Las Vegas, Nevada: September 25th. No matter what the final results reflect at a Ms. Olympia contest, there is still that mystique that comes with this contest every year - year in, year out. And the 2009 edition of the Ms. Olympia was no different.
On this night-- the 30th birthday of this grand festival of female muscle-- one which had its beginnings in 1980 with Rachel McLish winning the first Ms. O-- a field of 13 women gathered, first at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the prejudging, and then at the Orleans Arena for the final event to add another nugget of history to this already historic affair.
The build-up to this year's contest included all the usual suspects, a few prospects, and the always-present surprises as the women took the stage at prejudging.
Would defending champion Iris Kyle be a shoo-in winner again? Was there a competitor lurking in the shadows to bump Kyle to the curb? Who would fill the slots in a top six that would earn them an automatic entry ticket to the 2010 Ms. O?
One element at this year's event was clear-- while conditioning was an important consideration, overall structural qualities and muscle balance were also given close scrutiny. And the final results would bear out that fact.
For the record, Iris Kyle topped the field. But her overall conditioning had slipped a notch-- an ever so slight notch, but nonetheless a notch. The result was that challengers were given a closer look and the comparisons to Kyle were far more pronounced.
If there was any one element that helped Kyle put away her opponents and earn her fourth Ms. Olympia overall crown, it was when she turned her back to the audience. From head to toe she was devastating. Fabulous detail throughout her back brought initial attention to her physique, followed by glutial/hamstring tie-ins offering more to the pose with impressive striations and separation. Finally her ultra-diamond shaped calves that were only matched by Lisa Aukland, showed a drop off from the gastrocnemius to the soleus that would be the envy of any bodybuilder - male or female. Yet, the overall tightness that she has shown in the past had eluded her and made her vulnerable - almost.
At last year's Ms. Olympia Heather Armbrust was relagated to 14th on a judging technicality. This year she was determined to re-establish herself as a legitimate challenger to the top spot at this event. Mission accomplished.
Armbrust's structural and muscular qualities are no secret, she proved that in 2007 with a third-place finish at the Ms. International and a fifth-place finish at the Ms. O - not to mention a victory in her pro debut at the Sacramento Pro Championships that qualified her for the above-mentioned.
After the initial prejudging callout that included Kyle, Armbrust, Aukland, Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia and Debi Laszewski, judges took a very pointed look at Kyle and Armbrust with the fifth callout that only included the dynamic duo. At that point Kyle must have been looking over her shoulder. There was no denying Armbrust's shoulder to waistline differential was a visual feast for fans of muscular aesthetics, and it looked challenging enough for judges to take a much closer look. In the end Kyle took the measure of Armbrust, but with both these women at a relatively early stage in their competitive careers, the future confrontations will be worth the price of admission annually.
Also getting a close look was Debi Laszewski. A longtime amateur of outstanding overall quality dating back
to the mid-90's, her ascent to the pro ranks in 2007 was a welcome addition to pro stages, and the 2009 competitive season has turned out to be her break-out year. Getting a close look by the judges at this contest should be of little surprise considering Laszewski flexed her way to a runner-up finish at the Ms. International earlier in the year. She was sharp again here and her stage persona and posing abilities are first rate. Laszewski is a consummate entertainer and fans are drawn to that kind of enthusiasm, and judges respond accordingly. In this case they responded in a big way by sealing the deal for Laszewski with a third-place finish in her Ms. Olympia debut. Neither Kyle or Armbrust can make that claim.
When you talk competitive consistency Lisa Aukland has few peers among active female bodybuilders. With an amateur career that included three overall victories at the NPC Team Universe in 1999, 2000 and 2001, Aukland has carried that competitive fire into the pro ranks and has placed herself among the best ever. As a four-time winner of the Atlantic City Pro Championships, Aukland, has placed fourth at the 2005 and 2007 Ms. International, and in her last four trips to the Ms. O has finished fifth in 2006, fourth in 2007, fourth in 2008, and you guessed it, fourth again in this year. But it has been in her last two contests (the Atlantic City show and here) that she has truly blossomed as a dynamically muscular entity - and 
all past the age of 50.
After a pair of third-place finishes at the 2007 and 2008 Ms. Olympia events, 2005 Ms. Olympia winner Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia slipped to fifth this year. Entering this contest somewhat smaller muscularly than at past Ms. O events, Oriquen-Garcia has entered 40 pro contests in her illustrious career - including 12 Ms. Olympias. A feat that is a truly remarkable example of staying power. This year, it is possible the grind of contest preps in a competitive career that began in her native Venezuela 20 years ago in 1989 is beginning to wear on her. All that said, she is a pleasure to watch, and still an outstanding bodybuilder.
Fresh from a victory at the Tampa Pro Classic in August, Betty Pariso (who mirrors Lisa Aukland in her ability to be consistent) placed sixth in this field earning an automatic invitation to the 2010 Ms. O. At major events more recently, Pariso has finished fifth at the 2005 and 2006 Ms. International, and sixth at the 2006 and 2007 Ms. Olympia contests. In 2008 she remained steady placing fourth at the Ms. International and seventh at the Ms. O.
