KYLE WINS RECORD 7TH MS. I
by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian
With severe weather threatening the state of Ohio along with what was being called a budget-cutting financial 'sequester' looming over the rest of the nation as March approached, none of that dampened the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Arnold Classic Sports Festival, held, as it has always been, in the Buckeye State's capitol city of Columbus. On this February 28-March 3 weekend fans of just about every sport imaginable jammed arenas, expo halls, auditoriums and hotels to be a part of this ever-growing event. As one joyous attendee joked, “There is standing room only in the entire city of Columbus. It's an athletic flash mob!” With no competitive stone left unturned, one wondered if there was a Harlem Shuffle Championship taking place somewhere in the city limits.
Women's Bodybuilding – It Was All About Iris
Last year as this time, Iris Kyle was nowhere to be found having suffered a pre-contest training injury that kept her from defending the Ms. International crown she had won in the three previous consecutive years. Here, and in what h
as become her hallmark stellar contest condition, she was back in an effort to extend her record-setting six Ms. International victories to seven. Most of the usual suspects were on hand in an effort to upend Iris' apple cart.
With a total of $56,000 in prize money and $25,000 of that going to the winner, the Ms. International has had a long tradition as a prestigious and coveted event on the female side of the pro bodybuilding world. In fact, even many of the closest followers of the sport may not realize that the Ms. International predates the Arnold Classic as it was held in conjunction with the Men's IFBB Pro Worlds (which would become the Arnold Classic in 1989). The first winner of the Ms. International was Australia's Erika Geisenin 1986. She took home $5,000 of the $10,000 in total prize money offered. The runner-up to Geisen was an emerging Juliette Bergmann who would later in her career win the Ms. Olympia. So, in actuality, the Ms. International was celebrating it's 28th anniversary.
Since those early days the Ms. International has grown tremendously in importance as an iconic event that has often been referred to as Ms. Olympia's baby sister. Whatever the case, it is a title that is cherished, and as fate would have it this year, two of the most successful winners in the history of the Ms. International were on hand to add to that prestige. Familiar to everyone, Iris Kyle and Yaxeni Oriquen's names are synonymous with the winner's circle here. In fact, in the past decade from 2002 to 2012 only Kyle and Oriquen have claimed the title ( seven for Kyle and five for Oriquen). That is dominance personified.
This year's field was a small one – just 11 contestants. And with Kyle, Oriquen, and last year's runner-up Debi Laszewski as heavy pre-contest favorites it was left to the additional nine competitors to bring about change. It would prove to be a formidable task......if not impossible.
Coming off her eighth Ms. Olympia victory last September, Kyle was once again in great form. Some observers felt she was short of her best, but even at 90%, the Kyle body is a remarkable study in the female muscular anatomy. From nose to toes she challenges judging panels each year to find fault – a job which judges are required to do in an effort to establish a winner. The problem is anything regarding faults when it comes to Kyle's physique is of the nit-picky variety. She almost never leaves the door open. Now in 2013 she is half way to her annual goal of winning both the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia in the same calendar year – a miraculous accomplishment she has posted a stunning six times. For her efforts, Kyle once again collected $25,000 for her first-place finish. And not only did she not leave the door open, she slammed the door in unanimous fashion according to the judges' final point tally. Upon accepting 
her trophy and prize money, the obligatory congratulations came from Arnold on stage – a moment Kyle has become very familiar with. Noting that Kyle had won her seventh Ms. International, Schwarzenegger was quick to playfully point out that there was another individual on stage that had also won seven titles – referring to himself and his seven Mr. Olympia titles. It was a classic moment between two of the sport's most successful champions.
