Is someone out there watching the Olympia? if so, please give me an update. Thanks.
I ordered it on pay-per-view. Never, EVER will I watch that poor excuse for bodybuilding again. The most aesthetic, best conditioned physiques in the show have to put up with placing behind second-rate mass monsters like COleman(who of course won the show again-to a onsiderable amount of boo-ing). Gunter should have won followed by Levrone, Dexter Jackson, Flex Wheeler, and Lee Priest. I also liked Jaroslav Horvath, Ahmad Haidar and Darrem Charles. The Olympia is a fucking joke as far as the judging is concerned. Joe Weider, Ben Weider and Wayne Demilia should all be ashamed of themselves.
I had Gunter first, Priest second, Jackson third, Charles fourth and probably Wheeler fifth. Obviously I was not one of the judges!!! I agree Horvath looked great other than the synthol in his delts. Haidar was right on the money too. For all those who didn’t see the show, Gunter got robbed!!! I was not a Gunter fan before last night but I like the dude now. Even when the crowd booed at his placing he was nothing but class.
Whoa. Just found a site with photos and reports of the Olympia. Go here: www.bodybuildinglive.com/ articles/2002_olympia/index.html (space at “/” and “articles”).
There is also a Yahoo group about the Olympia and it looks like the members there were reporting as the contest as it was going on. As well as posting photos! Anyways, based on what I saw on these two sites, Kevin Levrone looked outstanding! As did Lee Priest! Yeah, Gunter looked good, but he's got a funky looking physique. And man, Ronnie Coleman only looked bigger because his gut is bigger. It's a shame that bodybuilders like Priest and Darrem Charles get overlooked due to them not being "HYOOOGE". Whatever happened to aesthetics?
Now, about the MS. Olympia: Lenda Murray looked phenomenal. And while Juliete Bergman is Queen of Symmetry, she still doesn't have a neck. I'm kinda bummed by Valentina Chepiga's placing, only cuz I think she is one of the most beautiful women of bodybuilding on top of being a damn good bodybuilder. She alone could do wonders for building up the women's side of the sport. Oh well. At least Lenda won and deserved the win.
Patricia: I agree on Valentina having those beautiful, “classic” lines that you and I often talk about.
It seems like every time the “powers that be” have the chance to “correct the course” of bodybuilding (both male and female), they don’t sieze the opportunity.
A question: is the problem “us”? (And I say “us” to mean the general bodybuilding fan?). Is the lust for “freaks” the problem?
I say “NO”. If the judges begin rewarding aesthetics more (over pure “freakiness”), 1) the competitors will adjust and 2)what we accept as a champion will follow suit.
Just my take!
Someone actually ordered the Olympia on ppv?? You might as well have bought a gay porn mag.
Mufasa: I agree - why oh why do the “powers that be” of bodybuilding, especially at the Pro level, do not just once, place the more aesthetic, symmetrical muscular physiques up front? Why is it so hard? I think the ones who wish for the more freakier physiques to win are NOT the norm, but the exceptions. I betcha most of the top Pros would be relieved to not have to subject their systems with more drugs and to have to strive for the “ripped glutes” if the judging would go back to a more sane base. I mean, are the Pros competing now any better than the Pros competing, let’s say around 1988? Nope. Just freakier. And freakier don’t mean better in my book.
And as for Valentina? They say she needs to get "harder" to beat someone with the frame of a Juliette Bergman. Really? I believe her structure to be as good as Bergman's, just different. Cory Everson certainly wasn't the hardest bodybuilder on the Olympia stage in 1989, but the judges handed her a gift of a win over a superb Sandy Reidle (sp?). The inconsistencies of the judging NEED to be dealt with, too.
Two years ago, a memo by the IFBB was passed onto all the female competitors, it was to announce changes in the judging (women's bodybuilding). NOW, they were looking for superior symmetry w/muscularity, but retaining the all-important femininity. And such things as skin tone, makeup, and hair were now important in the assessment of placings. Many of the Pro women still have adams apples (uh, Vickie Gates *cough*), could use a lesson in makeup application as well as slim down they're still too muscular physiques. I don't care, a 5'4" woman who's competitive weight is 150lbs is STILL too big. NOTHING has changed.
And the men are worse. Sorry for the rant, but I do love bodybuilding. And just wish it would get out of the dungeon that is "subculture". And to do this would begin with the judging.
Hey girl, what happened to Jay Cutler? Did I miss something? He must not have competed this year as I expected him to be a favorite, besides Ronnie that is.
Well actually I don’t remember anyone on the stage having ass-sex with each other. Hmmmm…
Actually, I have never seen an IFBB level bodybuilding competition before and I thought it would be interesting. I am completely secure in my masculinity and I am neither scared of nor turned on by men in posing trunks. I used to be a bodybuilder myself and I am still fascinated by extremely large, ripped muscles (although I believe that todays pros take it way too far). In closing, I have never seen a gay porn mag but I am wondering how you can compare bodybuilding to gay porn. I am assuming you have seen gay porn since you are able to identify things that relate to it.
I’m pretty sure that Cutler’s reason for staying out of this Olympia was due to Coleman. Why be runner up or worse? Cutler has a better chance of winning the Arnold again.
Actually I have never seen gay porn and I really doubt you would need to actually see it in order to compare it with bodybuilding. Nice try though.
Then you should try to restrict your comments to subjects that you are familiar with.
Thanks Patricia. It seems like I did read this a while back. I really don’t blame him either. JC’s always been my favorite though and I expect him to have a big 2003. Thanks again.
Did anyone catch the women’s finals on Friday. These women must be on some serious juice and growth hormone. I’m specifically speaking about Nancy Lewis. Jesus, the whole crowd kind of gasped when she came on stage. Her face looked like… well I thought it was friggin O.J. up there. Out of the 15 or 16 girls(?) competing, only 3 or 4 looked like women. I admire the hell out of the discipline and effort it takes to get in that kind of shape but damn, what happens when they dont compete. They look like trannies.
The majority of homosexual men find more muscle attractive than women, but the extreme physiques of pro BBs is a fetish, not the norm.