen
4. Tazzi Columb
5. Heather Policky

Ms. Figure O

1. Valerie Waugaman
2. Gina Aliotti
3. Monica Brant
4. Jenny Lynn
5. Amber Littlejohn

Ms. Fitness O

1. Tanji Johnson
2. Oksana Grishina (beautiful)
3. Jen Hendershott
4. Adella Garcia
5. Kim Klein

Post by: jimbritain

Well, here they are folks, my belated Top 7 predictions for each of the Olympia contests this weekend.  I know I might catch some flack on these from the usual suspects, but this is how I see everything unfolding:

Mr. Olympia:

1. Jay Cutler
2. Ronnie Coleman
3. Victor Martinez
4. Darrem Charles
5. Dexter Jackson
6. Toney Freeman
7. Melvin Anthony

Wha?? No Silvio?  No Harris?  No JOJ?  Nope, not in the Top 7, sorry.

Ms. Olympia:

1. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia
2. Dayana Cadeau
3. Iris Kyle
4. Heather Armbrust
5. Bonny Priest
6. Antonette Norman
7. Mah-Ann Mendoza

Fitness Olympia:

1. Tracey Greenwood
2. Adela Garcia
3. Jen Hendershott
4. Kim Klein
5. Oksana Grishina
6. Tanji Johnson
7. Angie Semsch

Figure Olympia:

1. Monica Brant-Peckham
2. Amber Littlejohn
3. Jenny Lynn
4. Valerie Waugaman
5. Mary Elizabeth Lado
6. Mary Jo Cooke-Elliot
7. Amanda Savell

Can’t wait until tomorrow!! 

Post by: bbcom_developer

Just like I did for figure, I’m going to show my "magnificent seven" for the 2007 Fitness Olympia:

Julie Shipley-Childs
One of the most built and entertaining performers out there, Julie will be looking to move up from her seventh place spot that she got at her last two Fitness Olympias. For this year, she’s used a librarian theme for her routine and has been a showstealer in both contests she was a part of (Fitness International and New York Pro). Her muscular body is top-notch, one of the curvier ones, which scores points for observers. If everything is on-key in less than two weeks, her rise to the top will be nothing but "Childs" play, with the 2007 Fitness Olympia as her ultimate playground

Tanji Johnson
Look up the name "fitness ambassador", and you will see a picture of her under the name.  Tanji has paid her dues and is one of fitness’s top stars in more ways than one. She has entertaining routines, a great physique, and a heart for the business. Many people are scratching their heads though, as she plans to compete in the Tournament of Champions this weekend…IN FIGURE! That’s gonna be a heavy task to pull a 180 in one week from having a figure body to a fitness body. But if there’s anyone that could pull if off, it’s Tanji.

Julie Palmer
Great routines, packed physique, and a constant top 5 competitor at nearly every competition she’s in makes Julie a strong contender to the Fitness Olympia title.  She’s just another fun competitor to watch and admire. She knows what it takes to be a champion and knows how to step it up a notch, whether it’s a change in hair color, suit, or routine. Something telling me that she’s not gonna abandon the top five anytime soon, which is good news for her fans and better news for fitness in general.

Tracey Greenwood
One of the toughest and most muscular women in fitness today…hands down. She competes when she’s healthy, and at times, she has competed in pain that would make others not only stop their routine right there, but some would switch to figure. Not Tracey. Her grit and determination during the Fitness O last year earned her a Top 5 spot and she wasn’t at her best at the time. In addition to that, she is a college professor! No doubt her students will be cheering her on next weekend as she looks to become Fitness Olympia champion for the first time in her career! However I wish the above ladies and the rest of the competitors good luck, because it’s gonna be kinda difficult to get through the seemingly unbreakable threesome, which consists of the following:

Jenny Hendershott
Hmmm…I thought she retired after the Arnold Classic in March? Well, I, for one, am glad she "came out of retirement" …if you want to call it that. HAHAHA! Anyways, as a former champion, I know she would like another Olympia run. Her physique is impressive, but it’s her routines that stand her out from the competitios, as they are straight-up showstealers. For her routines, she’s been a banana, been a nun, redid the famous Britney/Christina/Madonna MTV VMA liplock…nothing’s too crazy for this woman! Another fitness ambassador, she loves to motivate people who want to compete to compete, and for those who want to get healthy just to live longer lives to…well…get healthy! She’s at the top of her game in big contests such as this, and they don’t get any bigger than the Olympia. Beating Jenny CAN be done, but it’s gonna take someone (or something) big to get the job done.

