BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 1

Report by John Plummer

Photography by Kevin Horton

You can view and buy images of this event here: https://www.ukbffphotos.com/2019/BRITISH-CHAMPIONSHIPS

Competitors can order all their photos from this event as a package here: https://www.ukbff.co.uk/ukbff-photos

Four IFBB Elite pro cards were awarded on day one of the UKBFF British Championships in Nottingham.

More than 200 entrants took to the stage in 17 height and age classes and four overall classes in men's physique, bikini fitness, bodyfitness, muscular men's physique and wellness.

At the end of the day Aaron Daley (men's physique), Ellie Sutton (bikini fitness), Chloe Greenwood (bodyfitness), ** (muscular men's physique) and Amy Payne (wellness) were handed their IFBB Elite Pro cards.

Anyone wondering what they can do with IFBB pro cards doesn't have to look far for inspiration: last month Abies Nosa won $5,000 for winning pro men's physique at the Arnold Classic Europe in Barcelona in front of 2,000 fans and was awarded his trophy by Arnold Schwarzenegger; this weekend there is a $30,000 IFBB Elite Pro contest in China and an IFBB Masters Elite Pro event in Macedonia and next weekend there is the $25,000 IFBB Elite Pro Madrid.

Day 2 of the British Championships tomorrow sees bodybuilding, classic bodybuilding, classic physique, fitness and women's physique on the programme. Tickets will be available on the door at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham.

MEN'S PHYSIQUE

Your new IFBB Elite Pro is Aaron Daley, who stepped up from second place last year to win the up to 173 cm class and the overall. Aaron had clear, clean details in his shoulders and arms, serious midsection conditioning most guys only dream of and good aesthetics, combined with nice smooth posing. Omar Touray led the chasing pack in his height class, showing a sharp, well balanced look, followed closely by tiny-waisted assassin Ismail Collymore, who is always a threat.

Over 182 cm height class winner Alan Gyamfi looked the biggest threat for the pro card. Alan peaked perfectly, everything was popping, he had terrific chest fullness and looked carved from marble.

The up to 182 cm class was close between Damien Wood, the eventual winner, and runner-up Wale Balogun

Mohammad Alizadeh, who won up to the 179 cm class, had sensational conditioning and strong aesthetics,. The detail in his midsection was astonishing.

No British Championships is complete without Francisco Rocha picking up at least one trophy and he was at it again here, following up second place in his height class with victory in the masters. Kleris Zoga looked the part when he burst on to the scene last year and his hard work, combined with his natural good looks and genetic shape, were rewarded when he won the juniors. Runner-up Justin Makil has made his mark this year, firstly doing the double at the Kent Classic by winning the juniors and his height class and now by finishing second here.

BIKINI FITNESS

Ellie Sutton was the pick of the four height champions in bikini fitness. Ellie is attractive, athletic and lean and has burst on the scene suddenly, winning the last qualifier in Bedworth and now storming to the overall title and pro card. Proof that if you're good enough, things can happen very quickly.

There was a strong eastern European look to the top three in the up to 162 cm class. Viktorija Ruminaviciute, all sass and class, followed up her English Grand Prix International victory with another first place in a deep line-up, ahead of Ernestina Portnaja and Szilvia Babinszki, who continues to show how masters competitors can excel in open line-ups. Few women command the stage better than Viktorija. Pocket rocket Hannah Wares, in fourth, has made a big impression this year and should be proud of her achievements.

Ashleigh Jackson continued her phenomenal year with victory in the up to 166 cm class. The English Grand Prix International champion, is all about balance, shape and a healthy attractive look. She doesn't work the stage as much as some competitors but it's impossible to ignore her quality. Runner-up Sophie Davis has some of the best sculpted legs in the country. She brought a quality package to the stage to relegate the stunning Mariana Semchii to third in an outstanding top three.

Top international competitor Marta Nowicka further enhanced her reputation by winning the tall class, ahead of Harriet Pearsey and Federica Wootton. Few competitors are more polished and professional than Marta – you can be sure she will bring something very hard to beat to the stage.

