Jeste da je prvenstvo odavno bilo, ali u jeku priprema za Svetsko, evo da procitamo zvanicni izvestaj IFBB / EBFF
2008 EUROPEAN WOMEN BODYBUILDING AND FITNESS CHAMPIONSHIPS
SKOPJE, MACEDONIA, HOSTED THE MOST ATTRACTIVE EUROPEAN WOMEN
by Andrew Michalak
Most of them trained the whole year to come here in the best shape of life and show it to the judges, audience and different media representatives who will spread this news and pictures to the entire world. Television crew, magazines reporters and website creators hardly worked during these three days to prepare as much as possible materials to be broadcast to the lovers of body beauty, who very often practice these sports by themselves, having fun, power and physical excellence, sometimes only a bit lower that the champions on the stage. And very often they decide to enter the world of the competitive sport. We called them “newcomers”.
These newcomers can be demanding rivals to the more experienced athletes, and it was seen in Skopje, where many “new faces” entered the finals, sometimes even winning medals, like Bulgarian bodybuilder Emilia Angelova, new Polish bodyfitness star Magdalena Krajkowska or Swedish beauty Camilla Ohman. They have a very short sport biography, including only one title: 2008 national champion. But most of the medals went to the experienced, famous international stars, who have developed their body perfection through years of hard training and diet.
But before the battle on the stage began, many important diplomatic events and meetings took place, adding prestige and dignity to our sports and their current leadership, with the IFBB President Dr. Rafael Santonja at the top. Dr. Santonja possesses a rear skills and talent to speak about our sports in a very attractive way, creating a growing interest to them among the top sport and political leaders of the world. He presents the physique sports not only as an interesting competitive events but also as a “way to run a healthy life” even if you are older. He often says “now we can live longer [due to the medicine achievements] but we also need to live better”. If you want to live longer and better, you need to be physically active and the best way to do it is to practice the weight training and aerobic activity, as well as healthy diet. Dr. Santonja explained all this knowledge in his recent book titled “Revitalization”, published recently by the biggest Spanish publishing house Aguilar.
In Macedonia, he met the Prime Minister, H.E. Nikola Gruevski, Head of the Sport Sector in the National Agency for Youth and Sport, Mr. Dragan Gjurchevski and National Olympic Committee President, Dr. Vasil Tupurkovsky. All these political leaders were honored with the IFBB orders and medals for their input to the promotion of healthy lifestyle and sport in their country and worldwide. These meetings brought bodybuilding into the political saloons of the 21st century.
Then, in the series of technical meetings before the Championships, EBFF Executives, Judges and Delegates from the National Federations discussed all details and aspects of the upcoming Championships to assure smooth and proper procedures of the event. Competitors coming from the “Aleksandar Veliki” airport to the largest and most comfortable hotel in Skopje, the Continental Hotel, were measured, weighed and registered and then the official Start List was composed. Friday evening everything became clear: 110 athletes of 25 countries entered the Championships. And the next day, on Saturday, May 24th, all these athletes came to the modern, air-conditioned Metropolis Arena in Skopje to show their shape and routines.
WOMEN BODYBUILDING
In the first category, up to 55 kg, the top two competitors of the 2007 continental championships didn’t come, opening the doors for the other athletes. Last year bronze medal winner, Coralie Marchisio of France, wasn’t in her best shape, dropping into the 4th position. The most successful competitor was the Croatian star Branka Njegovec who placed 5th last year and now moved up to the first position. On the stage in Skopje she lost to the Italian bodybuilder Monia Gioiosa but then Gioiosa didn’t come to the doping control room for the test and, according to the IFBB Anti-Doping Rules, was immediately disqualified. Branka displayed perfect definition of the upper body, especially abs, and it was highly scored by the judges. Eva Horvathova, 4th place winner in 2007, was a bit too smooth to challenge Branka this time, finishing in the 2nd position. Russian new champion Ekaterina Sinitsyna fished 3rd.
The 2007 champion in the heavyweight class, over 55 kg, Olga Gurieva of Russia, surprised all experts, moving to… fitness. World champion Irina Muntean took place in the judges panel and the other last year finalists didn’t come, preparing to the World Championships in October. These were the perfect conditions to attack from the lower positions. Two Serbian champions: Milka Stankovic and Branislava Jovanovic did it in the best way, wining gold and silver medals. Milka, who was the bronze medal winner in 2002, returned after a few-year break and it was a very successful come back. Branislava, who is in her master’s age, regularly participated in many events each year but wasn’t lucky enough to win medals, perfectly used up this opportunity and takes “silver” disc to her home. Two newcomers at this level: Emilya Angelova of Bulgaria and Susanna Mantila of Finland finished in the next two places.