Kim Klein
If there’s anyone that can win the big one this year, it would have to be Kim Klein. Very entertaining routines that please the crowd everywhere she goes. However, the element that Kim is known for in competitions is her "lightweight bodybuilder" physique. Admit it, if she was to enter a lightweight bodybuilding competition, she would easily win it hands down. She’s partically the favorite in the swimsuit portions of contest because of this very reason. Her legs…there’s far too many things I can say about them, but if legs were the decision-maker to determine who’s Fitness Olympia champion, carve "Kim Klein" on the trophy right now and forget about next weekend. For the last few years, Kim has found a way to hang among the fitness elite. She’s beat Adela before in a contest but not Jenny, and she’s beat Jenny before in a contest but not Adela. This past March, she found a way to beat them BOTH to win the Fitness International title. Can she do it again…only at the biggest stage of them all? Sorry, let me correct that…the question is WHEN will she beat them both to win the big one? In less than two weeks? Could be!

and now the reigning champ Adela Garcia
I gonna flat out say this: If you’re not a fan of Adela, you’re not a fan of fitness. This woman represents what fitness is all about: perfect routine, perfect physique, awesome fan interaction and presence, and a caring, devotion, and dedication to what she believes in. She has competed in figure once this year, and did pretty good in her figure debut, but her hearts in fitness. Her tears when she wins are real, because she gives herself to the fans and they know it. It’s due to the efforts of Adela (among others) that fitness will not die and take a backseat to figure. But as much as Adela is loved and respected by her peers, she has something they all want: the Fitness Olympia title. Adela needs to bring all of the Latina Heat and then some to repeat as champion. Only Susie Curry has had the privilege to have back-to-back wins. Will Latina Heat reign supreme two years in a row?

There you go. My pics for the Fitness Olympia for 2007. Check out my earlier posting for my figure predictions. Now it’s off to do something to pass the time til the Olympia arrives. Hurry up; I can’t wait for it any longer! HAHA!

Post by: cray17

Adela Garcia is gettin’ ready to rock the Olympia stage next weekend, and we’re excited to see her once again in her high-flying, energetic action!

Having problems with the video?  Click here for the YouTube version.  Video courtesy of SecondFocus.

Post by: bbcom_developer

Hey! It’s Tracey!  I asked some friendly faces of bodybuilding and fitness to make some Olympia predictions.  Check out their opinion and then leave a comment with your picks for Olympia 2007!  

Let’s start off with IFBB Pro and CEO of AHN, FAKHRI MUBARAK:
www.advancehealthnutrition.com
www.myspace.com/fakhrimubarak  

“This year Mr. O is going to be very interesting. I’m going to name my top five and then hopefully make a pick, lol. Ronnie lost last year for the first time since 1998. We all know that Ronnie has been training his ass off all year long to regain that title. That man is not human. He’s from another planet.  He took the sport to a completely new level and has forced everyone else who wants to follow him to do the same. I’m scared to see what he will look like this year when his space ship lands in Vegas and he walks on stage.

On the other hand Jay is not going to want to lose the title after so many years in second place. Jay has always been the ultimate professional in this sport. Every year he has improved to eventually becoming Mr O last year. That’s the dream of every bodybuilder, to be Mr. O. Now that he has achieved that he isn’t about to relinquish the title of the world’s greatest bodybuilder.

Next up is my boy from N.Y, this years Arnold Classic winner Victor Martinez. I’ve seen Big Vic compete since he was an amateur. I was there in N.Y to see him get he’s pro card in 2000 and now he’s one of the top 3 or 4 best bodybuilders in the world. Victor is a great guy and deserves all the success. Even Mr. Ronnie Coleman said that one-day Vic would be Mr. O.  Man that’s some pressure but Victor can handle it!

You can’t name a top 5 in the Olympia without including my homeboy Dexter Action Jackson. Dexter just brings it each and every time. The man has also worked very hard to achieve what he has. Dexter just enjoys being a bodybuilder. He brings that small jointed round muscle belly look that just pops out at you and makes you say WOW!

Rounding out my top five is the X MAN. BIG Tony Freeman. A few years ago my friend and I were talking about who we thought would be the next bodybuilder to make the type of leap Ronnie Coleman did around 1996/1997. We both said it would be Mr. Freeman. He always had the X look but just not the freaky size. He’s a tall big man and needed to fill in. Let me tell you something over the last 2 years he has put on that crazy freak look it takes to be considered the best of the best.

Okay so my predication for the 2007 Mr. Olympia is. Drum roll please…………….I’m going with Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman in a tie. Yeah Yeah Yeah I know I punked out but honestly it’s a toss up. Who ever brings that nasty grainy sliced dry hard look we all desire, as bodybuilders will win the 2007 Mr. Olympia.  Good Luck guys!!!!!!!!!!”

