Europa Fitness and Figure—Fascinating Developments

A veteran star chalking up her sixth pro win and promising talent breaking through at last dominated the action at the Europa Supershow Pro Fitness and Figure competitions. Ed and Betty Pariso’s mega-event attracted 16 fitness fillies and 38 figure gals to the Dallas Convention Center on August 15 and 16. Based on the view from the Bodybuilding.com Webcast, both lineups were stuffed with goodies.

Figure. At the top of the list of talented competitors breaking through was figure winner Bernadette Galvan, a what’s-not-to-like fitness center exec from Larado, Texas, who’s has been languishing in unexciting placings like eighth at the Houston Pro in early July and ninth at the Pittsburgh in May. With the top three from Houston sitting this one out, it was open season on Olympia qualifications. Galvan, who has finally perfected her version of the softer look the judges are rewarding, grabbed hers with a perfect score. It will be her second trip to the O.

Second went to Hazal Nelson, an athlete I watched lean out and shape up considerably in the several weeks between the Pittsburgh and the Cal. If she looked anything like the way she did at the latter show, her move into the winner’s circle is no surprise. Third went to Jelena Abbou, a fan and photographer favorite who improved on her fourth-place finish in Houston. Both women will be making their Olympia debuts.

In the close-but-no-invite category were Shannon Meteraud and Stephanie Tulin-Togrul, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Yes, that’s the same Shannon Meteraud who was second in the fitness show in Houston.

Also among the breakthrough performances: Tivisay Briceno, who was tied for dead last in Houston and 16th at the Jacksonville, Florida, show on August 9, moved all the way up to sixth.

Find the complete results below.

Fitness. Tracey Greenwood, who beat Shannon at the Houston Pro Fitness, nailed her second win in a row—and by a wide margin. Acing the physique rounds, she was second in the 90-second mandatory routines and third in the two-minute performances to chalk up a 35-point victory. As mentioned above, it was her sixth win since she turned pro after the ’01 USA, and she’s gunning for seven at the Atlantic City show on September 12 and 13.

Taking the remaining Olympia-qualifying spaces were Erin Riley, who had her breakthrough in Houston, second, and Nicole Duncan, who’s been flirting with breaking through for a couple of contests, third. Both burned up the stage in the long routines, where Riley took first by a single point over a terrific Brenda Santiago. Bethany Gainey and Santiago rounded out the top five overall.

I’ll be catching up with the Tracey train in Atlantic City, a couple of weeks before the O. With reigning champ Adela Garcia out of the big show due to knee surgery, Greenwood could be on track to improve on her previous Olympia bests, fourth-place finishes in 2003 and 2005.

Find the complete results below.

Photos Bernadette Galvan (top), Tracey Greenwood and Hazal Nelson (below).

’08 Europa Supershow Fitness

1) Tracey Greenwood*
2) Erin Riley*
3) Nicole Duncan*
4) Bethany Gainey
5) Brenda Santiago
6) Susan Groshek
7) Myriam Capes
8) Nicole Rollolazo
9) Kristina Rojas
10) Michele Mayberry
11) Maggie Blanchard
12) Lori Kimes
13) Traci Redding
14) Sandra Wickham
15) Lisbeth Marquez
16) Leslie Rae Newton
* Qualified for the ’08 Fitness Olympia

’08 Europa Supershow Figure

1) Bernadette Galvan*
2 Hazal Nelson*
3) Jelena Abbou*
4) Shannon Meteraud
5) Stephanie Tulin-Togrul
6) Tivisay Briceno
7) Teresa Gillian
8) Melissa Pearo
9) Paola Almerico
10) Marcy Porter
11) Tanya Merryman
12) Jane Awad
13) Meriza DeGuzman
14) Natalie Benson
15) Elisa Archibold
16) Kate Shelby
17) Petra Mertl
18) Rosa Maria Romero
19) Elizabeth White-Lamm
20) Jeni Briscoe
20) Nadya Castellas
20) Thais Cabrices-Werner
20) Becky Clawson
20) Aprille DeShield
20) Andrea Dumon
20) Marie Gibbon
20) Candice John
20) Donna Louise Jones
20) Jill St. Laurent
20) Jessica Lyons
20) Amy Lee Martin
20) Patricia Mello
20) Karen Mullarkey-Barringer
20) Susanne Niederhauser
20) Amy Peters
20) Mascha Tieken
20) Rosalind Vanterpool
20) Sandie Ward
* Qualified for the ’08 Figure Olympia