Iris Kyle In a League of Her Own!
- Details
- Written by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian
Legendary NFL football coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning isn't everything......It's the only thing". And while there are those who might argue the point with the famed coach who won the first Superbowl, Iris Kyle probably likes the sound of the philosophy he trumpeted.
You see, Iris Kyle has always enjoyed winning in her chosen sport of bodybuilding. And she has done it with regularity. So often, in fact, that she is fast becoming a legend in her own time.
This year at the Veterans Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio, Kyle spent the evening of March 5th doing what she has done best over the past decade at the annual IFBB Ms. International. Held in conjunction with the huge Arnold Sports Festival on the weekend of March 4-7, the Ms. International is one of the two most coveted titles in women's bodybuilding.
In front of a hugely receptive crowd on Friday evening, Iris Kyle became the most successful bodybuilder in the history of this longstanding event, flexing her was to a convincing fifth victory dating back to her first win at this event in 2004. Tied with Yaxeni Oriquen with four victories each at this contest, the duo went head-to-head in an effort to step up to a level that has never been reached even on the men's side of the sport at the Arnolds Classic.
In fact, the battle between Kyle and Oriquen has 
been so spirited the annual results are dizzying. It was Oriquen in 2002 and 2003, Kyle in 2004, Oriquen in 2005, Kyle in 2006 and 2007, Oriquen again in 2008, followed by Kyle in 2009. And now Kyle, with a fifth Ms. I trophy in hand, stands alone as the best this event has ever seen. And her physique supports the accomplishment.
Kyle Takes the Fifth
To put Kyle's fifth Ms. I victory in better perspective, keep in mind the great Laura Creavalle and Texan Vickie Gates each won the event three times. And four-time Ms. Olympia Kim Chizevsky only won it twice. Along with Chizevsky, the dynamic Yolanda Hughes also managed two wins. All were notable accomplishments to be sure.
But perhaps the true beauty of Kyle's win lies in the fact that when she made her pro debut at this contest in 1999 - fresh from winning the overall crown at the 1998 NPC USA - Kyle finished 15th in a field of 19. Backstage at that contest, a stern-faced Kyle stated matter-of-factly, "That will NEVER happen again". And it hasn't.
From the onset of the prejudging rounds in the morning Kyle left little question as to the level her contest readiness. Virtually every muscle group on Kyle's physique was chiseled and as finely tuned and detailed as a Ferrari Testarossa. For all intents and purposes, it was over by the end of the first callout. At 5-7, Kyle's 
163-pound superstructure left little to chance for those who had the desire to hunt down the defending champion.
With Yaxeni Oriquen as a viable contender considering she had also won four previous Ms. I titles, and had shown she was ready to give Kyle a run for her money after winning the Phoenix Pro contest just two weeks earlier, Oriquen looked ready. Meanwhile, last year's Ms. I runner-up Debi Laszewski also hoped to continue her string of strong placings in staking a claim as one who could flex with the best......and perhaps be the best this night. Both - outstanding as they were - fell short of Kyle's torrid level of conditioning.
That said the mind boggles when considering the fact that Kyle is still comparatively young by bodybuilding standards in the women's pro ranks. She still has a few years left before she enters her 40's, and with several current female pros showing they can reach their best level of development well into those years, it will take a monumental effort for an aspiring star to bump Kyle off the track.
For her efforts, Kyle pocketed a tidy $25,000 for claiming her fifth Ms. I title, with Oriquen earning $13,000 for second. Debi Laszewski graciously accepted $8,000 for her third-place finish.
Outside the top three, Lisa Aukland made for a very impressive fourth-place finisher. In what appeared to be her best-ever level 
of conditioning Aukland (who is now past 50) was entering her seventh Ms. International having finished third in 2008 and fourth in 2007 as her most recent results at this event. Her placement here qualifies her for what will be her sixth Ms. Olympia entry, while the fourth-place spot earned her $5,000 in prize money.
Fifth went to Betty Pariso who continues to keep pace with Yaxeni Oriquen as the two veterans who have entered 13 consecutive Ms. International events. Pariso was a runner-up
finisher to Oriquen at the Phoenix Pro contest in February, and her ability to remain competitive in a highly dynamic and muscular field of women continues to impress virtually everyone. Her placement here is a familiar one for Pariso as she has been a fifth-place finisher at the Ms. I in 2001, 2002, 2007, and 2008. She has also placed as high as third on two occasions. Anyway you slice it she always appears in exemplary shape and has little trouble mixing it up with the youngsters. Finishing fifth saw Pariso accept a check for $3,000.
The sixth and final prize money position went to veteran Canadian Dayana Cadeau. Another distinguished veteran of this contest, Cadeau was entering her 10th Ms. International - an event she has won the lightweight class in on two occasions in the past. Always competitive when she is in top shape, Cadeau entered this event as what appeared to be a lower bodyweight than usual. The lack of her usual muscle size may have been a critical point in seeing her slip one notch from her fifth-place finish last year. Cadeau's reward for her finish came in the amount of $2,000.
