Arnold Classic & Arnold AM 2014; Egle Eller-Nabi 14th!

ARNOLD CLASSIC -212 results by http://www.bodybuilding.com

The 2014 Arnold Classic 212 was everything it was supposed to be, and bodybuilding history was once again made in Columbus, Ohio. Athletes from all over the world came with hopes of having their names announced as the first champion, but in the end, Flex Lewis once again stood alone on the stage.

That may not sound like much of a surprise if you read the previews and prejudging report, but it turned out that Flex had a bombshell up his sleeve after all, as he announced in his post-contest interview.

Here’s how the top six played out:

1st

James “Flex” Lewis

“The Welsh Dragon” was confident from the moment he stepped onstage. The two-time Olympia 212 Showdown champion made his presence known, appeared fuller and tighter even than he did during prejudging. Every shot he hit was met with mass approval from the fans in attendance. He outsized everybody, and the outcome was really never in doubt. I still think he was better at the Olympia last year, but he had more than enough to dominate the field tonight.

So what’s next for Flex? He announced during his post-victory interview with Bodybuilding.com that after competing in this year’s Olympia 212 Showdown, he will take the step up to open class competition, such as the Arnold Classic and the Mr. Olympia. Lewis said he feels like he has reached the upper limits of what he can do at his current weight classification, and indicated that he has been “show-ready” at weights as high as 260 in recent months.

2nd

David Henry

With nine wins under his belt, including the inaugural 202 Olympia title, David Henry would like to be the first Arnold 212 champ as well. He and Flex had a great battle for the crown. The roundness of his muscles is unreal, and his conditioning was as good tonight as I’ve seen it. He had big shoulders, and a thick back to match. He was hitting every shot with intensity to display a physique that delivered a top spot, just not the top spot.

3rd

Aaron Clark

Hailing from Virginia, Aaron is rapidly building a fan base and now has high-level competitive success on his resume as well. If anything, he looked even better tonight than in prejudging. His legs look great, but the next step is for him to make them bigger in order to match his phenomenal upper body and traps. He might need more upper chest development in time as well, but Aaron is definitely working to be the future of the 212 Division.

Aaron Clark – 3rd, Hidetada Yamagishi – 4th, Jose Raymond – 5th

4th

Hidetada Yamagishi

The Japanese superstar has done well in the open class here in Columbus in the past, placing as high as fifth against the big boys last year. Here in the first Arnold 212, Hidetada once again presented himself well and got a top spot. His presentation was well performed and he has top-notch conditioning as always. He looked great from the back as well, all the way from shoulders to calves. He just didn’t have enough muscle to match Flex. He may have focused too much on making weight, but as a first showing, this was still a great success.

5th

Jose Raymond

The first competitor I’ve ever seen pose to Adele, “The Boston Mass” had veins popping everywhere and all kinds of separation in his back. He looks much better here than earlier today. Although his midsection was thick, his fans were still pleased with his performance onstage. He focused on coming in lighter and said he felt great before the show earlier today. Along with David Henry and others, he’ll be in hot contention for the top spot in the future if Flex lives up to his word and steps up to open class.

6th

Charles Dixon

Coming from South Carolina, Charles was hoping to make the first Arnold 212 his first pro victory, but that was a tall order indeed. Being top six in this lineup is a great day in almost anyone’s book, though. He is a little too short and outmuscled to face off against the likes of Flex and David, but Charles looked great from the back and had great shoulders. He’s got thickness for days and has a bright future in 212 competition.

FIGURE INTERNATIONAL results by bodybuilding.com

Candice Keene joined an elite cadre of figure competitors tonight by winning her second consecutive Figure International title. What could have been a close race between previous winners Nicole Wilkins and Erin Stern became a crowning moment for Keene when Stern withdrew and a shoulder injury left Wilkins out of the running. But no matter whom she was facing, Keene came to win.

She brought to the stage a streamlined physique with rounded shoulders and significant muscle tone. Even her abs, usually her weak point, looked as strong as ever. Coupled with a calm yet confident air, she was a shoe-in.

And this might not be the last year Keene reclaims the crown. When asked by Arnold in her post-victory interview if she’d compete again, she replied with a definite, “Of course. I’ll be back.”

Candice Keene – 1st

Figure International Top 6

1. Candice Keene
2. Heather Dees
3. Camala Rodriguez
4. Ann Titone
5. Candice Lewis
6. Gennifer Strobo

Never in Doubt

During the prejudging it appeared that Keene and Dees were battling it out for the top spot. But in the minds of many, the result was never in doubt.

When we spoke, Candice said she hadn’t been listening to the chatter that she’d again be crowned the victor, saying that it was easier to just focus on nailing her routine. Tonight, she proved that practice made perfect. “Last year, I won on my birthday,” she told Bodybuilding.com. “This year, my birthday falls on Saturday, but, if I win, I’ll consider it my birthday.”

Heather Dees – 2nd

Last year’s runner-up Heather Dees reclaimed second. She didn’t nab the coveted winner’s position, but she held her own and looks poised for future success with strong delts, a tapered waist, and a stellar quad sweep. While she’s refined her physique over the years, a her midsection and muscle tone will need to go to the next level to put her on par with Keene.

The Rest of the Best

Camala Rodriguez earned third. She looked both muscular and feminine and rode the line between beauty and brawn. While her history as a fitness competitor means she has more muscle than some of the other ladies, she knew how come in conditioned but not overly muscular. “I’ve always done really well in the physique round, but not as well in the performance round, at least according to the judges” she said when I asked about her reason for switching divisions. Clearly, her decision is paying off.