In little more than two months, Juta Bulay has catapulted her way to the forefront of the sport. She won both the juniors and her height class at the Kent Classic and is now British junior champion, and a runner-up in her open height class. Juta has a wonderful shape that she presented well.

WELLNESS

Nearly 20 lower-body dominant women lined up, and the woman with the most impressive quads and glutes of all, Amy Payne, was the last woman standing. This victory was in the pipeline: Amy was fourth at last year's British, has international pedigree and looked incredible in qualifying. She was ready and boy, she needed to be. Runner-upKarin Pienaar has emerged as a serious contender this year with real pedigree. Scottish champion Stella Eduvie, who has superb genetics, rounded out a strong top three.

BODYFITNESS

An emotional rollercoaster day for Chloe Greenwood ended on a massive high as she was awarded her IFBB Elite Pro card. Chloe was probably the best conditioned female of the day, in fact she was too lean for bikini fitness, which she initially entered. Her crushing disappointment of working so hard in vain was soon forgotten however, as she picked herself up to accept the offer to compete in bodyfitness. She overcame Helen Stafford, the latest in a line of great Scottish bodyfitness competitors, in her height class and a best-ever Tanya Nelson before going head-to-head with Victoria Crewe in the overall. Victoria is one of the rising stars of this class, having turned up consistently in top shape. She beat the shapely Deborah Baker and Ugne Bubnaityte, whose legs just defy words, in the tall class. The head-to-head was a match up between two contrasting physiques, with 'Powerhouse Princess' Chloe taking the pro card back to the north-east of England.

MUSCULAR MEN'S PHYSIQUE

Harley Judge proved he is more than a pretty face by taking first place in muscular men's physique and claiming at IFBB Elite Pro card. Harley, who appeared on Love Island on TV, combined a terrific muscular shape with a healthy appearance to defeat the excellent Adam Wadey and George Ogunpitan, who initially entered men's physique but was moved category as he better suited muscular men's physique.

RESULTS

Overall 2019 British men's physique champion: Aaron Daley

Overall 2019 British bikini fitness champion: Ellie Sutton

Overall 2019 British bodyfitness champion: Chloe Greenwood

Junior Men's Physique

1 Kleris Zoga

2 Justin Makil

3 Steven Johnson

4 Ficioru Daniel

5 David Baah

6 Krisztian Nemeti

also competed: Abdul Wahab, Arald Menkshi, Chenar Zahawy, George Bordea, Dylan Cahill, Donovan De Klerk and Callum Pyatt

Junior Bikini Fitness

1 Juta Bulay

2 Eleanor Barnhurst

3 Karolina Jasicka

4 Hayley Irwin

5 Aimee Wiltshire

6 Sophie Gallagher

Bikini Fitness up to 162 cm

1 Viktorija Ruminaviciute

2 Ernestina Portnaja

3 Szilvia Babinszki

4 Hannah Wares

5 Eleanor Barnhurst

6 Karolina Jasicka

also competed: Charlotte Nicol, Chloe Greenwood, Georgia Brayley, Ksenia Antonova, Anne Bulmer, Zydrune Misiunaite, Martine Warmann, Sophie Gallagher and Hayley Irwin

Bikini Fitness up to 166 cm

1 Ashleigh Jackson

2 Sophie Davis

3 Mariana Semchii

4 Chante Gibson

5 Zuzana Tvrda

6 Natalia Moczulajtys

also competed: Maya Dimicheva, Vivien Boros, Aimee Wiltshire, Charlotte Lewis, Denisa Ardeleah, Heather Marie Smith, Claire Ellis and Natasha Arkley

Men's Physique up to 173 cm

1 Aaron Daley

2 Omar Touray

3 Ismail Collymore

4 Kleris Zoga

5 Carl Hicks

6 Justin Makil

also competed: Bradley Walker, Joshua Ajibola, Kishan Patel, Marcus White, Massimo Passantino, Matthew Bicar, Nicola Rungo, Arald Menkshi, Liam Gol, Dale Mason and Abdul Wahab

