Nine IFBB Fitness Pros took the stage on Saturday at the St. Louis Pro Fitness event. Promoter’s Jack and Ann Titone rolled out the red carpet for the women in a division that’s seeing fewer and fewer events. The odds-on-favorites stepped up and delivered as expected. Heading into the event many felt he show would come down to Oksana Grishina and Bethany Wagner. Bethany was leading after the 2-piece round however Oksana’s routine put her in the winner’s position for the first time in her pro career.
The 411 on all the competitors:
1. Oksana Grishina
Oksana came into this show as the most conditioned competitor. It was a bit reminiscent of the look she brought to the stage years ago when she first started competing in the IFBB Pro League. She’s refined her physique but still need a bit of work on her posing. You could tell Oksana was confident and had a bit of swagger to her when she took the stage. At times in the past, you could tell she was unsure of herself in the two-piece round but not this time. She landed in second in the 2-piece round and it’s where I had her. Anyone who has seen her routines knows she’s a performer and she put on another great performance. She took top honors in the routine round and justifiably so. This was her first pro victory and positions her as one of the top contenders heading into the 2012 Olympia.
2. Bethany Cisternino
Bethany had the best shape and symmetry of all the competitors. She won the two-piece round with ease and could easily hold her own in a Figure line-up. I think she has one of the best physiques in the Fitness division and should be a top 5 contender in every 2-piece comparison. She has incredible gymnastic skills and some killer strength moves. If she’s able to tighten up the choreography a bit in her routine she’ll be a threat come Olympia time. Another solid performance from Bethany.
3. Danielle Ruban
I really like Danielle’s look and the potential she’s showing early in her pro career. She has a nice physique that’s balanced well. She could have used a bit darker tan and her posing from the back could be tweaked just a bit. She has a good routine but it could transition from move to move a bit better. Her routine outfit started to come apart at the end of the show and thankfully she didn’t slip on any of the plucked feathers. Look for Danielle to be a top contender in the future.
4. Allison Ethier
Allison came in a bit tighter than she had been at the Arnold however could still be a bit more conditioned from behind. She continues to improve her physique and presentation to keep her in contention. Allison did a better job with her routine this time than she had at the Fitness International. The routine helped move her up into a top five spot this time and if she can be consistent in a couple more shows should could make her way to the Olympia with the new point system.
5. Melissa Frederick
Melissa was in the top spots for the physique round but I would have had her a couple places lower. She has nice delts but needs to fill out a bit more and tighten up from behind. She did a decent job with her routine but would like to see her pick up the energy and pace a bit more in future shows. A top five finish has to sit well with her.
6. Tiffany Robinson
I liked the look Tiffany brought to the stage. She carries a bit more muscle than some of the other competitors and it may have dropped her a bit. I’d like to see her improve her posing from the back and I think it would help in her presentation. A simple lifting of her shoulders and popping her butt out would help. A solid routine and with a few tweaks she could move up at future shows. She has the skills and physique to be a top five finisher and I had her in the top five on my scorecard.
7. Amy Peterson
Amy could have been a bit more conditioned in the physique round and I would have liked to see a routine that flowed better. She has some solid strength skills and with a bit more stage time I think she’ll improve. Sometimes it takes competing more to gain the confidence needed to hang with the top contenders.
8. Kayde Puckett
Kayde improved her physique from the Arnold however she was still far from the conditioned we saw her when she turned pro. I really liked the Darth Vader routine she did at the Arnold however she felt the need to change it this time around. I was not a fan of the Nicki Minja routine at all. The dress was big and bulky and she struggled to remove it. When she removed the dress she had on bright leggings and when she performed her routine all you could see was a florescent ball of colors. Most of this routine was her dancing and singing. If she can come in tighter and she brings back the Darth Vader routine she’ll move up. If she keeps with the lip syncing, dancing Nicki routine she’ll stay at the bottom of the pack.
9. Michelle Gales
Michelle was off with her conditioning and when it came time to do her routine it was the same one we saw all last year when she turned pro. She was docked for swear words in the routine at the NPC JR USA and since then had them cut out. The cut of the music however sounds like the routine is ending or something is wrong with the volume. I’d liked to see her tighten up, bring a new routine and bring the same sass we saw last year when she was an amateur.
Congratulations to all the women for taking the stage and a job well done. You can see photos from the show here. The next IFBB pro fitness event will be held at the PA Pro, the first weekend in May.
2012 IFBB ST. LOUIS PRO FITNESS RESULTS:
Placing / Name / 2-piece Score/ Routine Score / Total
1. Oksana Grishina 7 / 8 / 15
2. Bethany Cisternino 5 / 16/ 21
3. Danielle Ruban 12 / 34 / 46
4. Allison Ethier 28 / 26/ 54
5. Melissa Frederick 16 / 42 / 58
6. Tiffany Robinson 20 / 39 / 59
7. Amy Peterson 26 / 52 / 78
8. Kayde Puckett 31 / 64 / 95
9. Michelle Gales 45 / 72 / 117