The beautiful AVA COWAN gives her picks:

“My top 5 pick for Mr. Olympia if everyone is at their best:
1.  Ronnie Coleman
2.  Jay Cutler
3.  Victor Martinez
4.  Melvin Anthony
5.  Darrem Charles”

Here is ROB CARBO, a contributing writer here at bodybuilding.com:
rob carbo- Carbonics Training Co.  
The King is dead long live the King!!!    
www.realgainz.com/RobCarbo

“Olympia 2007 prediction. Hmmmm!! Jay Cutler upset the applecart last year by becoming the 13th winner in the 42 yr history of the Mr Olympia. I think that can be a good thing. It opens things up again for the likes of Jay, Ronnie, Victor Martinez, Dexter Jackson, Melvin Anthony etc.
We can possibly see a re-occurance of the yrs between 1979 and  1984 when for the only time in O history there was a different winner each year for 5 years running. I think this is going to be very exciting and I am looking forward to it. I will be there, Tracey, to see the new King crowned. With that being  said, I think the winnerrrr and newwww 2007 Mr Olympia will be……………………RONNIE COLEMAN !!!  Heck I’m a powerlifter and the man is strong as hell, I’ve alway’s been a Muhhamed Ali fan  You know-  The Greatest of alllll time !!”

Next up is MONICA STARR, fitness model:
www.monicastarr.net

“Once again, the amazing Olympia is here! This is one heck of a show that draws in some awesome competitors! I have my favorites, just like everyone else. All the competitors work hard to meet their goals so that they are the best ones up on that stage. They diet. They workout. They focus. They strive for the best! There are so many wonderful people competing this year and trying to predict will be difficult. But with that said…Here are my picks:
Mr. O — Ronnie Coleman
Ms. O — Iris Kyle
Fitness O — Jenny Hendershott
Figure O — Jenny Lynn”

RON STONE, fitness model, makes his prediction:
www.ronstone.net

“I would have to go with Jay Cutler. He always looks awesome and deserves it. Super nice guy too. I’m a big fan.”

ARMOND SCIPIONE, fitness model, says:
www.ArmondScipione.com
www.Bodyspace.com/ArmondScipione

“Assuming everyone shows up in shape, here are my top 5:
1. Ronnie Coleman
2. Jay Cutler
3. Victor Martinez
4. Dexter Jackson
5. Melvin Anthony”

Rob Kreider, trainer and model, predicts:
www.robkreider.com

“RONNIE COLEMAN will WIN….fo sure….If Ronnie dials it in smaller..he will win. Jay is blocky and will probably think he needs to be even bigger this year and get even blockier….nuff said… if ronnie dials it in smaller/tighter as he did when he won the arnold classic…its a done deal…if he plays the size game like last year….he will be hanging up his posing trunks.”

So, bodybuiding fans, what say you!? Who will win in the Olympia 2007!?  Leave a comment and make your predictions for Fitness, Figure and/or Bodybuilding!!  

Post by: arieseyes

We’ve seen the prize money available to the men, so let’s now contrast that to the money awarded the ladies…

Sorted by contest, ranking, and dollar amounts (USD):

Ms. Olympia

Placing - 2006 Prize Money
1st place $30,000
2nd place $18.000
3rd place $10,000
4th place $7,000
5th place $4,000
6th place $2,000

Fitness Olympia

Placing - 2006 Prize Money
1st place $23,000
2nd place $14,500
3rd place $9,500
4th place $6,500
5th place $4,500
6th place $2,000

Figure Olympia

Placing - 2006 Prize Money
1st place $20,000
2nd place $10,000
3rd place $8,000
4th place $4,500
5th place $3,500
6th place $2,000

In the 3 years since the birth of figure in the IFBB, we have seen a rapid decline in the number of competitors in fitness.

Just taking a look at this year’s roster for Olympia shows us just how much. 12 fitness vs. 22 figure. Figure has even become the blame end of the alleged decline in women’s bodybuilding. Are we taking the easy way out? No way.

In a recent podcast with Christine Pomponio-Pate, we discover that figure competitors can be known to train 3-4 hours a day leading up to a contest, the same amount as male bodybuilders!

The general audience is so use to seeing only one division of men’s bodybuilding, so when woman have 3 they feel the need sometimes to think one is lacking or outdoing the other.  Athletes and die fans alike agree, however, that each female division puts forward 200% in each show.

So, lets take the time to check out the roster for this years Olympia. Don’t forget, Fitness Olympia Finals/Ms. Olympia Finals - Friday, Sep 29, 7 PM; Figure Olympia Finals - Saturday, Sep 30, 7 PM. This way you don’t miss any of the action!! Also, there will be a “Meet the Olympians” Event on Thursday, Sep 28, 7 PM.

