JULIAN FEINSTEIN CLASSIC

by John Plummer

Photography by Christopher Bailey

Competitors can buy all their stage shots as a package here: http://www.christopherbailey.co.uk/product-category/ukbff-stage-photos/

Or watermarked versions of all photos can be viewed and purchased here: https://www.ukbffphotos.com/2018/JULIAN-FEINSTEIN-CLASSIC

As some of Britain's best battled it out overseas at the €25,000 IFBB Portugal Elite Pro and Diamond Cup, another batch of up and coming athletes made their way to west London to attempt to book their places at the British Championships in October.

The event, named after the late Julian Feinstein, who promoted this event for many years, attracted one shy of 100 athletes and the quality throughout was outstanding.

The Celts take centre stage in the next fortnight: firstly at the Scottish Championships in Dundee on Saturday and then at the Welsh Championships in Newport on June 24.

Junior bikini fitness top 3. PHOTO: Christopher Bailey

BODYBUILDING

Simon Gheshash is on a roll. After winning his weight class at the English Grand Prix, he took the masters over 40s here. Simon wasn't the biggest guy in the line-up but, not for the first time, he was the best conditioned and really stood out in the rear poses. It's no mean feat turning up for two shows a fortnight apart in such sharp condition.

Michal Uliwiak is also on a hot streak. Michal, who also struck gold at the grand prix, dominated another classic bodybuilding line-up. Salcio Leite and Maciej Dejnacka, who were second and third, both had very classy shapes.

Eight years after winning the British junior title, Bogdanas Rudycevas is back – and with the amount of muscle he carries he will be a threat to anyone in the intermediate over-85 kg class at the British finals.

Former British junior champ Bogdanas Rudycevas wins the intermediate over-85 kg class. PHOTO: Christopher Bailey

Kieron Marshall's well sculpted lines took the lighter intermediate class ahead of Billy Wells, who was the day's best supported competitor – his fan club did him proud.

Elliot Padgham, who won a strong junior line-up, has lots of muscle, good proportions and a damn good side chest pose,

Karol Olender won silver in men's fitness at the Arnold Classic Europe several years ago. He's now a bodybuilder but old habits die hard and he threw in some great moves in his routine on his way to winning the under-90 kg class.

Hassan Khalili had the most complete physique in the under 80 kg class, with good quads and a solid, overall shape.

FEMALE CLASSES

Up to 169 cm bikini fitness champion Melissa Teacy really dialled in her condition without overstepping the line for the class. Both she and runner-up Sarah Jenkins-Brown had lovely lines.

Tereza Sukova, who won the tall class, looked great in the front poses but will need to tighten up if she is to be a contender at the finals – she certainly has the potential.

Short class winner Lucy Hillsley's waist appears to defy the laws of nature it's so small. It gave her physique a wonderful hour glass shape and if she fills out a little, she could go far.

The standard in junior bikini fitness is ferocious this year. Here, Natalia Mikita's beauty and athleticism topped another superb top three. Runner-up Charlotte Fritz brought a brilliant, balanced package to the stage and third-placed Holly Moffatt was also strikingly complete and conditioned for one so young.

Masters bikini fitness champ Hayley Fenning must have the world's longest legs. It certainly seemed that way and their wonderful shape helped her overcome Maomi Remy's balanced, well sculpted package and third-placed Agnieszka Jaszczura, who had serious glute development.

What a shape bodyfitness champion Sasha Zadeh has. It was hard to believe this was her first contest. Runner-up Karolina Zarnecka was in great condition.

Rookie bikini fitness champion Kamaljeet Kaur presented an attractive and balanced physique.

Masters bodyfitness was a close battle between the winner Claudia Flueo and runner-up Briony Farlow, who has terrific shape but needs to be a little harder.

Brittany Soriano's big legs and dramatic shape overcame Csilla Biliniszki's conditioning and presentation in wellness.

MEN'S PHYSIQUE

There have been few better quality muscular men's physique line-ups than this. All four guys came prepared, and the winner - Dwayne Roberts – was a bit special. Solid and wide, he cut an imposing figure on stage.

The men's physique classes threw up some outstanding champions too: with his perfect six pack, wide shoulders and a great taper, short class winner Calvin Rhun was one of the day's standouts.

