Adela Is Back On Top at Europa Super Show

The big fitness story out of Dallas, Texas this weekend is the return of Adela Garcia. The IFBB Fitness Pro has been absent from the competitive stage since the 2007 Ms. Olympia due to a knee injury.

Adela flying high in Dallas.

FITNESS PREJUDGING
It had been nearly two years since she was on stage but you wouldn’t know it by the way she took the stage. Sporting a new hair color and the tiny, tight package we’ve grown to love. Adela had the look of determination on her face and there was a slight look of fear at the beginning of the 45 seconds. That quickly went away when she shook her booty to a solid performance. I look for Adela to be in the top 3-4 in the 45 second routines and will most likely win both physique rounds. There was a slightly noticeable difference in Adela’s injured leg, particularly from the back but it won’t be enough to keep her out of the top spot tonight. The question will be how it stacks up next month at the Olympia.
Bethany Wagner brought an improved look to the stage and pushed Adela in both the one and two piece. She had a balanced physique and it was one of her better showings in the physique rounds. Her 45 second routine fell a little flat in my opinion and could ultimately knock her out of the top three where I think she sat after the physique rounds.

Myriam Capes looks to be in a good position going into tonight’s show to be top three again. I had her in the 3-4 position in the physique rounds and top 2-3 in the 45 second routines. She’s got a little swagger to her on stage and she impressively refined her physique over the last couple years. Her routine has some incredible difficulty and I look for her to land in second tonight.

Nicole Duncan is in the driver’s seat for an Olympia qualification. I have her in the 3-4 position in the physique rounds and 3-4 in the 45 second routines. If she nails her 2 minute routine tonight I see her nabbing the 3rd place spot. She brings good energy to the stage and is a solid performer. Remember the two routine rounds count for 1/2 the overall score so it can make or break a competitor.

Michele Mayberry could sneak into the top 5 as she brought a whole new look to her physique and had a solid routine. This is the best I’ve seen Michele look on the pro stage.

Jo Marriner will win the 45 second routine round, at least from my perspective. She has incredible control over her moves and pulls them with ease. Her only downfall is her physique isn’t at the level of the others here. Jo always has a good time entertaining and knew coming into this that she probably wouldn’t match up in the physique rounds but more than makes up for it in the routine rounds. Her winning the routine rounds could cause some problems for others who faired well in the physique rounds.

The rest of the pack…
Kristina Rojas was definitely in shape and flexed her quads a bit too much, something I think head judge Sandy Williamson will advise her not to do in the future. She had a solid routine and will be in the top 6-8 spot. Maggie Blanchard came in waaaay too hard and will find herself at the bottom of the pack because of it. Speaking of being too hard I spoke with more than one judge who said the competitors were too hard at this show. Those of you planning on competing at the Atlantic City show, do NOT come in shredded at least in my opinion. Nita Marquez debuted and it wasn’t her best showing but she brought solid energy in the 45 second routine. Mandy Polk has yet to find her stride as a pro. She didn’t come in conditioned and her routine wasn’t at the level it needs to be, in my opinion. I hope she can team up with someone on her diet plan and return to the form she had as an amateur.
The finals will take place this afternoon and we’ll see who comes out on top. Going into tonight this is how I would have my top 5, based on routines AND physique rounds.

MY TOP FIVE PICKS
1. Adela Garcia
2. Myriam Capes
3. Nicole Duncan
4. Bethany Wagner
5. Michele Mayberry

Check out photos from the physique rounds as well as a few 45 second routine round photos on bodybuilding.com. Props to Ed and Betty Pariso for improving the lighting, which makes the competitors look much better.

**Note these are only my opinions and not necessary how the judges of the show will see things.