Heading into the 2011 IFBB Europa Super Show I thought it would be the most competitive bikini show we’d see all year. I was wrong. It looked like a stacked line up and with each woman at their best, it would have been. The overwhelming majority of the ladies took the stage looking anything but the best, not all but most.
Let me preface this by saying I have nothing personal against any of the women. They are all in a league of their own in the grand scheme of the world however this is a competition where it’s the best of the best. These are my opinions and not those of anyone but my own. Agree or disagree it’s just how I saw things. Agree? Cool. Disagree? That’s cool too. Chime in with your two cents in the comments below.
I was disappointed in this show as a whole. Overall there were a few women who did well and many others were way off their best. Sadly, the theme I saw with most women was way too conditioned and some looked like they need to go eat a pizza and lay off whatever they did in the final hours of prep. Bikini should not be about extreme conditioning but it also shouldn’t be about fluff. This turned out to be a show of what NOT to do with your conditioning for many of these women. That said there were some highlights to the competition.
Top Contenders
The first call-out was Jessica Anderson, Jessica Jessie, Natalie Pennington, Sonia Gonzales and Dianna Dahlgren. I didn’t have this as my top five but the judges saw it otherwise. It looks like Natalie Pennington could leave Dallas the winner. I wouldn’t have her in my top five. She looks good from the front however when you turn her around she has no booty. I think a competitor should have a butt if they are winning a pro bikini show. Jessica Jessie looks to be in second and I wouldn’t have her in my top five. Jessica looked like she crash dieted or over did the cardio to get into shape. She had noticeable fluff around her knees and her backside. I don’t think a competitor should be rewarded when showing up in that kind of condition. Sonia Gonzales was improved from the Bikini International with her conditioning and had a better booty. After prejudging it looks like she will be in third which I disagree with if that’s how it shakes out. I saw Sonia two weeks ago and she looked like she was ready then. When she tightened up her conditioning she lost the soft, curviness she had. On stage her arms looked a bit too muscular for bikini. If the Sonia of two weeks ago was on stage she’d be the talk of the show. I think she’ll end up in third here. The one everyone is talking about at this show is Dianna Dahlgren. It’s no secret DD can look a little thick in her off season, her words not mine. She was absolutely gorgeous on stage and had one of the best booties in the show. She looked a little thin and too lean in her upper body though. If she was a little fuller up top she would be unstoppable. It looks like she will end up fourth but I would have her winning the show. This was without question her best look to date. If she fills out look for her to win in Phoenix.
Jessica Anderson made her pro debut and she looked her best ever. She needed to be a little tighter in the booty department but she is stunning. This woman is without question one of the most beautiful women you will see in the IFBB. Awesome job in her debut and she will be in the 5-7 range. Cristina Vujnich only did her myspace/zoolander face once so that was an obvious improvement from her past shows. She looked her best and she could end up in fifth. I was impressed with what she brought to the stage in her debut.
Rest of the Pack
Jennifer Andrews was one of the early favorites but came in way, way too lean. It was not a good look for her and she needed to be fuller to be in winning form like she was earlier in the year. Nicole Coleman stripped off a ton of muscle and was the smallest she’s ever been. That said she almost looked too dieted down, which I never thought I’d say. She needed to be a bit fuller to have the contender look but she’s done what I never thought she’d do and that’s have a bikini body. Good progress. Amanda Duncan was one people had on their radar as a top contender. She’ll be in the top ten but needed to be tighter to be higher. Janet Harding looked her best to date and should finish higher than I expected before the show. Good job on her part. Dayna Maleton looked a little too big for her body. She has one of the best booties in the biz and she finally nailed her posing. Now if she can bring the body she had at New York and combine it with the posing she had here she’d be in the mix. Tons of potential if she taps into it and takes a prep a little more serious.
Christie Marquez not bad but needs to stand out a bit more and have some wow factor to her when she takes the stage. Taylor Matheny is cute and I like her look. She poses too much like a figure competitor and I’d like to see her change that up. Brooke Mora looked her best as a pro and yes even better than when she qualified for the Olympia. She could be a bit tighter but overall she showed good progress and I liked the look she brought this time around compared to her previous showings. Talia Terese did the opposite of what I thought might happen. Doing shows back to back can be a challenge for competitors to hold their conditioning. She came in over conditioned and way too hard. When she posed in the individual poses she had noticeable separation in her quads. If she looked like she did in Vegas she would be top 3 but the conditioning she brought this time around won’t land her in the top five.
Overall one of the most disappointing bikini shows of the year. I hope the women and their trainers take note on this show and don’t over do it for future shows. I also hope the judges send a message that over conditioned bikini physiques should not be rewarded but out of shape bodies shouldn’t be rewarded either. It’s a reminder that this is a subjective competition and everyone will have their own take on who they like or don’t.
The finals take place today at 3pm CST. Follow the results on @hardbodynews and see who prevails. You can see the wrap up video from this event on FLEXonline.com.
