Who Are this Year’s Power Players in the Bikini Division?
Ever since the Bikini division was created in 2010, it’s become one of the most popular female divisions in the IFBB Pro League. Three competitions were held on the weekend of May 12-14 alone. New fans are watching these ladies compete around the world every week, but they need to know who the key players are when they watch the 2023 Bikini Olympia in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5.
Tim Wilkins, Chris Cormier, and Terrick El Guindy broke down the elite of the elite on a recent episode of Prime Time Muscle. El Guindy started off by acknowledging the 2022 Bikini Olympia champion Maureen Blanquisco, but he also spoke about the runner-up and 2021 champion.
“Jennifer Dorie was not happy about losing that title,” El Guindy said in part. “She’s going to come back in 2023 with a freaking vengeance.”
Going beyond the last two champions, there has been a new champion crowned at the Bikini Olympia every year since 2018. The last champion to win more than one title was Angelica Teixeira, and the only three-time winner in history is Ashley Kaltwasser, who’s still competing in 2023. El Guindy shared that the competitive landscape is one reason why we don’t see more dynasties in the division.
“It’s one of the toughest classes to judge because the physiques and the criteria forces them to be very equal. We’re not asking them to be massive, so there’s not enough room to grow.”
Beyond Olympia champions, there are other contenders to consider as power players, including Lauralie Chapados, who defeated Blanquisco at the 2023 Bikini International as part of the Arnold Classic weekend. El Guindy offered Chapados asome guidance going into the 2023 Olympia if they compete.
“She was overconditioned (at the Olympai), which made her lose her nice shape. If she was fuller, she’d been there.”
To hear more about the power players in Bikini as well as other discussions on Prime Time Muscle, subscribe to the Olympia TV YouTube channel, and tune in to new episodes every Friday. You can also comment and share your thoughts about the discussions while you’re there.