2011 Arnold Sports Weekend: Women's Physique Events
Pre-Judging

The women of figure, bodybuilding, and fitness may present different physique looks, but the common denominators were also evident on Saturday morning at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Before a standing-room-only crowd, each class comprised a deep lineup of women with beautifully sculpted bodies with a fierce determination to leave Columbus with a title in hand. That level of intensity should be expected when you have Iris, Yaxeni, Erin, Nicole, Adela and Tanji sharing the stage.

If you missed it--or even if you didn't, but you just want a brief recap of each show--Isabel Norton and I have what you're looking for. The critiques are just our opinions, so if you disagree, umm... we're sorry to have offended you.

The favorites going into this show are Jennifer Gates (who actually hasn't competed since 2008 where she won the Olympia), Erin Stern (who won the 2010 Ms. Figure Olympia) and Nicole Wilkins-Lee (Won the 2009 Ms. Figure Olympia, and is the defending Ms. Figure International).

So the talk has been regarding whether the reigning Ms. International can beat the reigning Ms. Olympia. The dark horse would be Felicia Romero; she placed 5th at the Arnolds last year, and is looking to crack the Top 3 this year.

Another competitor coming in with a lot of momentum is Courtney West. Courtney won the NPC USAs (where she earned her pro card), then went into her 1st pro show (The Houston Pro) and won first place. So we're looking to see her in the Top 5.

Rosa Maria Romero She's definitely decreased her muscularity since the 2010 Olympia. Looks fantastic and she polished her stage presence. She had been working really hard on that aspect of the competition as well as bringing up her legs. View Rosa Marie Romero's Contest History Here.

Courtney West Tall, graceful, wasp waist with AWESOME abs. Also has great lines, her v-taper was phenomenal. View Courtney West's Contest History Here.

Alicia Harris Pretty soft, but still has a good shoulder to waist ratio. View Alicia Harris' Contest History Here.

Ava Cowan Her physique looks very similar to that of past shows, but what was noticeably different was her stage presence was very polished and graceful. View Ava Cowan's Contest History Here.

Chelsey Morgenstern Ohio native, a loud cheer exploded from the crowd. Looked great! Had great lines. View Chelsea Morgenstern's Contest History Here.

Cheryl Brown Another "shorter" pro, her nerves seem to have gotten the best of her (she was shaking a lot, visibly nervous *or cold*). She was a little bit on the softer side if we compare her to past events. View Cheryl Brown's Contest History Here.

Erin Stern Polished, great presentation, awesome overall package. Her conditioning was right on point. She has really stepped up her game since winning the Europa Show of Champions last April. We expected her to look amazing and she delivered. View Erin Stern's Contest History Here.

Monica Specking Coming from her 3rd place at the Houston Pro, she was very hard with amazing quad separation. She had incredible physique. But probably too hard for what the judges are looking for today. View Monica Specking's Contest History Here.

Felicia Romero She had been working to bring up her quads and it seems to have paid of. Her midsection was a little on the softer than usual. She had also been working on her presentation and it really paid off. She was cool, calmed and polished. View Felicia Romero's Contest History Here.

Natalia Revajova Big upper body, probably too big (though it made for a great V-taper),and her suit was different/unique. She was probably too hard. View Natalia Revajova's Contest History Here.

Candice Keene GREAT back and V-taper. Her presentation was right on. She was polished and graceful. View Candice Keene's Contest History Here.

Jennifer Gates Incredibly rounded delts, perfect (esp given she had a baby 10 months again). There was no sign of a baby bump. Her abs were incredible. She is probably the envy of a lot of women with and without children. View Jennifer Gates' Contest History Here.

Nicole Wilkins-Lee Brought down her legs in terms of size and muscularity, but has more definition in her quads. Beautiful presentation. She is definitely leaner. View Nicole Wilkins-Lee's Contest History Here.

Latisha Wilder Great lines, didn't hold her poses long enough though. View Latisha Wilder's Contest History Here.

Larissa Reis THICK, quad separation, Great suit, looks like she has a new tattoo on her arm. She has brought her muscularity down some, her color was right as well in terms of tanning. Which really helped her femininity come through. View Larissa Reis' Contest History Here.

Teresa Anthony Taller competitor, looks great. She has a polished look. Good presentation. View Teresa Anthony's Contest History Here.