MS. OLYMPIA

# Name Country How Qualified
1.Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia  Venezuela 2005 Ms. Olympia 1st place
2 Iris Kyle  USA 2005 Ms. Olympia 2nd place
3 Dayana Cadeau  Canada 2005 Ms. Olympia 3rd place
4 Jitka Harazimova  Czech  2005 Ms. Olympia 4th place
5 Brenda Raganot   USA   2005 Ms. Olympia 5th place
6 Bonny Priest USA  2005 Ms. Olympia 6th place
7 Betty Pariso  USA  2006 Ms. International 5th
8 Annie Riveiccio   USA 2006 Ms. International 7th
9 Lisa Aukland USA 2006 Ms. International 8th
10 Heather Foster USA 2006 Europa Super Show 1st
11 Dena Westerfield USA 2006 Europa Super Show 2nd
12 Colette Nelson USA 2006 Europa Super Show 3rd

FIGURE OLYMPIA

# Name Country How Qualified
1 Davana Medina USA 2005 Figure Olympia 1st place
2 Jenny Lynn USA 2005 Figure Olympia 2nd place
3 Monica Brant-Peckham USA 2005 Figure Olympia 3rd place
4 Amber Littlejohn USA 2005 Figure Olympia 4th place
5 Mary Elizabeth Lado USA 2005 Figure Olympia 5th place
6 Valerie Waugaman USA 2005 Sacramento Pro 2nd place
7 Amanda Savell USA 2006 Figure International 3rd
8 Chastity Slone USA 2006 Figure International 4th place
9 Jane Awad USA 2006 Figure International 5th
10 Christine Pomponio-Pate USA 2006 Figure International 6th
11 Gina Camacho USA 2006 Sacramento Figure 2nd
12 Andrea Dumon USA 2006 Sacramento Figure 3rd
13 Latisha Wilder USA 2006 Pittsburgh Figure 2nd
14 Jessica Paxson USA 2006 Pittsburgh Figure 3rd
15 Tara Scotti USA 2006 Colorado Pro Figure 4th
16 Gina Aliotta USA 2006 California Pro Figure 4th
17 Jennifer Searles USA 2006 New York Pro Figure 2nd
18 Michelle Flake USA 2006 Motor City Pro Figure 3rd
19 Michelle Adams USA 2006 Europa Super Show 2nd
20 Julie (D.J.) Wallis USA 2006 Europa Super Show 3rd
21 Inga Neverauskaite England 2006 Montreal Pro Figure 2nd
22 Nina Luchka Canada 2006 Montreal Pro Figure 3rdI

FITNESS OLYMPIA

# Name Country How Qualified
1 Jen Hendershott USA 2005 Fitness Olympia 1st
2 Kim Klein USA 2005 Fitness Olympia 2nd
3 Adela Garcia USA 2005 Fitness Olympia 3rd
4 Tracey Greenwood USA 2005 Fitness Olympia 4th
5 Julie Palmer USA 2005 Fitness Olympia 5th
6 Julie Childs USA 2005 Sacramento Pro 2nd place
7 Tanji Johnson USA 2005 Sacramento Pro 3rd place
8 Heidi Fletcher USA 2006 New York Pro 2nd place
9 Amy Haddad USA 2006 New York Pro 3rd place
10 Deana Lee USA 2006 All Star Pro 2nd place
11 Regiane DaSilva Germany 2006 All Star Pro 3rd place
12 Mindi O’Brien Canada 2006 Europa Super Show 2nd place

I have said it before, fitness is really fun and my favorite of the competitions to photograph. Sitting up close and trying to capture these routines is a real challenge. It seems like the athletes move across the stage and into the air faster than a fighter jet.

These women are athletes beyond any others in almost any sport. They are not only superbly conditioned in figure but also accomplished in strength, gymnastics and dance. One of the fitness pros we will see at the Olympia is Heidi Fletcher. At only 4 ft, 10 inches tall, Heidi turned in a fabulous performance as seen here earlier this year at the Arnold in Columbus Ohio.

There are names in our industry that automatically make you think “champion”. You hear Ronnie Coleman, you think GIANT. You hear Jen Hendershott you think WONDER WOMAN.

Her energy on stage captivates you and the creativity each of her routines has put her at a step above the rest.  Her ‘PHAT CAMP‘ effort shows her on-going love for the sport as well, helping the next generation of fitness stars reach their potential.

As she goes to the Olympia this year, she is staying true to her motto, “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it.” Her accomplishments in our industry included: Ms. Fitness Olympia 2005, Ms. Fitness International 2005. Her current trainer, Mike Davis, has taken her to new levels.

When asked recently about “Why do people think Fitness is dying,” she responded to Mike McCandless by saying “Figure. I am excited for Figure girls. It brings more to the sport. It’s for girls who just want to get on stage. It allows opportunities for women of all ages.”

“It’s exciting watching someone who just lost 40 pounds get on stage and strut her stuff on stage in a Figure show. I do think it takes away from Fitness and I think the rules will have to change in the routines before we can save fitness.”

We wish her the best, and without a doubt, she will continue to put on the shows that keep the crowds drawn to Fitness shows!