West Midlands Championships

by John Plummer

Photography by Kevin Horton

You can view and buy individual images from this event here https://www.ukbffphotos.com/2018/WEST-MIDLANDS-CHAMPIONSHIPS

Alternatively competitors can order all their images as a package. Email ukbffphotos@gmail.com for details.

A week that will end at the Arnold Classic Europe in Barcelona for some 70 UKBFF athletes, began in Bedworth for another 85 UKBFF competitors.

They were competing in the last qualifier for this year's British Championships in Nottingham, which are now less than three weeks away.

Some not only booked their places but made a statement of intent that they will be going for gold at the most prestigious event on the domestic calendar – one with history dating back 40 years.

For the next week, however, attention will switch to the Arnold, where the UK team will join more than 1,000 other IFBB athletes on stage in Spain.

Two UK athletes had a taste of international action over the weekend at the IFBB Diamond Cup in Poland.

Kasia Romanowicz finished fifth in bikini fitness in the up to 162 cm height class and Cassie Hunter was sixth in her bikini fitness height class.

BODYBUILDING

You could hardly have picked two more contrasting physiques battling for top spot in the over 90 kg class. The winner, Solomon Onaola had a wonderful classic shape, with a tight waist, clean lines and good muscle separation. Dean O'Connor, the runner-up, was full of hard gnarly muscle but his extra size wasn't enough to topple Solomon.

Classic physique attracted the largest line-up yet seen at a qualifier and they were all good too. Jamie Cole's leg shape and separation gave him the edge.

They say it takes years to understand your body and the masters provided ample evidence of this. All four over-40s looked carved of granite, distilling a lifetime's experience to peak for their time on stage, but the winner, Seyed Ravanbakhsh, had a little bit extra, with a really nice flow to his physique. His front double biceps pose was a standout.

Over-50s winner Neil 'Nelly' Chapman certainly wasn't found wanting for condition either. Nelly had striations all over his body and was more than a match for his three rivals on muscularity too. Nice posing, good tan - very impressive all-round and one to watch in Nottingham.

Classic bodybuilding champion Angad Singh also has the potential to shine on the national stage. Angad's physique came to life when he posed, popping with full, shapely muscle bellies and a highly pleasing shape. If he brings up some weak areas he will be dangerous.

Joel Crain won the up to 85 kg intermediate class with a thick solid physique supported by excellent legs. Runner-up Neil Stanley had sharp obliques. Haydon Prosser was a little bigger and harder than Christopher West in the over 85 kg line-up.

Junior champion Konrad Saja displayed a lean, muscular shape that will need filling out if he is take the next step up.

MEN'S PHYSIQUE

There have been few stronger line-ups in muscular men's physique at a qualifier than the one here. All five guys were peeled. The winner, Omar Suleiman, caught the eye with his ridiculously small and detailed midsection and big chest. Runner-up Marcus Privett had shape to die for. Dudley Dixon was moved out of junior men's physique for being too big and was rewarded with third place and, along with the top two, a British finals invite.

Omar Tairay wasn't the biggest guy in the up to 173 cm men's physique height class but he had the best quality package, with a quality taper and tiny waist.

Jahangir Bangash, who took the up to 179 cm division, had clean lines as well as good shoulders, back and chest. Runner-up Lucasz Kaczmarczyc had impressive conditioning.

Kun Qian's pleasing lines overcame Dean Bonner in the over 179 cm category. Dean was on fire, bursting with conditioned muscle and the best abs seen all day but had a little too much size and hardness for men's physique.

Kishan Patel, who won the large rookie line-up, scored highly on aesthetics thanks to his symmetry and separation.

Mitch Allmark, who won the juniors, had a tiny waist, sharp conditioning and fresh good looks. Runner-up Jordan Lennon's midsection was full of lines

Masters champion Trevor Campbell had a youthful and aesthetic shape, with good chest fullness,

FEMALE CLASSES

Cat Jones demonstrates her flexibility during her fitness routine. PHOTO: Kevin Horton

Two of the best women's physique athletes of the year locked horns at the final qualifier. Nicky Glarvey and Phoebe Black both had high quality packages, with shape and muscle and Nicky got the nod on the day.

Cat Jones took up fitness this year for a challenge. For someone with no training in gymnastics or dance this was a brave thing to do and when she broke her wrist early in the year she must have wondered if it was a foolish thing to do. But it all came together on stage where she performed some great strength and flexibility moves and demonstrated a well trained shape to book her place in Nottingham.