Luke Hayes' more slender but well sculpted lines took the up to 179 cm division. Jesus reigned in the tall class. We are talking about Jesus Fernandez, whose superb shoulders sealed the deal.

Sean O'Shea, who won rookie men's physique had abs that can only be described as spectacular. He had plenty more in his armoury too – look out for more from this guy.

The masters class boiled down to a shootout between two peeled over-40s, with Duane Hanson getting the nod ahead of Jay Howlett.

RESULTS

Junior Bodybuilding

1 Elliot Padgam

2 Jack Reay

3 Angus Green

Junior Bikini Fitness

1 Natalia Mikita

2 Charlotte Fritz

3 Holly Moffatt

also competed: Lucy Mogilner and Isabella Gottlieb

Junior Men's Physique

1 Billy Allen

2 Liam Spencer

3 Kacper Wlodkowski

Rookie Bikini Fitness

1 Kamaljeet Kaur

Wellness

1 Brittany Soriano

2 Csilla Biliniszki

3 Sarah Simmonds

also competed: Stella Eduvle, Vicky West and Angela Lokman

Rookie Men's Physique

1 Sean O'Shea

2 Nerusei Robert-Andrei

3 Sam Everitt

also competed: Saheeb Khalid, Aaron McCarthy, Karim Elkosir, Tieran McActeer and Karanvir Singh Virk

Masters Bodybuilding over 40

1 Simon Gheshash

2 Petar Tafkov

3 Dorel Toma

also competed: Nawaf Alaredhi, Ryan Evans and Rafal Ksiesk

Masters Bodybuilding over 50

1 Peter Banhs

2 Scott Dana

Masters Men's Physique

1 Duane Hanson

2 Jay Howlett

3 Alessandro Fiora

also competed: Liam Gol and Andy Carfield

Intermediate Bodybuilding up to 85 kg

1 Kieron Marshall

2 Billy Wells

3 Ashley Smith

also competed: Norbert Kiraly

Intermediate Bodybuilding over 85 kg

1 Bogdanas Rudycevas

2 Mateusz Krzqk

3 Gracian Liszka

Masters Bikini Fitness

1 Hayley Fenning

2 Maomi Remy

3 Agnieszka Jaszczura

also competed: Charley Baptiste and Veronika Chlebkova

Masters Bodyfitness

1 Claudia Flueo

2 Briony Farlow

Classic Bodybuilding

1 Michal Uliwiak

2 Salcio Lpido

3 Maciej Dejnacka

also competed: Lal Kanwar, Simon Chamlers, Ionut Muresan, Jason Boskett and Matthew Barton

Bodyfitness

1 Sasha Zadeh

2 Karolina Zarnecka

3 Kirsty McInnes

also competed: Eilis Collins and Paulina Malek

Bodybuilding up to 70 kg

1 Darren Antoine

Bodybuilding up to 80 kg

1 Hassan Khalili

2 Ed Johnson

3 Darren Payne

Bodybuilding up to 90 kg

1 Karol Olender

2 Harold Rodriguez

3 Pavel Sekelev

Women's Physique

1 Guimor Tonha

2 Monika Svozodova

Bikini Fitness up to 164 cm

1 Lucy Hillsley

2 Oleksandra Danilina

Bikini Fitness up to 169 cm

1 Melissa Teacy

2 Sarah Jenkins-Brown

Bikini Fitness over 169 cm

1 Tereza Sukova

Muscular Men's Physique

1 Dwayne Roberts

2 Nathan Demonte

3 Samson Bolvis

4 Austen Gardiner

Men's Physique up to 173 cm

1 Calvin Rhun

2 Nicholas Franck

3 David Kaciak

also competed: Charles Holder and Maximo Edralin

Men's Physique up to 179 cm

1 Luke Hayes

2 Elliot Weaver

3 Aaron Smith

also competed: Amman Chaudhri

Men's Physique over 179 cm

1 Jesus Fernandez

2 Khushwant Singh

3 Mahesh Vekasya

also competed: Vladimir Vinogradovs, Georgian Manolache and Joe Hewitt

JULIAN FEINSTEIN CLASSIC: REPORT AND RESULTS