Camala Rodriguez – 3rd, Ann Titone – 4th, Candice Lewis – 5th

St. Louis native Ann Titone finished fourth, an impressive jump after last year’s 11th-place showing. Her well-balanced shape definitely contributed to her high marks. Ann added size to her upper body and filled out her quads this year and was fresh off a slew of 2013 wins, including a top-six finish at the Olympia. The Missouri beauty further cemented her spot among the best in figure competition.

Candice Lewis came in conditioned and symmetrical, and was a definite standout at fifth place, even though it was a step down from last year’s third-place finish. Gennifer Strobo rounded out the top six, her best finish in three tries at the Figure International.

FITNESS INTERNATIONAL results by bodybuilding.com

This year’s Fitness International competition showed that in physique competition—and especially when it comes to the fitness category—prejudging doesn’t always translate to podium results. This morning, it looked like some combination of Regiane Da Silva, Tanji Johnson, and Bethany Cisternino would hold the top three spots this evening. But all three had to step aside and watch as crowd-favorite Oksana Grishina took the title.

Oksana herself appeared shocked when her name was announced, but she shouldn’t have been. After impressive second-place finishes at both last year’s Figure International and the Fitness Olympia, as well as a number of high-level victories, she was ready to take the next step.

Oksana Grishina – 1st

Fitness Top 6

1. Oksana Grishina
2. Regiane Da Silva
3. Tanji Johnson
4. Bethany Cisternino
5. Trish Warren
6. Ryall Graber

Oksana Arrives

When it came to physique, Oksana came in conditioned but not too hard, earning her a spot in first callouts in the physique round—although her presence in the second callouts led some to believe she would finish around fifth. Her round shoulders and quad sweep were prominent but not overbearing, and she displayed great separation in her delts and back.

What set the Russian fitness veteran apart was the way she dominated the stage and won over the crowd and the judges with her outside-the-box pole dancing routine. She started dressed a gymnast and performed fast-paced moves that she paired with slower handstands. Midway through, she took things up a notch when she took off her suit to reveal a sparkly bikini for the pole-fitness portion of her routine. She performed a few twists and then showed off incredible strength by completing her routine by climbing to the top of the pole and sliding down with speed, only to stop three-quarters of the way down. The crowd went wild and, as she left the stage, the announcer simply stated, “I’m not worthy.”

An overjoyed, teary-eyed Oksana accepted her trophy from Arnold and mentioned that the win was especially tough for her because she had to learn pole dancing from scratch. This was one case where hard work definitely paid off.

The Best of the Rest

Regiane DaSilva from Germany took second. Wearing a pink, black, and white skirt-pants combo, she flipped and twisted her way through her routine. Her performance earned its customary rave reviews, but unlike at the Olympia, where her physique held her back, her clean lines and improved definition led her a finish near the top of the pack. It was clear that her background in aerobics added energy to her performance.

Regiane Da Silva – 2nd

Last year’s winner Tanji Johnson came in hot off of her win at the 2013 Arnold Classic Europe, and many had her tabbed to win here. Tanji is a formidable competitor who came in with a tight physique that looked both muscular and feminine. Her routine, energetic as always, was an ode to the Seattle Seahawks. From her jersey to her knee-high socks, she was decked out in neon green and blue; she even came out with a football. The crowd loved her energy and her finish of throwing out bags of Skittles. It was a sweet routine, literally.

Bethany Cisternino took fourth. Tonight was her fifth time taking the stage at the Arnold, where she has become a common sight in the top four, although this was a step down from her third-place finish last year. As usual, her conditioning was on point, which put her among the first callouts for the physique round. Her routine helped cement her spot among the top finishers. She danced memorably to “A Little Party Never Hurt Nobody” while wearing a black, fluffy skirt.

Tanji Johnson – 3rd, Bethany Cisternino – 4th, Trish Warren – 5th

Trish Warren continued to be a huge inspiration to fit-minded mothers everywhere. While her fifth place finish is a step down from last year’s fourth-place showing, she proved that she is still a contender. Trish brought a tight, toned core and great symmetry to the stage. Her performance to Trick Daddy’s “Let’s Go” was fast and energetic.

As she did at last year’s Fitness International, Ryall Graber nabbed sixth place. She’s been a pro since 2009, but came into her own this year and is off to a strong start with first place finishes at both the Toronto Pro Supershow and the Arnold Classic Brazil. Today, she continued to climb the ranks. She nailed her poses, which emphasized her defined abs and muscular quads. She also wowed the crowd with her fitness routine, which has been lackluster in past years. Wearing a bubblegum pink outfit, she partnered fast-paced flips and kicks with slower, strength-focused handstands.

Team-andro.com // Figure International finals call out video // http://clips.team-andro.com/watch/0e4839d80e3e5be1b9b0/callouts-figure-final-arnold-classic-2014

One of the most interesting parts of this whole event – amateur BB – caught only a little attention due the pro prejudging rounds, but here SHW first call out video by Team-andro.com // http://clips.team-andro.com/watch/d1aec8f3697ef5490688/arnold-amateur-2014-1st-callout-super-heavyweight

From the left – Paul Poloczek – Daniel Struller – Luca Pennazzato – Abdulhadi Alkhayat – Sergey Kulaev – Andrew Hudson

http://www.flexonline.com/videos/ifbb/flex-lewis-wins-arnold-212

And the TOP in up to 85kg class // http://www.eastlabs.sk/fotogaleria/2014-arnold-classic-amateur-bodybuilding-fitness-bikini-bodyfitness/bodybuilding-up-to-85kg-prejudging

Charles Soares – Ayad Musa – A Eskin

Musa – Eskin – Bilous