Virtually any bodybuilding contest you care to mention builds a strong tradition over the years by staging an event that offers its contestants a high level of competition and an equally high level of anticipation for the fans who attend. And when it comes to the Big Apple, the annual New York Pro Championships promoted by Steve Weinberger and Bev Francis always manages to create plenty of both. This year, on Saturday, May 17th at the Tribeca Theatre in Manhattan, the event staged a Pro Women's Physique Division for the third year and with it came a graphic example of how a strong tradition is born.
Juliana Malacarne by the Numbers
A website p
ost fired the first salvo in the plethora of opinions that always surround any prestige event, "Juliana owns this contest!!" it stated in no uncertain terms. For anyone who has followed this division for the past two years, the brag was not up for argument. In both 2012 and 2013 Juliana Malacarne had won this contest convincingly, and of course the next round of opinions brought the predictable lines… “It's her contest to lose,” “What about the possibility of a competitor who had flown under the radar and might be the next big star?”, “How would she look after competing and winning the Europa Supershow a week earlier?” Sixteen other contestants and a big sell-out crowd would find out soon enough.
The first call-out was unusual, but pointed strongly to Malacarne being the center of attention. Only three women stepped forward in the first call: Malacarne (in the middle), New Yorker Orlandina Balan, and Virginia's Shawna Pringle. The second call-out doubled in size with a group of six contestants that included Balan and Pringle. With no further comparisons that included Malacarne until the evening show confirmation round, the thought process went quickly from “It's her show to lose” to “It's her show to win”... and she did, by a unanimous show of judges scores.
Once again showing a slightly scaled-back version of her look from 2013, Malacarne's structure and muscle shapes continue to be the deal breakers when standing next to any other competitor who lacks the same blessings. The pleasing bodylines – produced by her flowing and flawless muscle shapes – kept most eyes returning to her personage as the idyllic overall look for this event. And there was plenty of praise to spread around from the likes of Peter McGough who proffered that Malacarne was "the real deal from head to toe," to emcee Bob Cicherillo and Dave Palumbo.
In fact, Palumbo was waxing philosophical in his observation during his Rx Muscle Play-By-Play when he stated, "Juliana Malacarne is light years ahead of the rest of this lineup… I have to think she's the favorite to win the Women's Physique Olympia com
e September. I don't think Dana Linn Bailey and her crazy Facebook/Instagram following can defeat Malacarne… I think Dana's got a great look, but Malacarne is what this division was created for… muscle and beauty." That said, there are many more pro WPD contests left before September and what the final lineup for this year's Physique Olympia will be is anyone's guess. But it's a good bet it will be dramatically different than a year ago.
One element for consideration that Malacarne can rest easy with at this point is that the heavy-handed slap on the wrist she endured with a 7th-place Physique Olympia finish last year is now – hopefully – in her rearview mirror and solidly packed away with all those years of forgettable pro Figure placings before the advent of the Physique division.
So, for Malacarne, her numbers are all on the positive side: 1st at this contest, two wins in a row over the past two weeks, 3 straight wins at the New York Pro (and the first female Physique competitor to win three times at the same event), and now, along with Sabrina Taylor, she stands as a 4-time winner in the IFBB Pro Physique division ranks. And, of course, she collected $3,000 in prize money and punched her ticket to an automatic Olympia berth.
When asked about the possibility of winning the Olympia she laughed and said simply, "I don't know, but I'm going to try!"
As they would say in Brazil, "¡Ella es excelente!" Translation… She is superb!
Revealing Results?
On the final score sheets there is a fact that might not be immediately noticed, but one thing is certain, the rest of the world is paying attention to the Women's Physique Division. Did anyone recognize that only one American finished in the top five? That's right.
1. Juliana Malacarne, Brazil 5
2. Shawna Pringle, USA 10
3. Fabiola Boulanger, Canada 15
4. Olga Belyakova, Russia 21
5. Mascha Tieken, The Netherlands 24
Quite simply, the New York Pro was the most internationally based top-five in the 2 1/2 years this division has been contested. And that's a good thing. Equally interesting is that the lone American, Shawna Pringle, was making her pro debut after winning the 2013 NPC Team Universe overall Physique division title. A former Figure competitor, the 5’ 5 ½”, 135-pound Pringle from Midlothian, Virginia, caught the training bug after watching her father compete in bodybuilding. Now she finds herself in the thick of a race for a place in this year's Physique Olympia and the points she earned for her runner-up finish will put her in the middle of the Olympia Qualification Point Series.
The third-place spot went to Fabi Boulanger from Quebec, Canada. As the most muscular contestant in the top five, Boulanger's muscular frame comes by way of winning the 2011 Canadian National heavyweight and overall bodybuilding titles. At 5’3”, Boulanger's long lines and muscles shapes give her a taller appearance, but the level of muscularity she carries seems to blend well on her frame. She is not missing any bodyparts, so her compulsory poses look cle
an. As a bodybuilder, Boulanger competed at 149 pounds, but now weighs notably less than that. It will be interesting to see how she progresses this year, and with the Toronto Super Show at the end of this month (virtually in her own backyard), she may become a force to be reckoned with. Fabilous!
Finishing fourth was Olga Belyakova. Although she may well have been flying under the radar in the United States – somewhat – she's well known on the European continent. Last year the diminutive Russian was a silver medalist at the IFBB European Championships, followed by winning the IFBB World Amateur Championships. This year, Belyakova made her pro debut at the Europa Supershow placing a respectable but unheralded 10th.
Belyakova returned to Europe soon after that contest to capture the runner-up placing at the Morzolani Pro Classic in Slovakia. Her strong finish at this event further brings her physical qualities into the limelight and places her firmly in the points race for an Olympia qualifying spot depending on how many other events she might enter leading up to the Physique Olympia in September. Short in stature, Belyakova is power-packed with muscle that is well-shaped and complete throughout her physique. Future comparisons with, say, Patricia Mello, or other much taller competitors will drive judges crazy in deciding how to separate them.
The fifth spot went to the veteran competitor of this event, Mascha Tieken from the Netherlands. Probably the biggest surprise finisher in terms of her placing at this event, Tieken had not competed for the past few years, but her contest history is a long and varied one. Beginning her competitive efforts as a bodybuilder in 1991, she continued in that division for five years. After 1996 she moved into the Figure division before turning pro in 2003. Over the past decade in the Pro Figure division, her placings had been forgettable due in large part to issues of being overly muscular. With the coming of the Physique division Tieken jumped back into competitive mode and with her sound structure and the right blend of muscle she found herself earning a top-five finish in her second pro debut. Coincidently, Tieken's first pro debut – as a Figure competitor in 2003 – came at the New York Pro where she landed in 19th place. So her return to this Big Apple event was a decidedly successful one.
Outsi
de the Top Five
6. Gloria Faulls, Sicklerville, New Jersey 31
7. Orlandina Belan, Hempstead, New York 32
8. Eva Pogacnik, Slovenia 40
9. Teresita Morales, Middle Village, New York 45
10. Jill Rudison, Venice, California 50
11. Sheena Ohlig, Collingswood, New Jersey 60
12. Karen Gatto, East Meadows, New York 66
13. Alicia Spearman, Brooklyn, New York 69
14. Amie Francisco, Lakeview, New York 76
15. Nahiany Berbet Nery, Brazil 79
16. Ida Sefland, Denmark, 80
16. Tracy Weller, Loganville, Georgia 80
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