With a total of $56,000 in prize money distributed among the top six finishers, those who missed breaking into that elite group were impressive, to say the least.
The seventh, eighth, and ninth positions were occupied by a trio of outstanding competitors who were all competing for the first time at the Ms. International, and their collective resumes spoke of the rich talent that occupied this impressive lineup.
Canadian Zoa Linsey anchored herself in the seventh spot with a score of 38 points. As last year’s overall winner at the IFBB North American Championships she was so excited about making it to the pro ranks, she entered the Phoenix Pro Championships just two weeks before the Ms. I and promptly collected a third-place finish and a qualifying spot at this year’s Ms. Olympia. At nearly 5-10, Linsey distributed her 180 pounds evenly throughout her physique and only the passage of time (and training) will allow her to continue the cultivation process that will enable her to move up in the placings at the pro level. If shapes and proportion are considered in the final product, she will enjoy a long pro contest career.
The same can also be said of eighth-placer Alina Popa. Romanian-born and now living in Switzerland, this stunning newcomer had many observers comparing her favorably to the absent Heather Armbrust. Future side-by-side comparisons by these two will make for heated competitions at future events. Just three points behind Linsey with a final tally of 41 points, Popa was the 2008 IFBB World Amateur overall champion and presents a beautifully proportioned physique that only needs more detail between muscle groups to make her a serious threat for much higher placings. Popa’s muscle volume in tandem with her genetically-gifted overall muscle shapes have already helped her build a considerable fan base with notable comment relating to her impressive glutial development and inspiring front lat poses. Only 31, the 5-6, 165-pound Popa has a seemingly bright future as one of the finest young competitors to reach this level in the past several years.
Following Popa in the ninth position was another former IFBB World Amateur overall champion – Russian Elena Shportun. Fans will remember Shportun as the overall winner at the 2009 Arnold Amateur Grand Prix when she dazzled the crowd with her elegant display of fluid, fine-lined musculature. At 5-5, 140 pounds, the Siberian native brought a tighter, more leanly-defined look this year along with what can only be best described as a unique posing display. At the evening event utilizing every imaginable facial expression, together with a dizzying array of bodily gyrations, Shportun’s entry at this event – her pro debut – will long be remembered for her uniquely-presented posing performance. Just six points behind Popa in the final tallies, Shportun’s physique exudes a classical, elegant beauty that possesses an artful appearance – and it remains to be seen if it will be fully appreciated in a pro competition at this level. Certainly, her finish in the top ten is a respectable beginning – especially in a field loaded with high-level reputations and impressive contest resumes.
The final placer within the top ten was veteran Brenda Raganot. Three points behind Shportun, Raganot still possesses a strong overall bodyline that highlights her musculature so well. Her past accomplishments are numerous and include lightweight class victories at this event in 2001 and 2005, along with six previous entries at the Ms. Olympia. Last year Raganot placed 11th in this contest, so she managed to move up one place in this, her eighth invitation to the Ms. I.
Outside the top 10
Finishing 11th was Antoinette Thompson, who was a late entry to this event, but made the best of it by coming in to the contest in terrific condition. With eight years experience competing as a pro, Thompson was entering her fourth Ms. International, and has competed at the Ms. Olympia on two occasions. Her best placing at the Ms. International was in 2007 when she placed ninth.
The 12th spot went to Nevada’s Jeannie Paparone. Like Thompson, Paparone has an extensive background competing as a pro since 2002. As solid bodybuilder in her own right, she was simply outgunned in this group. A ninth-place finisher at the 2008 Ms. Olympia, this year’s contest was Paparone’s first invitation to the Ms. International and it was an invite she was excited to accept.
Another contestant with prior Ms. Olympia experience, Dena Westerfield claimed the 13th-place spot after placing ninth at this event in 2009. A chiropractic doctor, Westerfield found it difficult to crack the top ten this year with so many talented stars in the field.
Joining Betty Pariso and Lisa Aukland in the ‘Over 50’ club at this show, Oregon’s Mah-Ann Mendoza (now 50) found herself in the unenviable position of finishing at the bottom of the field. Off her normal top-level condition, Mendoza’s excellent overall balance and muscular proportions just wasn’t enough to pull her higher into this group of well-conditioned competitors. As another prime example of the quality level at this contest, Mendoza was entering the Ms. International for the fifth time (she had placed as high as second in the lightweight class at the 2005 event), and she has also competed at the Ms. Olympia four times.
What a Scoresheet Can Show
As a final note, a placement at any given contest doesn’t always reflect the competitive nature of those who were competing. At this year’s contest Debi Laszewski finished third, and Lisa Aukland ended up fourth. The difference in their prize winnings was $3,000. But, the scoresheet showed that the duo were in a flat-footed tie with 18 points each after the prejudging - even though Aukland wasn’t included the first callout. The difference came in the evening when Laszewski topped Aukland by a single point in the final assessment, thus capturing the higher finish. Their final scores were Laszewski 34, Aukland 35. One agonizing point between them. One.
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