Men’s Bodybuilding, Women’s Bodybuilding and Figure Prejudging Report and Photos from Atlantic City
by Allan Donnelly
September 12, 2008
FLEXONLINE.COM
A year ago, Melvin Anthony came into the Atlantic City Pro treating it as a tuneup, so to speak, for bigger things to come: the Mr. Olympia, two weeks later. In the weeks leading up to this year’s Atlantic City Pro, Anthony told anyone who would listen that he would not make the same mistake again. He didn’t. And a result, Anthony likely finds himself in the driver’s seat heading into tonight’s finals.
But notching career win No. 2 – and his first since the 2004 Night of Champions – won’t come easy. Anthony’s toughest challenge will come in the form of three veterans – Toney Freeman, Johnnie Jackson and Darrem Charles.
Freeman, who stood in the winner’s circle in each of his last two contests – the Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships and the Europa Super Show, held one week apart in early August – is not as sharp here as he was in Dallas. That, combined with Anthony being at or near his best, likely will tip the scales in his favor.
As they have for the past two years, Jackson and Charles will battle it out once again. Unlike 2006 and 2007, however, when Jackson placed first to Charles’ second, the pair appears to be jockeying for the third and fourth spots. The edge in this should go to Jackson’s superior thickness. Regardless, a fourth-place finish would mean another Olympia qualification for the 40-year-old Charles, since Anthony, Freeman and Jackson have already qualified.
Tarek Elsetouhi, King Kamali, Joel Stubbs, Craig Richardson and Hidetada Yamagishi are in the mix for the final posedown.
FIGURE Heading into the 2008 Figure Olympia, second-year pro Jenn Gates‘ name is being mentioned as a favorite to not only place in the top three, but to possibly unseat reigning champ Jenny Lynn. She showed why in Atlantic City and should have no problem notching the third win of her pro career tonight.
Jane Awad and Amy Fry will battle it out for second and third.
WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING Lisa Aukland, who won this contest in both 2006 and 2007, faces a tough challenge in the form of Betty Adkins on her way to the three-peat. Aukland is bigger, but Adkins’ combination of slightly superior condition and an impressive shoulder-to-waist ratio could be enough to tip the scales in her favor.
Finland’s Marja Lehtonen appears to have the inside track to place third and wrap up an Olympia qualification.