WOMEN FITNESS
2007 European bodybuilding champion Olga Gurieva of Russia has made something very difficult: she moved to fitness and won the gold medal in the up to 163 cm category. She is probably the first athlete in the IFBB history, who won gold medals in bodybuilding and fitness. More former top bodybuilders were successful in bodyfitness but not in fitness. But Olga trained gymnastics in her youth, so she has no problems with her fitness routine; however she had a very demanding rival on the stage in Skopje, Ukrainian fitness star Tetiana Savytska, who came in her best life condition. Tetiana, who finished third in 2007, slightly won the routine round, presenting the perfect flexibility, strength and acrobatic movements, but lost both “quarter turns” rounds to Olga. Lyudmila Somkina was a bit too “heavy” to challenge the top two, but won the bronze medal, what is her best achievement, and the next places went to the younger stars from Estonia, Poland and Slovakia.
The tall class, with 15 competitors in the line-up, was extremely exciting. More experienced competitors: Tatiana Tishchenko (Russia) and Tetiana Belousova (Ukraine) were challenged by the two dynamic former world junior champions: Maria Alexeeva (Russia) and Ewelina Barej (Poland). Engineer from Omsk, Tishchenko, finally emerged as a winner but was tied in the routine round with Alexeeva, who finished second. Barej and Belousova performed similar, more artistic routines, showing their “body and soul”. Due to her impressive routine, Barej took the 3rd position but Belousova was pushed down to the 5th place by a nurse from Helsinki, Tiina Kasvi, whose main “weapon” was her top physique conditions. The battle was very tough and athletes were changing places from round to round.
WOMEN BODYFITNESS
Half of all available 12 medals went to Russia, however they didn’t won the prestigious overall title. This one was grasped by the Croatian archeologist and Professor of English language, Zrinka Korac. Her battle in Skopje was very surprising: she slightly lost both semifinal rounds to Nelli Tsyshkevich of Russia but then “exploded” with fantastic body quality in the finals, unexpectedly winning the 163 cm class and then the overall title. The 3rd and 5th places went to the extremely improving athletes from Moldova (Victoria Gutenco) and Belarus (Natalia Antsyparovich) who placed out of the top 10 in 2007. And there was one successful come back: Anna Szczotka of Poland, who placed 4th in 2004 (under her maiden name Anna Scholz) and now regained this position after few-year break.
The short class, up 158 cm, was dominated by the two Russian stars: Valentina Zabiyaka and Anna Rasputniak. They run a very close battle and finally Rasputniak, who was the 2007 European and world champion, had to accept the 2nd place, losing by one point to her team-mate. Personal trainer form Moscow, Zabiyaka, was scored higher in the swimsuit round ad it was the decisive factor. Third place went to the Polish newcomer, international relations expert Magdalena Krajkowska, who was followed by the Army Officer from Slovakia - Silvia Pavliskova and Princess Kalina Cup winner Yolanda Esteso from Spain.
The next category, up to 168 cm, welcomed a new champion, Natalia Mikhaylova of Russia, who was previously very successful in fitness, wining European and world titles in 2006 but then had a bad lower back injury during training and had to stop competing in fitness. Now she prepared the perfect body condition once again and gave no chances to her rivals wining all three rounds. Miriam Sanchez of Spain moved up from the 5th place in 2007 to the 2nd place, following her victory at the Princess Kalina Cup in Sofia. Irina Molokova dropped one place, to the 3rd position, having beautiful body lines but, as usual, also problems with the top body quality. The next two places went to the new rising stars: Renata Jablonska of Poland and Natalia Kuzmyna of Ukraine.
In the last class, over 168 cm, the well-known champions: Ljuba Pantovic (2nd in 2007) and Olga Stepanyuk (4th in 2007) were challenged by the new stars with great potentials: Yevgeniya Prutskova (Ukraine), Camilla Ohman (Sweden), Maria Romanova (Russia) and Kristina Buckova (Czech Republic). The battle between Prutskova and Stepaniuk was very close, only one-point difference in each round. Finally Prutskova won by one point, moving up from the 13 place in 2007 to the top! Ohman finished 3rd what is her very successful debut, followed by Romanova and Buckova, who is only 21 now, so still junior. Pantovic looked too slim this time, dropping to the 6th position.
MEN FITNESS
The only men category at the IFBB Women Championships is the men fitness. Four personal trainers versus two engineers. This category had its special “taste”.
Marcin Lopucki of Poland returned after few-year break. At the 2005 European Championships in Brasov he was declared the winner but only for 10 minutes. Then a mistake in the scoring calculations was found and he was “dismissed” to the 2nd position, what was his little personal tragedy. Now he returned in much better condition, fuller and harder, winning both “quarter turns” rounds and “regaining” his lost continental title. The combat for the next places was very interesting. The best competitors in the routine round: electrical engineer Denis Sopot (Russia) and personal trainer Jan Bohm (Czech Republic) displayed not so good body quality and took the 6th and 5th positions respectively. Sergiy Klyepchev, mechanical engineer from Kharkov, Ukraine, won the silver medal, ahead of a new face in the line-up, aerobics trainer from Bucharest, Romania, Costin Bacura. The overall impression is very positive: the ten men fitness athletes performed very impressive, dynamic and creative routines, received with applause by the audience.
Russia won the team’s classification once again, followed by Ukraine and Poland, being tied in the final score. Balkan powers: Serbia and Croatia advanced to the 4th and 6th positions respectively, while Slovakia and Czech Republic dropped to the 4th and 7th places.
