Arnold Classic 2010
Arnold and Kai to the sky!
1) Kai Greene
2) Phil Heath
3) Branch Warren
4) Dexter Jackson
5) Toney Freeman
6) Ronny Rockel
7) Roelly Winklaar
8) Hidetada Yamagishi
9) Melvin Anthony
10) Robert Piotrkowicz
11) Tarek Elsetouhi
12) Johnnie Jackson
13) Sergey Shelestov
I know this comment is becoming redundant, but this year’s version of the Arnold Sports Festival, including the Arnold Classic and the Arnold Amateur, certainly fell into the category of best ever. The big weekend got off to a rousing start on Thursday night at the fitness and figure prejudging and the bikini and masters figure finals. There had to have been 1,500 people in the seats at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio, for that one. The amateur show attracted around 400 competitors from 35 states and 45 countries.
The expo was insane, as always. How about these for staggering numbers: By 9 a.m. on Saturday, 38,000 wristbands had been sold; by Sunday afternoon approximately 150,000 people had gone through the venue. Plus, there were nearly 700 booths, an all-time record.
I emceed the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, the Ms International and the Arnold Amateur, per usual (about 15 hours at the podium in all), and I’m barely functional as I type this. So please understanding if this column is a bit more incoherent than normal. Did I say normal?
Anyway, time to hand out my special awards regarding the competition side of the ASF in 2010:
COMEBACK KID AWARD: Kai Greene, who else? Greene came from behind a year ago to defeat Victor Martinez for the crown and did the same thing this year, overcoming a three-point deficit to Phil Heath to dominate the finals and earn the $130,000 grand prize.
MOST IMPROVED: Heath, who else? Of the top four — Greene, Heath, Branch Warren and Dexter Jackson — only the Gift had a better package than he displayed at the ’09 Olympia. So, why didn’t he win the show? Phil and nutritionist Hany Rambod are asking the same question.
ON THE CUSP AWARD: Ronny Rockel, who followed up his seventh-place landing at the Olympia with the sixth-place award to start off the 2010 season. Some people even felt Rockel could have been fifth, in Toney Freeman’s slot, although I think the X-Man looked terrific and earned his placing.
BRIGHTEST NEWCOMER, MALE: Roelly Winklaar of the Netherlands, last season’s Arnold Amateur champion and his 22-inch (56 cm) pipes. No complaints from me if Roelly, who finished seventh, had switched places with Rockel, although Ronny does have a more complete physique than the Dutch freak — for now.
BRIGHTEST NEWCOMER, FEMALE: Alina Popa, who may have only finished eighth (out of 14), but she caught everyone’s attention. At 5’6” (168 cm) and 160 lbs (72.5 kg), the former World Amateur champ from Switzerland is pretty, has great lines and was sporting crisp muscle. Look for Popa to be a top-six Olympia contender this year.
I also liked the overall presentation of Zoa Lindsey, last season’s open and masters winner at the IFBB North American Chapionships. Zoa is the first Canadian to win the overall at the NAC since Sharon Bruneau way back in 1991.
MAY NEED A SHRINK AWARD: Branch Warren, who left the stage with a title — ‘Most Muscular’ — but could only finish third in the final balloting. Just like last year. That makes it four Most Muscular trophies in a row for the Texas Titan. Coming off a runner-up finish at the Big Dance last September and winning the big-muscles crown again, he probably figured the ASC title just had to be his in 2010. But Warren will have to try again.
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE AWARD: Dexter Jackson, who else? The Blade was aiming ASC for victory number four, which would have tied him with good buddy Ken ‘Flex’ Wheeler, but he left the arena with another great disappointment — the fourth-place trophy. After going from being crowned Mr Olympia in 2008 to third in ’09, then dropping to fourth here, Jackson has a lot to contemplate.
Don’t count this cat out of anything, though. I thought the 40-year-old Jacksonville Jaguar looked sublime in Columbus (I had him at least third), and he has to still rank as one of the faves at the Olympia. At least when we’re talking about top-five finishes.
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE, PART 2: Melvin Anthony, who was out of the top 10 at last year’s O but bounced back with a victory at the ’10 Phoenix Pro in February. Instead of getting better, as Freeman did, Marvelous Melvin was less impressive in Ohio and landed all the way down in ninth. Should he call it quits? I say no. The man still has a great physique, is capable of bringing down the house when he gets his three minutes of stage time and is a top-10 Olympia guy until he proves me wrong by not finishing in that slot again in the 2010 battle. At 40 Melvin has seen his window of opportunity narrow considerably. So show me you still got it, Marvelous.
MOST ENTERTAINING POSING PRESENTATION: Nobody, really. Greene was the official winner, but his performance wasn’t nearly as moving as the one that rocked the house 12 months earlier, causing the Governator himself to tell Kai, “That was the best posing routine I’ve ever seen.”
Marvelous Melvin did have more moves and grooves than Greene, but it was the same routine Mel has done for years, so that wasn’t so stimulating either. I guess, if I’d had a Taser pointed at my head and had been forced to make a call, I would have gone with the Asian Sensation, Hidetada Yamagishi for best poser. Nothing awe inspiring, but a nice, classical performance.
Hold on. I’ve got the solution. Sort of. The Most Entertaining effort on stage that night was made by the slick duo of John Gaylan, 14, and Alexandra Gutkovich, 10, who performed at the finals. They were phenomenal. I guess if you’re the number-one-ranked United States Junior tandem team and the reigning International Latin Dancesport champions, phenomenal becomes the norm, eh?
Okay, they can’t win my award because they weren’t in the Arnold Classic lineup — but you can’t fault me for trying.
ROCKY BALBOA AWARD: Sylvester Stallone, who gave his infamous “Yo, Adrian!” at the podium while receiving the Arnold Schwarzenegger Lifetime Achievement Award from the Governator. “I thought she was dead,” said the witty Sly, who will next star in The Expendables, scheduled for an August release.
I’M BEGGIN’, GIRL, AWARD:
A tie — amateur competitor Graeme Bennett and Strongman icon Derek Poundstone, both of whom dropped to their knees on stage during the weekend and proposed to their ladies. How come nobody ever says, “No way!”?
STAYIN’ ALIVE AWARD: Shawn Loevenguth of Live Technologies, who steers the ship as producer and production manager of the Arnold Sports Festival. Shawn’s set fort the Saturday-night finals — a Mayan temple theme — was the best he’s crafted in his 15-plus years working the event. And he’s done terrific work every year, so my viewpoint is significant. Shawn and his team didn’t have a moment’s rest all weekend; they put up new sets for all three events that took place on the Veterans Memorial stage.
On another note, Shawn’s set was not the only ‘best’ about him. His sleek 192 lb (87 kg) physique was down from 235 (107 kg) in 2009. I thought it was his kid brother when I saw him in the production office on Thursday night. He keeps pleading for an Iron Man cover; the way he’s going, it may not be such an absurd request after all. Okay, so it still is, but the man deserves props for sticking to a yearlong workout and nutritional program.
Can’t wait to see you at 175 (79 kg) next year, guy.
UNSUNG HEROES AWARD: To the 600 volunteers who put their life on hold for the mega production year in and year out. Way too many to mention, but I’ll throw out a few names and apologize to the rest: Ron Houser and Scott Lucius, who take on the Herculean task of head of airport transportation; Carolyn Rival and Kerry Lind, hosts at the DoubleTree Guest Suites, and Steve Grill, who heads up the ASC backstage crew. IM
