by John Plummer

Photography by Kevin Horton

Almost 350 athletes from around the world flocked to Bratislava in Slovakia for the two-day IFBB World Fitness Championships, which end today.

The competition is the main event of the year for amateur female IFBB competitors, all of whom have excelled on their national stages.

The only male category was men's fitness. The men's world championships for all other categories were held last month in the United Arab Emirates.

Maggie Turner, the reigning British champion in fitness, was one of an astonishing 39 women who took part in fitness, which is widely regarded as the most difficult discipline of all because it demands both a dynamic routine and a high quality physique.

The cost of her flight and hotel was covered by the UKBFF.

Maggie, 39, didn't make the top six but she executed an outstanding routine and brought a high quality physique to the stage.

“I managed to improve so much from last year in so many areas both physically and in terms of performance so I am really chuffed,” she says.

“I was 20-plus years older than almost all of the others, a single parent with an incredible little girl and a very demanding job working long shifts as a police officer I couldn’t feel more proud right now and am very lucky to have had such an amazing experience.”

The event took place a week after the largest ever IFBB Junior World Championships drew almost 300 young athletes to Budapest, Hungary.

Next week two top UKBFF athletes will be in action at the IFBB World Masters Championships in Spain.

Nick Swann, winner of the 2018 Arnold Classic Europe, will compete in the over-50s bodybuilding. Nick was a fabulous second last year.

Two-time British champion Hajnalka Lipcsei will also be flying the flag in masters bikini fitness. Good luck to both of them.