Body by Dani - Thoughts from the Europa

Elizabeth Lamm really impressed in her one piece

NPC figure star Danielle Rouleau lays out her thoughts on the IFBB Europa Pro Figure show last weekend.

August 18, 2008

Body by Dani Blog 

Now that the Europa is done (and we get to look forward to the next one being in Florida in April!) I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on last weekend's pro figure show.  I know that there was some controversy regarding the female bodybuilders and how they were treated, but everyone I talked to in the figure world seemed to think that everything was run very smoothly and was up to standards.  

We all have our favorites, and of course everyone's opinions will be different.  But I think that the results and placings were pretty fair and accurate, although I would have had a few different call-outs and placings my favorites were in the mix:  Paola Almerico, Elizabeth Lamm, Meriza DeGuzman, Jelena Abbou, and Shannon Meteraud all stood out to me.

It goes without saying that everyone at this level looks very good.

Coming in first was Bernadette Galvan who looked excellent - her legs were on point, not too hard, and her vascularity wasn't too much - she definitely deserved her placing in my eyes.  In second was Hazal Nelson who looked great too, although I think a few other girls were conditioned a little better and deserved to be in the top five and I ranked Hazal in the 6-10 placing range.

Jelena Abbou was third and she's always been a favorite of mine and I'm happy that she is now qualified for the "O."  She has definitely made a lot of progress this year and stepped her physique up a notch.  Her abs are harder and she's a lot more dense.  Jelena's legs are tighter, her delts are fuller, and overall she has better conditioning to go along with her awesome overall shape.  Congratulations Jelena you looked beautiful.

In fourth was Shannon Meteraud and I think she always comes in on point and I love her look when she does.  She carries herself well and was very tight and full.   I always look forward to her presence at the Olympia stage and I'll have to check to see if she is qualified for figure (I know she is set for fitness if her injuries are healed up).  Shannon deserved a top three spot at the Europa in my opinion.

In fifth was Stephanie, who moved way up from when I last saw her live at the Kentucky Muscle.  She looked good, however, I think she should still add some more mass to her legs.  However the judges seem to like her look and her upper body is terrific, I think she will do well in the next few years. 

Meriza DeGuzman deserves a special acknowledgement because she may have had the best conditioning of the night, she looked awesome if you prefer the look where you just go all in and look your best.  By the old criteria Meriza would have challenged for the top.

For my final thoughts, the judging seemed to be more based on the "not-too-hard" look, but that's the look that they also liked at last year's Europa so nothing new there.  The girls who placed well were nonetheless conditioned.  I was disappointed that some of the top world athletes didn't show up and some that did weren't at their best - but I guess they are waiting for the big show to show us their goodies.  But the athletes who did qualify I'm pleased with and I wish all the best for them at the Olympia.

Danielle Rouleau is a 23-year old NPC figure competitor and fitness model who writes for Bodybuilding Weekly.  Her background is in gymnastics, cheerleading, and various forms of competitive dance.  She will be competing in November at the 2008 NPC National Figure Championships in Atlanta.  You can visit her on her web site, http://www.daniellerouleau.com/.