Ava Cowan was the favorite heading into the 2011 IFBB Europa Supershow Figure competition and she delivered. The prejudging took place on Friday afternoon in Dallas and when Ava’s name was called first, no one was surprised.
There were however a couple of names that did catch people off guard. Ella Horton and Deena Walsh were two women who weren’t on most people’s picks heading into the show, including mine. That said, when the women came out for their individual quarter turns I had Deena in my top call-out. I didn’t have Ella in my short list. Heather Dees rounded out the top call-out.
First call-out – Heather Dees, Ava Cowan, Deena Walsh, Ella Horton
Heather set the bar high qualifying for the Olympia in her first pro show. She looked a little off at this show compared to her previous outings. Heather looked to be holding a bit of water and not quite as crisp as we’ve seen her in the past. I’d like to see her tweak her posing a bit as it’s a little rigid and she stands up-right a bit too much. I have her in third after prejudging.
Ava was the cut and dry winner in my book. She had a new look with her hair, which I liked, and she was a tad softer than in the past. It works for her and was one of her best showings to date. I think her sharpest conditioning was at the Figure International but her overall look here was on the money. She should receive straight ones from the judges and leave Dallas with her first IFBB Pro title.
The surprise of the show was Deena Walsh. This was her best showing to date and I have her in the runner-up position. The look she presented on stage was better than what most of the photos show. She was poised, classy and stood out. Great job from someone who most didn’t pick in their top 10 before the show.
Ella Horton could be third but will likely be fourth. I thought she was a bit off from the back and in the glute area. She’s one of the older competitors on stage and obviously looks great for her age. She didn’t stand out to me in the individual posing rounds and the comparisons but the judges liked what they saw and she’s in the hunt for a qualification.
I have Jami DeBenard in 5th based on the call-outs and had the best debut out of all the rookies. I would have liked to seen her added to the top four women and had we seen that I think she may have moved up. Alea Suarez is in the hunt for a top five spot. The former bikini competitor has really brought up her legs and added some muscle. Figure is definitely a better fit for her. Her tanning was a little light and she could have been a bit sharper but she’s one who can be competitive in the division.
One woman I thought should have been a bit higher was Michelle Bates. I like her physique and think you will see her in the top 5 at some point. The only critique I have on her is a little more roundness to her front delts and change her hair style.
The finals take place at 3pm CST and we’ll see where everyone ends up then. Follow @hardbodynews on twitter for all the updates. Visit FLEXonline.com for photos from the prejudging. See the prejudging recap video I did with FLEX magazine’s online editor, Sean Andros here!
