This coming weekend Hartford, Connecticut will be invaded by the fittest and most muscular athletes on the planet. Ed & Betty Pariso will bring a professional bodybuilding and fitness extravaganza, the Europa Show of Champions!
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Article Summary:
More than a bodybuilding contest, attendees can find 15 different events this weekend.
With Hide out of the running the competition this weekend will be even more fierce.
The 202 division will only see 7 competitors making for an interesting competition.
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 2010 Europa Battle Of Champions Preview
This coming weekend Hartford, Connecticut will be invaded by the fittest and most muscular athletes on the planet. Ed & Betty Pariso will bring the East Coast Europa Sport's third professional bodybuilding and fitness extravaganza, the Europa Show of Champions. There are no fewer than 15 events at the expo for the fans to enjoy while watching their favorite IFBB superstars compete to not only take home the paychecks at the IFBB Europa Battle of Champions, but will compete for an invite to the 2010 Olympia weekend.
Events include:
- Grappler Quest
- Hot Fit Mom Contest - $3,600 prize money
- Photo Shoot with a Pro
- Instructor of the Year Contest - $1,800 prize money
- Watch the Pros Train
- NPC Figure, Fitness and Bodybuilding Contest
- ASC Strongman
- US Arm Wrestling
- Pro Sport Karate
- IPA Powerlifting
- Pro Superlifting - $5,000 prize money
- USPF Powerlifting
- Muscle Meets Muscle Car Show
- IFBB Men's Pro Bodybuilding (including 202 show)
- IFBB Women's Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini
With events including everything from grappling to hot mom contest, the weekend is sure to have something for everyone. But that's enough of the fluffing, we are here for the muscle and there will be no shortage of that in Hartford. In the Men's Open Division, there are at least 18 athletes with contracts signed to compete including IFBB veterans Johnnie Jackson, Troy Alves, Darrem Charles and George Farah.
The 202 Show has a small lineup but does not lack quality. Former 202 Olympia Champion, David Henry, will be making his first appearance on an IFBB stage this year in his bid to reclaim the 202 Olympia title. Last weekend's winner of the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly 202 Show in Tampa, Jose Raymond, will surely want to maximize on his momentum and prove that his first ever IFBB victory was no fluke. The women's bikini contest will feature Flex Swimsuit Special's cover model, Dianna Dahlgren, vying to get her pro career off to a great start by qualifing for the Olympia.
Men's Open
The Men's Open Lineup
This star studded lineup is surely going to give the judges a hard time this weekend as the veterans compete against the young bloods. With four athletes already qualified for this year's Olympia, and three more invites up for grabs, the competition is set to be fierce. That being said, just as I write this article I'm reading a text from IFBB Hall of Famer, Shawn Ray telling me that Hide is out and possibly done for the rest of the season. Hide has been the man to beat this season and his misfortune will surely make room for another athlete to capitalize on earning some extra prize money along with an invite to the O. Veterans Johnnie Jackson and Troy Alves, fought the good fight and came up trumps as they both qualified for the 2010 Olympia in Tampa last weekend, after less than stellar performances on their previous outing.
Not forgetting the mass monster that is Leo Ingram; if this guy nails his conditioning it will be lights out for a lot of guys. The IFBB's young bloods like Erik Fankhouser and Mike Liberatore, are both hungry for victory and of course a place at the table in Vegas. That being said, Ben White earned his first ever IFBB victory leaving Ed Nunn out in the cold yet again, making this weekend all the more competitive.
Men's 202
Men's 202 Lineup
The 202 Division will see none other than former 202 Olympia Champion David Henry take to the stage for the first time since losing his Olympia showdown crown in a hotly contested 202 Olympia Showdown in 2009. Will he reign supreme in Hartford or will the IFBB's newest 202 Champion, Jose Raymond, rain on his parade? Although Raymond is not on the competitors list as I write this, he may very well have his entry in before the official deadline mid week; only time will tell!
Women's Bodybuilding
The Women's Bodybuilding Division has at least 18 athletes coming from several nations across North America and Europe; a women's bodybuilding version of the Ryder Cup, if you will. IFBB veteran, Cathy LeFrancois, will be looking for redemption after falling to 3rd place behind Tina Chandler and former European Champion and eventual winner of the PBW show, Brigita Brezovac. Is Brezovac going to repeat in Hartford and be the one to beat or will LeFrancois fight back and dominate? With only three Olympia invites and several thousand dollars up for grabs, it will be a hard fought battle.
Pro Figure
In the Pro Figure Division there are 24 of the IFBB's finest taking to stage in pursuit of the prize, that is a fat check and an invite to the Olympia. Aleisha Hart of Canada and Petra Mertl of the Czech Republic are the only non Americans vying for a place at Joe Weider's Olympia weekend in Vegas. Will they be in the running or will the USA be victorious?
Pro Bikini
The Pro Bikini Division is a different story from that of the figure and very similar to that of the 202 Division line up. As I write there are only eight competitors with contracts signed; one Canadian and seven Americans, one of them being Flex cover model, Dianna Dahlegren. With this being the first year of the Pro Bikini Division, the contest is too close to predict. We will see this weekend who will be getting the golden ticket to Vegas.
Conclusion
With 15 qualifying spots for the Olympia up for grabs this weekend, the 2010 Europa Battle of Champions will surely give the fans something to talk about in Hartford, Connecticut this weekend. Will we see some new blood going home with a big fat check along with an invite to the O? Or will the veterans of the IFBB take the rookies to school on what it is to be a professional bodybuilder. I for one cannot wait to see and we will find out this weekend. Stay tuned here on bodybuilding.com for the latest updates!
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