The Oriquen/Laszewski Struggle
With Iris Kyle stepping up to take her seventh Ms. I title, it was left to Yaxeni Oriquen and Debi Laszewski to duke it out for the runner-up spot and the difference between $13,000 for second and $8,000 for third. These two have exchanged placements on more than one occasion. Last year Laszewski was the runner-up to Oriquen at this contest and runner-up to Kyle (topping Oriquen) at the Ms. Olympia. In 2009 Laszewski was third at the Ms. O, while Oriquen was fifth. In 2010 Oriquen finished second at the Ms. O with Laszewski finishing right behind her in third. In 2011 Oriquen again bested Laszewski finishing second at the Ms. O with Lazewski just nine points behind in fourth. At the 2010 Ms. International Oriquen and Laszewski finished second and third respectively. A year earlier in 2009 Laszewski topped Oriquen as they finished second and third behind Iris Kyle. You get the picture. If they aren't joined at the hip, they're close. The difficulties in separating these two is their notable differences in height and structure. They are very different – apples and oranges - to use a time-worn phrase - but both are really outstanding when not being compared to others. So, this year, again, they found themselves finishing second and third as Oriquen finished with a 10-point edge over Laszewski. Was Laszewski disappointed? No doubt about it. A saving grace is that both will qualify for the Ms. O later in the year to renew the battle to beat each other as well as Kyle. It becomes a very difficult order to decide what can be done to make some level of change to lift themselves to a point that is epic in nature. The differ
ence between first and eighth at the recent Daytona 500 was a few seconds. Here it's a matter of a few points as opposed to seconds. If anything is going to separate these competitors, it will be a closer scrutiny of their overall structures......and of course the always possible 'unknown entity' of another competitor stepping up to draw the eyes of the judges in another direction. It could happen.
4-6 Foreign Stars Shine
In keeping with the name of this contest, places four through six made for a glowing example of the international treasures that have continued to infiltrate the ranks of the pros. Fourth placed Slovenian Brigita Brezovac further established herself as a solid competitor among the elite level women in the pros by finishing at or near the top of events she has entered. Using a very rare double victory at the 2010 Tampa Pro and Battle of Champions in successive weeks as her pro debut, she added another victory at the 2011 Toronto Super Show and followed up by placing third at the Ms. Olympia. Last year she added a very respectable six-place finish in her first invite to the Ms. International and placed fifth at the Ms. O. Structurally she's sound, her muscular level suits her frame, and she has presented herself well on stage in every contest she has entered. The result is that she can never be overlooked in a contest at any level in the pro schedule. Here, she pocketed $5,000 for her strong placing.
When Canadian Cathy Lefrancois was invited
to her first Ms. International in 1996 she probably had little thought that in 2013 she would be entering her 12th Ms. I. Along the way, she has had a sterling pro career as a winner of the lightweight class at the Ms. International in 2004 along with three successive victories at the New York Pro Championships from 2008 to 2010, to say nothing of the five entries at the Ms. Olympia over the years. Competing at the pro level since 1995, and having entered over 40 pro events in the past 17 years, her combined contest efforts span 22 years. At this event Lefrancois entered at a chiseled 138 pounds on her 5-2 and still retains the cherubic look of a young child having fun on stage. That said, she still packed enough muscle in her physical arsenal to crack the top five once again. Her payday was $3,000 and she maintains a strong fan following that seems to keep growing with each contest.
The final placer among the top six prize money winners was Brazilian Angela Debatin. Like Lefrancois, Debatin has a long contest resume that goes back to 1995. A frequent entrant at pro events after making her pro debut in 1999 at the IFBB Pro Worlds, Debatin always valued her ability to maintain a well-balanced physique that showed detailed muscle throughout. Having competed in seven Ms. Internationals and three Ms. Olympias over the years, she was also the lightweight winner at the 2002 Southwest USA Pro and 2003 Jan Tana Classic. With this contest, she has reached the enviable 30-contest e
ntry plateau as a pro bodybuilder. Debatin took a four-year hiatus from competitions in 2009, but her return was a welcome one for her. As she said of her invitation, “I'll be far from the biggest competitor on stage, but I want to bring a classically developed physique that a bodybuilding audience will appreciate”. Her mission was seemingly accomplished, and the judging panel responded accordingly. She earned $2,000 in her return to the stage.
Outside The Top Six
7- Kim Buck - Newman, Georgia. Just one point behind Angela Debatin. Winner of the 2011 Battle of Champions. Finished fifth at the 2012 Ms. International and has competed in the 2011 and '12 Ms. Olympias placing 11th in both.
8- Olga Puzanova - Kraznoyarsk Krai, Russia. Overall winner of last year's Arnold Amateur Classic.
9-Tazzie Colomb - Metairie, Louisiana. Turned pro after winning the 1992 NPC USA. Longest competing pro in this lineup. Has competed in four Ms. Olympias and six Ms. Internationals. Was third at the 1997 Ms. International, and was the heavyweight winner at the 2007 Europa Supershow. Also an accomplished bench presser and strength show competitor.
10- Jeannie Paparone - Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing since 1994. Turned pro in 2002 after winning the middleweight class of the 2001 NPC Nationals. Placed ninth at the 2008 Ms. Olympia.
11- Elena Kavva - Athens, Greece. F
irst Greek competitor to enter the Ms. International.
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