Men's Physique up to 179 cm

1 Mohammad Alizadeh

2 Francisco Rocha

3 Lukasz Kaezmakczyk

4 Keith Johnson

5 Abdulrahman Aloumi

6 Vincent Samuel

also competed: Chenar Zahawy, Ali Rezaei, Boris Gavrilov, Marius Boroghina, Craig Connah, Daniel Marr, Deepak Kumar, Jahangir Bangash, Lucas Brolly, Keith Cleverly and Shub Ghosh

Bodyfitness up to 163 cm

1 Chloe Greenwood

2 Helen Stafford

3 Tanya Nelson

4 Daniela Stanescu

Bodyfitness over 163 cm

1 Victoria Crewe

2 Deborah Baker

3 Ugne Bubnaityte

4 Loretta Murphy

5 Leanne Dix

6 Dominika Powojska

Wellness

1 Amy Payne

2 Karin Pienaar

3 Stella Eduvie

4 Lauren Wall

5 Iren Finna

6 Cathy Millar

also competed: Abby Best, Alexandra Fairclough, Alexandra Jakri, Amy Hymas, Ella Cole, Hayley Overall, Jade Bullock, Lauren Stone, Louise Aviles, Sarah Simmonds and Sharna Richards-Blyth

Bikini Fitness up to 169 cm

1 Ellie Sutton

2 Juta Bulay

3 Bethan Harris

4 Melissa Teacy

5 Tawane Cushnie

6 Stephanie Richardson

also competed: Atalia Beer, Pamela David, Channon Munton and Zoey Hughes

Men's Physique up to 182 cm

1 Damien Wood

2 Wale Balogun

3 Simon Christou

4 Mahesh Vekasiya

5 Christopher Barton

6 Tim Tonchev

also competed: Alexandru Petculescu

Bikini Fitness over 169 cm

1 Marta Nowicka

2 Harriet Pearsey

3 Federica Wootton

4 Jessica Seymour

5 Tereza Sukova

6 Dovile Germanaite

also competed: Ash Dowen, Barbara Krawczyk, Hannah Domney, Tracy Harley, Anna Jarvis, Yvette Geary, Fiona Hu and Hayley Fenning

Men's Physique over 182 cm

1 Alan Gyamfi

2 Matt Pilmoor

3 Mohamad Altaki

4 Kayode Osibanjo

5 Haris Mehboob

6 Carlos Harris

also competed: George Bordea, George Ogunpitan, Mark Sharpling and Felix Habarugira

Masters Bodyfitness

1 Victoria Crewe

2 Ugne Bubnaityte

3 Helen Stafford

4 Loretta Murphy

5 Maria Twomey

6 Deborah Warren

also competed: Candi Martin, Leah Carter, Suz Ferreira and Leanne Dix

Masters Bikini Fitness

1 Hajnalka Lipcsei

2 Szilvia Babinszki

3 Samantha Duncan Smith

4 Zydrune Misiunaite

5 Anne Bulmer

6 Hayley Fenning

also competed: Martine Warmann, Pamela David, Maya Dimecheva, Natasha Arkley, Annabelle Winterton, Christina Ingham, Julie Stubbs, Karina Fugiel, Lisa Cox, Stefanie Blackburn, Yvette Geary, Zoey Hughes, Fiona Hu and Anna Jarvis

Masters Men's Physique

1 Francisco Rocha

2 Deepak Verma

3 Alex Lemos

4 Syed Rahat Ali Shah

5 Davide Nuzzo

6 Graham Dawes

also competed: Dale Mason, Duane Hanson, Gavin Swann, Keith Cleverly, Nabeel Alsaadi, Sam Azimi, Liam Gol, Felix Habarugira and Massimo Passantino

Muscular Men's Physique

1 Harley Judge

2 Adam Wadey

3 George Ogunpitan

4 Nick Duffy

5 Kadan Jermaine Bogie

6 Thomas Bobb

also competed: Adam Schofield, Kris Tonchev, Dwayne Roberts, James Walters, Wagner Rocha, Sagar B K, Kyri Georgiou and Richard Oppong