Today in Phoenix, conditioning proved to be the winning ingredient as Troy Alves edged out a field of 21 competitors to grab his second win of 2011 (Alves won the Europa Show of Champions in July). Alves used his sharp condition and symmetry to edge out the runner-up Hidetada Yamagishi. Hide packs a ton of balanced muscle on his compact frame, but he wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen him in the past. Third went to Ed Nunn, who displayed a great X-frame and proved he’s Olympia material with his second top-3 in three weeks. Fourth went to Marcus Haley, who showed some added size and fifth went to Alfonso DelRio.
The pro figure contest featured a dominating performance from Candice Keene. Her wide back, tiny waist, and sharp conditioning were unbeatable on this day. In second place at only her second pro contest, Jami DeBernard looked as polished as any seasoned pro. Alea Suarez landed in third, proving that her switch from bikini to figure was the right decision. Suarez is quickly evolving into a top-tier figure pro. Pre-show favorite Felicia Romero fell to third and Heather Dees grabbed fifth place.
In pro bikini, Dianna Dahlgren finally had her day on top as she won in convincing fashion. DD will head to Vegas with a ton of momentum and some well-deserved expectations. Cristina Vujnich took the runner-up spot and grabbed her Olympia qualification just two months after turning pro (NPC Jr. Nationals). Third went to Christina Vargas, who finally found her stride in bikini after moving from figure last year. Olympia-bound Juliana Daniell took fourth and Roya Tehrani landed in fifth.
Check back to FLEXonline for interviews with all the winners!
