BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 2

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by John Plummer

Photography by Kevin Horton

Francis Ketibuah (bodybuilding), Andrea Corbett (women's physique), Austin Williams (classic bodybuilding) and Paul Harris (classic physique) were awarded IFBB Elite Pro cards on the second day of the 2018 British Championships.

Day two saw bodybuilding take centre stage and Ketibuah took the overall title after the judges initially scored it a tie. The day also saw the first British classic physique champion crowned before the event, which over the two days attracted almost 400 entrants, drew to a close.

The final event of the year is the Sugar Classic in Leicester on November 18, which has places at next year's Arnold Classic Europe up for grabs.

BODYBUILDING

Francis Ketibuah's short bodybuilding career has been characterised by noticeable gains every time he's competed. Now, after his latest improvements, he is set for the IFBB Elite Pro ranks. His shape was evident when he first stepped on stage in the Ultimate Beginners and now he has a quality muscular package with particularly eye-catching legs.

Josiah Cave is one of few lightweights to have had a serious chance of winning the overall in recent years. With his tiny joints, clean lines and full muscle bellies his physique came alive when he posed.

Middleweight David Henderson, from Northern Ireland, is now a three-time British champion. It's a compliment rather than a criticism of David's physique to say nothing in particular stands out – his strength is his completeness and lack of flaws but his hamstrings looked improved on his latest British success. David is now a bona fide British amateur great.

In the heavyweights Bodre Gabor carried his extra height well and had a little too much size for his rivals. Runner-up John Gair was well conditioned. Pietro Diesposito took the over 100 kg division.

MASTERS AND JUNIOR BODYBUILDING

The quality of both masters divisions was among the weekend highlights. The over-50s must rank as one of the best ever, and what a top six. Nick Swann won the Arnold Classic Europe a fortnight earlier in the 55-plus age category but he was unable to repeat that here against younger guys, having to settle for third behind Silvio Martinez. The winner, Neil 'Nelly' Chapman served notice at the final qualifier three weeks earlier that he was a serious threat and he somehow managed to up his game, turning up bursting with vascularity and no little muscle. His lines weren't bad either – a really impressive 50-year-old champion, who was third in the over-40s last year.

The tall and wide Brett Stephens took the over 40s. He had a good amount of muscle and was aesthetic and tight. Runner-up Dean O'Connor has an impact physique – not the prettiest shape but a fantastic amount of mass that he'd brought to the peak perfectly.

Lewis Pickavance dominated the juniors to become this year's national champion. Tall and wide, he has the foundations of a fine physique, with plenty of muscle as well as a pleasing shape.

INTERMEDIATE BODYBUILDING

The two intermediate champions both had classical shapes. Besjan Osmani, who won the over 85 kg class, had one of the best structures seen on stage all weekend and was cheered to success by a large arms of fans. For many people his physique is what bodybuilding is all about – crisp, balanced flowing muscle rather than crazy mass. Bogdanas Rudycevas, the 2010 British junior champion, was second. Bogdanas is a tall guy and still has a little filling out to do but he hit some superb poses to push Besjan hard. Shaun Howe, who won the under 85 kg class, had a quality physique that included some great poses, especially side chest.

WOMEN'S PHYSIQUE

Andrea Corbett, runner-up last year, was not to be denied this time. Anyone who follows the sport knows Andrea has serious potential – her structure is incredible and her legs are insane. She needed to be on her game as a strong 10-woman lined-up assembled to battle for the title and the coveted pro card. None pushed her harder than Suzanne Delazzari, who was the best conditioned female athlete all weekend. Suzanne was shredded but still looked feminine and richly deserved her best ever finish. Claire Johnson, who was sixth at the Arnold Classic Europe, finished with bronze.

CLASSIC PHYSIQUE

Paul Harris was awarded an IFBB Elite Pro Card after becoming Britain's first classic physique champion. Paul may be young but his physique definitely harks back to an era before mass was too often put above class. His vacuum pose is a real eye-catcher. Paul, who won at the Nordic expo in Finland a week ago, is now destined for the paid ranks alongside his bodyfitness partner Connie Slyziut. Piotr Jablonski, who is always a formidable opponent with his width and structure, finished second.

