The results of the New York Pro Women’s Bodybuilding Championship, held on Saturday, May 16, were posted instantaneously, although it may have been a minute or two before I found them at 6:18 p.m. Cali time. My initial reaction—after the shock that a program of three pro-bodybuilding competitions could be over by 9:18: What, were all the so-called smaller girls in the lineup out of shape? Now that I’ve perused our photo gallery from the show, I know the answer: That pretty much sums it up.
A trip through the lineup of 24 babes with biceps who got onstage at the Tribeca Performing Arts center reveals that the guys and gals who marked the score sheets got it exactly right. ’08 winner Cathy LeFrancois was fully deserving of her repeat-perfect-score victory—complete and conditioned are the words that come to mind. Betty Pariso, on the Olympia-qualification trail after missing the Ms. International due to illness, was big and full, with plenty of cuts to go around, and took the second spot. Rosemary Jennings, less extremely conditioned than in recent outings but still big and full, was a good call for third.
Fourth-placer Debbie Bramwell looked good and was only five points behind Rosemary going into the posedown, but only the top three took got to pose down. A nicely conditioned Dena Westerfield rounded out the top five, with Jeannie Paparone just a few points behind her in sixth and Tazzie Columb just a single point behind Jeannie in seventh.
As for the so-called smaller girls, the ones I thought had a chance of making a dent in the Olympia-qualifying top three? Based on the photos, they were mostly, as L.T. likes to say, way smayth. Maybe next time, ladies.
There are two more opportunities for the flexin’ females of the IFBB to qualify for the ’09 Ms. Olympia: the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championship in Tampa, Florida, on August 7, and the Atlantic City Pro on September 11 and 12.
Photo: Cathy LeFrancois in New York.
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