The 2012 Bikini International brought the women’s IFBB pro competitions to a close. When prejudging ended it appeared we’d see a new Bikini International Champion however if you were to conduct an exit poll, few would have correctly predicted this outcome. Heading into this contest no one saw the top spots ending up as they did and if they did I’d like them to pick my lottery numbers. The results left most people scratching their heads. NPCNEWSonline.com has input on this show from head judge Sandy Williamson however after reading her comments you almost get the feeling she didn’t agree with the final results. I spoke with her after prejudging and I know how she saw it didn’t exactly match with the final results. It’s a reminder that the head judge can move competitors around however this a panel of 9-11 judges who cast their votes, and as you can see from the scores there were varied opinions.
If I had a nickel for every text, tweet and email I received asking about the results of this contest I’d have enough money to fill my car up with gas for a month. I’m not a judge and wasn’t on the panel deciding the outcome. I don’t always agree with the results but doesn’t mean any disrespect towards the judges, it’s just my opinion. Pretty much every show has a few placings people don’t agree with, it’s the nature of the competition. Rarely do I completely disagree with the results of a show however this show, I can’t for the life of me figure out how or why the judges went the direction they did. I’m hoping it is just a one time thing and not foreshadowing of things to come. Why? Because looking at the results of this show confuses local judges, fans, trainers and competitors both in the NPC and IFBB. Again, this is just MY OPINION and no disrespect intended towards the judges or competitors.
Sonia Gonzales was arguably the most muscular and conditioned competitor in the show. If I was a judge, and we’ve established I am not, I wouldn’t have her in my top six. Why? Because she had noticeable capped delts and vascularity through her arms that some Figure and Fitness competitors didn’t posses. Sonia’s placings had been on the decline since winning the 2010 Bikini International. She was second at this contest last year, dropped to third at the Europa Super show and finished 5th at the 2011 Bikini Olympia. Most people felt her placings were due to the amount of muscle she carried on her frame, which makes sense given she was a top Figure competitor for years. Sonia has stripped a good deal of muscle off her frame since her Figure days and has gotten more comfortable and confident on stage with her posing. So how did she go from 5th to first? Ya got me, I have no clue.
Sonia edged out India Paulino by one point for the win. India has steadily improved her placings since competing on this stage as an amateur last year. It’s a pretty impressive feat to go from an amateur to runner-up on the pro stage in just a year. She’s always sassy on stage and I swear one of these days she’s going to pop a hip doing her move at the end of her posing. The sass works for her and it wouldn’t for everyone. India in the top five, I could see many of the judges agreeing with this call. Her boobs were a little out of control at this show and it might be because of her small frame.
The returning champ, Nicole Nagrani dropped to third and was two points behind Sonia for the win. What changed here? Good question. I thought Nicole was her usual bubbly self and presented, what I thought, was the same package as last year, where she won the Arnold and the Olympia. When it comes to Nicole, she’s cute and bubbly. Some judges will gravitate to cute while others will lean towards a sexier look. She wins the cute contest every day but sexy not so much. It then becomes a matter of personal preference as to what is rewarded. Why the judges opted to stray away from the cute look this time around, again ya got me. Most of the time you have to knock the champ out to win, I didn’t think she got knocked out but her placings show otherwise.
Jaime Baird was on top of her game. I would have placed Jaime in the top three spots and compared her for the win. She takes the stage with class and presents herself in a way that makes her stand out. She’s got curves and a tight, firm body that many women would aspire to have. This was the best I’ve seen Jaime on stage as an amateur or pro and this includes the shows she’s won. A top contender every time and would have placed her higher.
Nathalia Melo dropped to fifth in what many, myself included, felt was her best showing to date. She was one point away from Jaime and that I can see however it would make more sense if the two of them were battling for first and second and not fourth and fifth. Nathalia always gets critiqued for her lower half being a bit softer than her upper body. That’s an issue many women have and when you’ve got a Brazilian booty like Nat, it’s tough to balance the upper and lower body. I thought she brought a tight booty without being too ripped in her abs, like she had in the past. She would have been in my top three spots and given the nod for the win on my scorecard.
Juliana Daniell has an athletic physique and presents with class. I like the look she brought to this stage and would have liked to see her step her energy up just a bit. She was much improved from her third place showing in December and I would have placed her in the top three at this show. I think she has a physique that many women who played sports could look to as inspiration and point her as someone’s physique they’d like to have. Juliana should be a top contender in every show she enters if she brings a similar physique.
One thing I noticed and not sure if it’s good or bad but many of the competitors all posed exactly the same. I’d like to see the women go back to being themselves and posing with a bit of their own personality. Not every physique looks flattering with their legs crossed from behind and not every competitor is going to be sassy. I’d like to see the women pose in a way that is classy but less rigid and rehearsed. Jaime Baird and Nathalia do a great job of posing and I think are the two stars of the division in that regards.
None of the women embarrassed themselves and over all they all looked good. There were a number of confused and upset competitors after this show and for some it comes with good reason. Others I’d say, be happy you received the invite as there are many other competitors who would love to be in your heels. What’s ahead for the bikini division? We’ll have to wait and see but I’d like to see more consistency in what is rewarded throughout the year, which isn’t always easy due to different judges and who shows up on stage at any given show.
2012 Bikini International Results
Placing / Name / Score
1. Sonia Gonzales 10
2. India Paulino 11
3. Nicole Nagrani 12
4. Jaime Baird 22
5. Nathalia Melo 23
6. Juliana Daniell 30
7. Diana Graham 37
8. Jessica Paxson 40
9. Candyce Graham 41
10. Monique Ricardo 50
11. Natalie Pennington 55
12. Jennifer Andrews 66
12. Lexi Kaufman 66
14. Christina Vargas 68
15. Tianna Ta 75
15. Abigail Burrows 75
16. Jessica Jessie 80
**Justine Munro out due to injury.
See photos from the show here.
