2005 Olympia Review by Juan Carlos Lopez

Jenny Hendershott

This year was a very different for our industry, some may be sad others angry but the feeling that the Olympia took a huge step down has been noted. Even people in other countries who witnessed it in person and had gone other years felt the organization was deplorable. It is not an exaggeration what many people feel as this for most of us is not a full time job but a method of relaxation from getting away from the computer screen and /or that menial job. This month's editorial includes a list of the events that went wrong or weren't up to par from last year's.

Mindi O'Brien

Going into the real review: the prejudging started at 12pm on Friday the 14th at the Vegas Convention Center. For Fitness the physiques that stood out were Mindi O'Brien, Julie Childs, Julie Palmer, Jenny Hendershott, Debbie Czempinski and Tracey Greenwood. Judges called out Jenny H, Adela, Kim Klein, Julie Palmer and Tracey Greenwood. For both two piece and one piece nothing changed much, Adela and Kim Klein were head to head on the physique round. For the 45 second routines it was hard to tell who did it best as long they did their moves in order and completed them gracefully they should place well right? That wasn't really the case but this round was dominated according to the score sheet by Jenny H. During the finals it was clear Jenny H had an excellent routine, Mindi O'Brien, Debbie Czempinski and Kim Klein were others of the best executed and most fun routines. Time came to announce the winner and for her surprise it was Jenny Hendershott who had taken the Arnold by storm. This was for sure her year.

Julie Childs	Julie Palmer

Jenny Lynn

In Figure there were 19 competitors and it seemed like we had some great physiques on stage. Monica Brant-Peckham as always an icon and the competitor who has the best muscular development. Jenny Lynn also has become a standard to judge given her looks and well proportioned curves. Jane Awad must be mentioned too given her symmetry and excellent lower body development. Amber Littlejohn who's statuesque physique is hard to forget as well. Other notable competitors made it to the Olympia after having won major shows such as Mary Lado, Tara Scotti and Amanda Savell. Davana Medina had done 2 shows prior to this and won both of them. When she came on stage she was clearly tighter and smaller than on the other shows a factor judges had to consider for this event. Mary Lado's elegance and poise became a key factor when placed in a lineup. The shorties such as Monica Guerra, Debbie Leung, Latisha Wilder and Melissa Frabbiele would have a tough time with the taller competitor such as Amber Littlejohn and Valerie Waugaman. Jen Searles looked impressive as always and looked full like in NYC.

Monica Brant

Michelle Adams sported an amazing back and upper body. Who can forget of Christine Pomponio-Pate who's looks and small frame have given her great success. Judges had again the same first callouts for both rounds but the last 3 in a different order. At the finals it was clear who the winner was going to be, some people maybe thought it could be Jenny but Davana took her third Olympia in a row. Figure indeed has become the hardest category to judge with only two rounds it becomes a physique contest in the whole sense of the word. But it's subjective as the judges awarded different physiques with similar placings. The presentation and suits make a difference but to what degree?

Amber Littlejohn	Jane Awad

Yaxeni Oriquen

Women's Bodybuilding had to change this year some said. Almost all the same participants were present except notables such as Lenda Murray, Valentina Chepiga and Joanna Thomas. The battle had to be between Iris Kyle and someone else for sure. Yaxeni Oriquen and Jitka Harazimova came in with a softer, fuller and very easy to look at package. Dayana Cadeau was somewhere in between. Bonny Priest and Betty Viana looked amazing full physiques and could have easily crept top 5. Tonia Williams, aka Ms. Elegance doing her first Olympia might have been overlooked by the judges who were paying attention to the bigger females such as Iris and Yaxeni. This year there was no class division meaning all competitors competed on the same stage at the same time. Complicated for the judges and hard for the fans to

Iris Kyle

tell as some of the top 5 competitors had different looks but yet were placed next to each other. Iris was smaller and hard but not as dense and she looked different from Yaxeni so it is complicated to tell the message the judges were after. At least we know coming in dry and ripped is no longer what improvement is about, perhaps Yaxeni's symmetry, full muscles and elegance is what they are after.

Tonia Williams	Betty Viana

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