Toney Freeman will look to start off the 2007 season by going two-for-two when he takes the stage at the Sacramento Pro Grand Prix this Saturday, February 24. Freeman is coming off a win at the Ironman Pro this past weekend, and has been one of the hottest bodybuilders on the circuit of late, with two wins (his first victory was at the 2006 Europa Super Show) along with a seventh-place finish at the 2006 Mr. Olympia.

“I’m just finally glad that I’m being looked at,” Freeman said after the Ironman. “I always though I was in the mix and didn’t understand why I wasn’t placing well, but that’s all behind me now. It just gave me fuel, gave me fire and made me hungrier. Now I’m happy and focused and I’m dedicated.”

One competitor who will be in Sacramento that understands Freeman’s frustration is Spain’s Silvio Samuel. The best conditioned athlete in last week’s Ironman, Samuel finished fourth but was arguably one of the most overlooked and unfairly judged competitors at the contest. “I’m really, really excited and really happy with the way the crowd treated me,” he said. “My main aim at that competition was to try and do my best. My motivation is still very, very high, and I hope to do more in Sacramento.”

As for turning the tables on Freeman this weekend, Samuel wasn’t ready to make any predictions concerning the outcome. “The question of beating Toney isn’t really in my hands,” Samuel said. “I will leave the judges to make that decision.”

The Sacramento Pro Grand Prix will also kick things off for 2007 on the women’s bodybuilding side. Look below for a complete list of competitors for both the men’s and women’s contests.

The event will be held at the Crest Theater in downtown Sacramento; prejudging starts at 11 a.m. Pacific time, with the finals at 6:30 p.m. For more information and to order tickets online, visit www.lindsayproduction.com. And for results and photos after the contest, visit https://www.muscleandfitness.com/flexonline/.

Men’s Bodybuilding
Erik Byui
Bryan Carmichael
Gianluca Catapano
Omar Deckard
Kris Dim
Aiman Faour
Toney Freeman
Ahmad Haidar
Marcus Haley
Rusty Jeffers
Rod Ketchens
Daniele Seccareci
Sergey Shelestov
Roc Shabazz
Joel Stubbs
Clifton Torres
Hidetada Yamagishi

Women’s Bodybuiding
Irene Anderson
Angela Debatin
Heather Foster
Aurelia Grozajova
Rosemary Jennings
Cathy LeFrancois
Maria Leena Lehtonen
Jana Linke-Sippl
Mah-Ann Mendoza
Emery Miller
Gayle Moher
Antoinette Norman
Vicki Nixon
Jeannie Paparone
Kim Perez
Heather Policky
Brenda Raganot
Carla Salotti