He wasn’t as sharp as he was a week before, but Toney Freeman‘s stellar “X” frame was enough to get him the nod at the 2007 Sacramento Pro over hard – charging Silvio Samuel. Freeman, who won the Ironman Pro February 17 to kick off the IFBB season, has, in the course of a year, gone from a bodybuilding journeyman to a legitimate top-tier contender with three pro titles to his credit.
Meanwhile, Samuel, unfairly overlooked during an Ironman that was almost bereft of prejudging callouts, this time benefited from a judging panel who made sure everyone got their due in the comparison round. The 31-year-old Spaniard has unarguably been the biggest surprise to emerge in 2007 – while he showed promise in prior competitions, he never quite hit his peak. Now working with Milos Sarcev, Samuel is a superstar in the making.
In third was another victim of the Ironman judging – Japan’s Hidetada Yamagishi, who in the process got that all-important Olympia nod, leaving Florida resident Ahmad Haidar on the outside looking in. Hopefully, Haidar can earn an invite to the O in an upcoming show – the ultra-symmetrical Lebanese lion deserved better than he got the past two weeks.
Rounding out the top five, and repeating his placing of seven days before, was Marcus Haley, despite the fact he improved greatly over the course of a week and had a crowd-favorite pop-and-lock posing routine.
On the women’s side, Heather Policky, 2006 USA heavyweight and overall champ made the most of her pro debut, winning the heavyweight and overall title over lightweight champ Antoinette Norman. Once again, as was a pattern last year in women’s bodybuilding events, the judging panel rewarded mass, as Policky had size and cuts in spades. Norman, meanwhile, has a beautifully aesthetic physique, and should routinely be finishing near or at the top at any show she enters. Policky and Norman are both on their way to the Arnold Classic, where they’ll face off again among a host of top pros.
For a complete recap of the prejudging and final rounds, visit the flexonline contest blog at “http://updates.mrolympia.com/” http://updates.mrolympia.com/. And be sure to tune in next week to the free Arnold Classic webcast, presented live by bodybuilding.com and flexonline.com – can Dexter Jackson defend his Arnold title, or will he be knocked off the throne by Victor Martinez, Toney Freeman, Branch Warren, Phil Heath, or any one of the other high-caliber bodybuilders headed to Columbus, Ohio? The action starts Saturday afternoon, March 3.
