There is a great deal of misinformation put out on the internet. Many people make judgments and assessments based on hearsay and rumors. I follow a number of web sites and message boards which are often breeding grounds for the misinformation. Myself and those involved with HARDBODY.com strive to provide you with accurate reports. We all have established relationships with the fitness/figure industry and before reporting anything, we do our best to get the facts. That said let me set the record straight on a few things related to the upcoming Arnold Classic.
FIGURE INTERNATIONAL
• Jenny Lynn DID NOT WITHDRAW from the Arnold Classic or even from consideration of the show. She never planned to do the show and openly spoke about it on Terry and Elaine Goodlad’s radio show weeks ago. Jenny will also NOT be retiring any time soon.
• Mary Lado also did not put in for an Arnold invite. The Figure International title is up for grabs with Jenny and Mary both choosing not to compete. It’s anyone’s show but if invited I’d have to put my money on Jen Gates, Gina Aliotti, Amanda Savell or Sonia Adcock to reign supreme.
• Mary Jo Cooke and Michelle Flake battled it out at the end of the 2007 and showed they are a figure force in the IFBB. They both chose NOT to apply for an Arnold invite and we’ll see them on stage later in 2008.
• Danielle Hollenshade chose NOT to submit for an Arnold invite. Will we see her on a pro stage again? We’ll have to wait and see in ’08.
• Jessica Paxon-Putnam DID NOT put in for an Arnold invite. She will be at the show working for her sponsors, Optimum/ABB and Weider Publications.
• Nicole Wilkins, the blonde beauty who steamrolled through the competition at Team Universe, by winning both the Figure and Fitness overall titles, has put in for a Figure International invite. If accepted she will compete in Figure at the Arnold Classic. Fans will have to wait until the New York Pro Fitness for her IFBB fitness debut.
FITNESS INTERNATIONAL
• Adela Garcia is NOT retiring and has decided to sit out the Arnold Classic for a the first time in a number of years. You will see her on stage at the 2008 Fitness Olympia and perhaps before but rest assured the latin diva’s career is far from over.
• Jen Hendershott has put in for an Arnold invite and no she won’t tell me what she’s doing for her routine if invited. It’s pretty much a given that this champ will be strutting her stuff on stage the end of February.
• Julie Shipley-Childs DID NOT put in for consideration. She has become a top fitness contender but chose to take some time off before competing again.
• Angie Monteleone will NOT be competing. She too has decided to take some time off before stepping on stage again. **Note she is no longer going by Angie Monteleone-Semsch.
Valerie Waugaman and Tanji Johnson will make their television debuts in January. Don’t expect to see either American Gladiator on the Arnold stage, but you never know. Who knows what the future holds for these two but both are top IFBB professionals.
A couple of names many people thought were retired could appear on the invited. They’ve asked me not to put their names out there but don’t be surprised if you see a familiar face or two back on the Arnold stage.
Several women put in for the Arnold contests and we’ll have to wait to see who receives their acceptance letters later this month. Once the list has been announced I will be doing interviews and features on the competitors for bodybuilding.com. There will most likely be a few surprises.
