Olympia Qualification Series: Who’s Going to Las Vegas?

There’s still one week left in the Olympia qualifying season, but four out of the six divisions held their final events this past weekend to bring an end to the first-ever IFBB Olympia Qualification Series. Take a look at who’s in below.

The qualifying season wraps up next weekend at the St. Louis Pro Bikini Championships.
 

MEN’S BODYBUILDING

Heading into the final contest of the qualifying season several spots were still up for grabs. Roelly Winklaar entered the weekend needing to place second or better to secure his spot. He did one better, winning the first-ever Nordic Pro to grab an the automatic qualifier. In the process he helped out Hidetada Yamagishi – who could have been bumped out of the top five had Winklaar, Balto Abbaspour and Fred Smalls finished 2-3-4.

OQS SERIES QUALIFIERS
1. Toney Freeman – 11 points
2. Ben Pakulski – 10 points
3. Hidetada Yamagishi – 7 points
4. Balto Abbaspour – 7 points
5. Jon Delarosa – 6 points*
6. Fred Smalls – 6 points*

*In the event of a tie, the competitor with the best top five contest placings will be awarded the qualification. Both Delarosa and Smalls have 2nd place finishes, so both will qualify for the Olympia.

See the complete list of Mr. Olympia qualifiers here!

 

 

212 SHOWDOWN

The division that best showcases the right and – unfortunately – wrong approaches to take. The right strategy, taken by Guy Cisternino and Derik Farnsworth … and the wrong one, taken by Sami Al Haddad.

Entering the final month of the season, both Cisternino and Farnsworth sat one point behind Sami Al Haddad in a tie for fifth in the standings. But while Cisternino and Farnsworth elected to compete with the goal of accumulating more points to solidify their qualifications, Haddad did not. (Contrary to rumors, when we contacted Haddad for this article in early August he told us he was planning on competing in the 212 Showdown but would not compete until then). Cisternino picked up three more points with a 3rd-place at the Muscle Heat in North Carolina, while Farnsworth picked up two points with a 4th at the Europa Super Show.

OQS SERIES QUALIFIERS
1. Marco Rivera – 11 points
2. Raul Carrasco Jimenez – 9 points
3. Shaun-Joseph Tavernier – 7 points (5th place 2011 Olympia)
4. Gaetano Cisternino – 7 points
5. Derik Farnsworth – 6 points

See the complete list of 212 Showdown qualifiers here!

 

 

FIGURE

The division with the most movement at the top of the standings in the final weekend of the season – with good reason, as three contests were held in different regions. Both Aleisha Hart and Mallory Haldeman came into the weekend on the outside looking in, and both did what was needed in order to qualify – Haldeman placing 2nd at the Tournament of Champions and Hart finishing third at the Valenti Cup. Andrea Cantone also picked up 2 points in Florida, bumping perennial Olympia qualifier Cheryl Brown – who elected not to compete on the season’s final weekend – out of the top five.

Allison Frahn and Larissa Reis picked up points at the Tournament of Champions, but both would have qualified regardless.

OQS SERIES QUALIFIERS
1. Allison Frahn – 10 points
2. Mallory Haldeman – 8 points
2.Larissa Reis – 8 points
4. Natalie Waples – 7 points
4. Aleisha Hart – 7 points*
4. Andrea Cantone – 7 points*

*In the event of a tie, the competitor with the best top five contest placings will be awarded the qualification. Both Hart and Cantone have 3rd place finishes, so both will qualify for the Olympia.

See the complete list of Figure Olympia qualifiers here!

 
 

FITNESS

A major change for the fifth and final qualifying spot, as Hollie Stewart – competing for the first time this season – placed third to pick up three points grab the fifth spot in a tie-breaker with Allison Ethier. Ethier’s points came via a 4th at the Pittsburgh Pro and a 5th at the St. Louis Pro. Since Stewart’s points came with a higher placing, Ethier ends up on the wrong end of the tiebreaker.

OQS SERIES QUALIFIERS
1. Danielle Ruban – 7 points
2. Fiona Harris – 6 points
3. Kizzy Vaines – 6 points
4. Vanda Hadarean – 4 points
5. Hollie Stewart – 3 points