BIKINI INTERNATIONAL
How competitive are things at the top of the bikini division? Since its inception in 2010, no competitor has managed to successfully defend their International or Olympia title. It won’t happen for the first time this weekend, as 2012 Bikini International champ Sonia Querido will be sitting this one out.
That leaves what has become Bikini’s Big Three – Nathalia Melo, Nicole Nagrani and India Paulino – as the most likely candidates to stand atop the winner’s podium come Saturday night.
Melo finally got her due last September, winning the Bikini Olympia after two consecutive runner-up finishes in Las Vegas. The Bikini International, however, hasn’t been as kind – Melo placed third here in 2011 before falling to fifth in 2012.
Nagrani had a banner year in 2011 – winning both the International and the Olympia at the age of 19. Now, at the ripe old age of 21, Nagrani will look to become the first two-time Bikini International winner.
Paulino has yet to win one of the sport’s two major titles but, like Melo before her, it seems only a matter of time before she does. She’s been knocking on the door for a while, as her eight straight top-three finishes – which include five wins and a runner-up placing at last year’s Bikini International – can attest.
Jamie Baird consistently places in the top five, but hasn’t been able to crack the top three at a major contest so far. She’ll look to hold off a lineup that includes a host of newcomers in what has fast become the most popular division in the NPC.
IFBB Women’s Head Judge Sandy Williamson on …
Nathalia Melo “For her it’s about conditioning and trying to find that balance of keeping her lower body tight enough without losing fullness in her upper body. She found that at the Olympia.”
Nicole Nagrani “Nicole has been very successful at a very young age and is probably the most balanced of the top girls. I just thought she looked a little small and a little soft at the Olympia. Her conditioning was a bit off to me. She is a young girl who keeps maturing on stage.”
India Paulino “Like Nathalia, it comes down to conditioning for India. Her stage presence is great. Sometimes her legs overpower her upper body and she can carry a bit of weight in the back end.”
The Melo-Nagrani-Paulino Matchup “These top three girls are all beautiful girls with great physiques, so being off by just one or two percent can make all the difference on stage. That’s why you see it go back and forth, depending on who comes in with the best conditioning for their body.”
Jamie Baird “Jamie is knocking on the door. She is another one who has to watch her bottom half – she has to find a balance of keeping her legs down but still keeping that fullness in her upper body.”
The Contenders “Tawna Eubanks had a great year last year along with Tiffany Boydston. Yeshaira Robles, when she is on, can be a threat for that top five. And there a number of newcomers who could break into that group.”
BIKINI INTERNATIONAL LINEUP
Noy Alexander
Jennifer Andrews
Jaime Baird
Tiffany Boydston
Abbie Burrows
Lacey DeLuca Lieto
Tawna Eubanks
Ashley Kaltwasser
Lexi Kaufman
Nathalia Melo
Nicole Nagrani
Noemi Olah
India Paulino
Jessica Paxson
Yeshaira Robles
Marcela Tribin
Anna Virmajoki