CLASSIC BODYBUILDING

After five years of finishing in the top three of the British Championships, Austin Williams finally fulfilled his obsession by becoming national champion in the over 178 cm height class Just when it seemed his day couldn't get any better he defeated Louis Moylan in the overall to receive an IFBB Elite Pro card. It was an emotional moment for Austin, who has invested so much energy into this over five years and who now finally plans a much-needed rest. He's never looked better, showing that big chest, wide back and shredded shape to devastating effect. Michal Uliwiak added to his growing reputation by finishing second. Louis Moylan, who was fourth at the recent Arnold Classic Europe, won the up to 178 cm height class, showing great shape but couldn't quite match Austin's mass and conditioning for the overall.

FITNESS

Maggie Turner cartwheeled her way to the British title, combining a balanced physique with a mesmerising routine. It started slowly and elegantly, with mainly dance elements, before exploding into more gymnastics move. It was a tight call for first between Maggie and Catherine Jones, who rounded off an excellent year by winning silver. Catherine packed a lot of difficult elements into her high energy routine and presented an attractive, athletic physique to relegate pole expert Katie Henry to third.

RESULTS

Junior Bodybuilding

1 Lewis Pickavance

2 David Pritchard

3 Lurie Lesanici

Fitness

1 Maggie Turner

2 Catherine Jones

3 Katie Henry

Classic Physique

1 Paul Harris

2 Piotr Jablonski

3 Waldemar Biernacki

4 Lee Hersey

5 Alaa Kanone

6 James Pattinson

also competed: Meysam Karimi, Danny Wilson, Reza Rezamand and Ryan Howells

Masters Bodybuilding over 40

1 Brett Stephens

2 Dean O'Connor

3 Seyed Ravanbakhsh

4 Bernard Alexander

5 Eric Davis

6 Christian Vogt

also competed: Jon Griffiths, Martin Herz, Tony Lane, Jose Vitoriano and Paul Blackwell

Masters Bodybuilding over 50

1 Neil Chapman

2 Silvio Martinez

3 Nick Swann

4 Kevin Fraser

5 Neal Wiles

6 Richard Reader

also competed: Dariusz Zulk, Nick Papa, Scott Danna, David Whatley, Trevor Northcott, Michael Bukowski. Andrew Hanson and Peter Banks

Intermediate Bodybuilding up to 85 kg

1 Shaun Howe

2 Gary Ingram

3 Max Brend

4 Justin Bedwell

5 Fawaz Mourad

6 Ryan Evans

also competed: Neil Stanley, William McDowell and Boaz Barry

Intermediate Bodybuilding over 85 kg

1 Besjan Osmani

2 Bogdanas Rudycevas

3 Paul Douglas

4 Declan Sewell

5 Hayon Prosser

6 Gary Burke

Classic Bodybuilding up to 178 cm

1 Louis Moylan

2 Piotr Jablonski

3 Waldemar Biernacki

4 Danny Arnold

5 Kieran Westlake

6 Angad Singh

also competed: Maksim Anuszkiewicz, Lee Hersey, Anthony Larson, Danny Wilson, Alaa Kanone, Ian McGuinness, Lal Kanwar, Sergey Ribalkin, Nathan Summerland, Joben Mari and Buiug Dinesh

Classic Bodybuilding over 178 cm

1 Austin Williams

2 Michal Uliwiak

3 Keith Turner

4 Jamie Brown

Women's Physique

1 Andrea Corbett

2 Suzanne Delazzari

3 Claire Johnson

4 Phoebe Black

5 Julie Hunter

6 Nicky Glarvey

also competed: Edita Klausova, Daniella Scozzi, Tanya Nelson and Meena Parker

Bodybuilding up to 70 kg

1 Josiah Cave

2 Charles Olutola

3 Lee Hayes

4 Maiwand Feizi

5 Darres Adtowe

6 Anthony Dacres

Bodybuilding up to 80 kg

1 David Henderson

2 Karel Borges

3 Adam Young

4 Michael Smith

5 Yasser Farhah

6 Adam Amini

also competed: Ash Souda, Edward Johnson, Benjamin Smith, Joe Carvalho, Michael Belgrave and Andy Gold

Bodybuilding up to 90 kg

1 Francis Ketibuah

2 Theo Ojideh

3 Aurimas Rimkevicius

4 Mark Taylor

5 James Dunsby

6 Wadullah Al-Juboori

also competed: Tomasz Nowak

Bodybuilding up to 100 kg

1 Bodre Gabor

2 John Gair

3 Wozciech Frankowski

4 Eugen Matis

Bodybuilding over 100 kg

1 Pietro Diesposito

2 Chris Stevenson