Wellness winner Sharna Richards-Blyth looked like a buff Nicki Minaj, combining model looks with a shapely lower body to defeat the improving Toni Charles. Michaela Sheffield, in third, had a terrific structure. Perhaps her upper and lower body were a little too balanced for wellness but she looked superb.

Masters bikini fitness champion Hannah Nicholls is a thoroughbred – always polished, with excellent proportions and she dialled it in beautifully here. Runner-up Victoria Crewe had one hell of a body too but her extra muscularity and hardness may have been better suited to bodyfitness.

Another masters competitor, Agnieska Jaszczura, also brought her A game in bodyfitness. Agnieska was exceptionally lean and displayed terrific detail and shape in her legs and good glute development.

Sophie Gallacher showed enough to suggest she can be a force in any bikini fitness line-up. Sophie, who won the up to 164 cm class, had a little more shape and fullness than her rivals in her legs and glutes, which complemented her tiny waist and wide shoulders.

Kelly Kavanagh and Alison Werrell both presented tall, well trained forms in the tall height class, with the former prevailing in a close decision. Junior winner Hana Jindrova stood out straight away with her height but it was her fine proportions that earned her victory in a strong line-up.

Faith Steer's attractive shape and balance won bodyfitness. Rookie bikini fitness champion Jade Holland had a fantastic pair of legs, with her quads giving them great shape.

RESULTS

Junior Bodybuilding

1 Konrad Saja

Junior Bikini Fitness

1 Hana Jindrova

2 Jasmine Cooper

3 Paige Garner

4 Haley Justice

Junior Men's Physique

1 Mitch Allmark

2 Jordan Lennon

3 Louis Norris

also competed: Jack Hutchinson and Alin Docan

Rookie Bikini Fitness

1 Jade Holland

Wellness

1 Sharna Richards-Blyth

2 Toni Charles

3 Michaela Sheffield

also competed: Reka Goralszki

Rookie Men's Physique

1 Kishan Patel

2 Karanvir Virk

3 Abdul Wahab

also competed: Estanislao Berbegal Gil, Richard Rhys Selby, Stefan Workman, Bruce Cangton and Ross Kinghorn

Masters Bodybuilding over 40

1 Seyed Ravanbakhsh

2 Jamie Bailey

3 Tony Lane

also competed: Robert Chodak

Masters Bodybuilding over 50

1 Neil Chapman

3 Steve Milacic

2 Andrew Brown

also competed: Dean Harris

Masters Men's Physique

1 Trevor Campbell

2 Liam Gol

3 Andy Garfield

Intermediate Bodybuilding up to 85 kg

1 Joel Crain

2 Neil Stanley

3 Saeed Rezaei

also competed: Rupert Micklethwaite

Intermediate Bodybuilding over 85 kg

1 Haydon Prosser

2 Christopher West

Masters Bikini Fitness

1 Hannah Nicholls

2 Victoria Crewe

3 Ji Lee

Masters Bodyfitness

1 Agnieska Jaszczura

2 Lyndsey Devereux

Fitness

1 Catherine Jones

Classic Bodybuilding

1 Angad Singh

2 Anthony Larson

Bodyfitness

1 Faith Steer

Bodybuilding over 90 kg

1 Solomon Onaola

2 Dean O'Connor

3 Woziech Frankowski

also competed: Anthony Swanston and Jonathan Peers

Women's Physique

1 Nicky Glarvey

2 Phoebe Black

Classic Physique

1 Jamie Cole

2 James Pattinson

3 Ryan Howells

also competed: Jay Howlett and Shabz Shokofan

Bikini Fitness up to 164 cm

1 Sophie Gallacher

2 Maria Reyes

3 Lydrune Misiunaute

also competed: Debra Windley

Bikini Fitness over 164 cm

1 Kelly Kavanagh

2 Alison Werrell

Muscular Men's Physique

1 Omar Suleiman

2 Marcus Privett

3 Dudley Dixon

also competed: Shaun Smith and Harinder Bansal

Men's Physique up to 173 cm

1 Omar Tairay

2 Bradley Walker

3 Antoni Costa

also competed: Francis Barker and Saheeb Khalid

Men's Physique up to 179 cm

1 Jahangir Bangash

2 Lucasz Kaczmarczyc

3 Huseyin Savashan

also competed: Lukas Oleak and Steuenzacari Jones

Men's Physique over 179 cm

1 Kun Qian

2 Dean Bonner

WEST MIDLANDS CHAMPIONSHIPS