In the longevity sweepstakes Pariso has now competed in eight Ms. Olympias to go with 11 invitations to the Ms. International dating back to 1998. Or to further illustrate her placing prowess, she has finished in the top six at the Ms. Olympia and Ms. International events a total of 15 times. Now at 53, Pariso is in her best condition ever and has seemingly found the formula to replicate her top conditioning level show after show. Like Oriquen-Garcia, and with over 30 pro contests on her contest resume - not to mention her promotional activities over the years, she has quite comfortably punched her ticket to Joe Weider's Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in the future.
PRIZE MONEY:
Iris $28,000
Heather $14,000
Debi $8,000
Lisa A $5,000
Yaxeni $3,000
Prize money for women’s bodybuilding in 2009 was reduced from that of 2008. Last year the total monies allotted to the bodybuilders was $71,000 with $30,000 going to Iris Kyle as the champion.
This year the total prize winnings totaled $60,000. Defending champion Iris Kyle pocketed $28,000. By comparison, the runner-up placer Heather Armbrust earned $14,000. Making her pro debut, Debbie Laszewski claimed $8,000 for third, with Lisa Aukland taking home $5,000 for fourth. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia received a check for $3,000 in fifth place and Betty Pariso accepted the remaining $2,000 for placing sixth.
The Rest of the Best
Tight races existed outside the top six, and even though the prize money had dried up by the time seventh place was finalized, Californian Kristy Hawkins made a grand showing for herself. Another of the four who made their Olympia debut this year, Hawkins was in terrific overall shape with a set of wildly separated quads (and her thighs in general), along with cross striations on her triceps and glutes. Everytime she sat on her side chest poses, her thighs went fibrous. She easily equaled the shape that brought her the NPC National overall title in 2007, and not many would have argued if she had slipped into the top six. Still very young, and with an angelic face sitting atop that muscular physique, Kristy Hawkins can become an annual regular at this contest depending on her long term plans as a serious competitor.
Missing her ideal physical condition by a considerable margin this year, Dayana Cadeau fell to the eighth-place spot after finishing fifth in 2008. Looking fleshy compared to past entries at this contest, coupled with the competitiveness within the top six, those two elements alone spelled disappointment for this former lightweight Ms. Olympia winner. A veteran competitor of 17 years and 10 previous Ms. Olympia contests, Cadeau can still shake up the top placings, but only if she is in top shape. Of statistical interest is the fact that when Cadeau placed fifth last year her final point total was 74. This year her final tally was 72 points but it was only good enough for eighth.
Taking the most dramatic tumble in the final placings from 2008 was Venezuelan Betty Viana-Adkins. The runner-up to Iris Kyle last year, it appeared that Viana-Adkins and her otherworldly structural qualities would become a notable threat for the top spot. But this year’s edition was off the sharpness she brought with her 2008 version. And again, the competitiveness in the top six required a solid level of muscular detail to go with the genetic blessings. Viana-Adkins can compete for a top placing anytime she puts a buffed finish on that super-structure. Her ninth-place finish would surprise most followers of the sport without seeing her compared to the rest of the field during prejudging.
Another of the Ms. Olympia newbies in 2009 was Texan Tina Chandler. At 5-3 ½, and weighing no more than 135 pounds, Chandler presents a pleasing overall look when standing alone. But in this mix, she was simply out-muscled by so many women who were many pounds heavier – and carrying considerably more cultivated muscle. Earning qualification for this contest with a third-place finish at the Tampa Pro Championships in early August, it may have been too much to ask of Chandler to come back in her best-ever condition to place any higher in such a tough group. That said, a top-ten finish at the Ms. Olympia is nothing of which to be ashamed. With a need to re-qualify in 2010, the added contest experience as a pro will be a major benefit.
Rosemary Jennings continues to be a blue-collar favorite among the hardcore fans due to her densely-developed physique and no-nonsense approach to her physique display. An overall winner at the 2002 NPC USA, Jennings was entering her fourth Ms. Olympia this year moving up considerably from her 15th-place showing in 2008.
Finishing 12th was Canadian Nicole Ball. Entering her third Ms.Olympia, Ball has struggled with making the improvements needed to blossom as a pro. Showing her best shape at the Tampa Pro Championships (the conditioning level she needed here) in early August, the necessity of entering another event, thus continuing the arduous contest prep in a short period of time, took its toll. By the time she showed up in Las Vegas, some of that magic was gone. An eighth-place finisher in her first Ms. O, and placing 11th last year, this striking competitor is still top-ten material.
Making her Ms. Olympia debut this year, Gale Frankie gained the less than enviable honor of placing in the unlucky 13th-place position. Qualifying for this year’s Ms. O by placing second to Betty Pariso at the Tampa Pro Championships, the 2008 overall winner of the NPC Masters Nationals missed bringing that same level of conditioning to pull her into higher placings at this most prestigious contest.
What Might Have Been
This year’s field would have numbered 15 had it not been for training-ending injuries to Cathy Lefrancois and Isabelle Turell. Lefrancois - a seasoned veteran- and Turell a highly touted newbie to the pro ranks – these two would have most assuredly created additional havoc within the final results. Unfortunately, both will need to wait until next year to exact their muscular presence on a Ms. Olympia field……but for fans and close followers of the sport, not having this dynamic duo on the Ms. Olympia stage in this year’s field was truly an unfortunate disappointment.
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