Sugar's Classic

by John Plummer

Photography by Kevin Horton

Competitors can buy all your stage photos as a package here https://www.ukbff.co.uk/photography-orders

Or they can view and buy individual photos here https://www.ukbffphotos.com/2018/SUGARS-CLASSIC

The 2018 domestic year ended in style as 201 competitors descended on Leicester for Sugar's Classic.

The event offered opportunities to qualify for next year's Arnold Classic Europe, Arnold Classic Africa, IFBB Diamond Cups and the British Championships.

So there was plenty at stake, and a sizeable crowd turned up to make it a fitting finale to a season that has seen numerous UK athletes succeed at home and abroad.

Thanks to all the competitors who have made it such a memorable year.

We look forward to welcoming you back for the UK Nationals in April – the qualifying event for the IFBB World and European Championships.

The dates of all next year's contests will appear on the UKBFF website shortly.

BODYBUILDING

Michal Ohradka announced his arrival as a new junior star by taking the under-23 class with an impressively complete physique for such a tall and young guy. His legs were particularly good and his conditioning was spot on. A little more mass and he will be dangerous. Runner-up Saud Khalil's hypnotic routine complemented his classical X-frame perfectly.

The masters continue to astound with their ability to get peeled. The top three in the over 40s all had sliced legs; runner up Gabriel Alvarez-Serrano also had impressive lower body mass while the winner, Norman Rogerson, had a pleasing shape.

In the over-50s, third placed Nik Hunter brought size, runner-up Michael Seel was the leanest man on stage all day and winner Dean Harris had the most balanced package.

Kieren Westlake didn't let a broken wrist deter him from competing at the recent Arnold Classic Europe and British Championships and he somehow managed to maintain his razor condition to win classic bodybuilding, ahead of Angad Singh's shapely form. He then doubled up by winning classic physique.

Under-80 kg champion Siraj Rahman combined a pleasing shape with some strong body parts, including his legs and abs.

Gabriel Alvarez-Serrano's superb legs and sharpness were the keys to his success in the under-90 kg division. Over-90 kg winner Aurimas Rimkevicus was wide, with a lovely tight waist.

FEMALE CLASSES

The quantity and quality of female competitors has been one of the features of the 2018 season.

Few have made more of a mark than Olga Upelniece, the British masters champion and international competitor, whose stunning shape took first in the masters here. It was one hell of a top three, as highlighted by the fact that runner-up Ugne Bubnaityte – another star of 2018 – won the open class. What a pair of legs Ugne has, and she always turns up super lean.

Sarah Burdock, a gymnast competing in her first bikini fitness contest, could turn out to be one of the stars of 2019. Sarah took the junior class with a beautifully balanced body – she just needs to show more confidence. Paige Garner's balanced and flowing shape took second.

Stefanie Griffin is making this show her own, having now won wellness for the last two years. Stefanie always has knockout glutes and calves but she needed to be sharp to defeat Angelika Prejna, who has glutes to die for.

Masters bikini fitness was one of the classes of the day, featuring real depth in talent. Annabelle Winterton's tall and athletic hour glass shape finished first, ahead of Pamela David.

A bout of flu knocked Welsh women's physique champion Daniella Scozzi's hopes at the British Championships but she battled back to take first here.

Rookie runner-up Martyna Derlat caught the eye with her stunning glutes but the judges preferred the more slender athletic form of Ellie Sutton in a large line-up.

Martyna was back in the open up to 164 cm height class where she again finished second in an incredible top three. Ashleigh Jackson, the woman in pink, cemented her reputation as one of the best in the country with another outstanding display of symmetry and shape. Dionne White, the winner, bounced back from her disappointment at the British Championships by winning this class for a second consecutive year.

Andressa Rivelles' sensational legs and stunning looks catapulted her take first place in the over 164 cm class.

MEN'S PHYSIQUE

You rarely see a rookie men's physique competitor as good as Alan Gyamfi, who took first place in a 20-man line-up. Several guys were sharp but Alan also had wonderful upper body symmetry and fullness while retaining a tight waist.

He then went on to win the tall open height lass ahead of the full and lean George Ogunpitan.

Kleris Zoga also did the double his beautiful flowing physique firstly took the juniors then he won the biggest line-up of the day, the monstrous 24-man up to 179 cm height class. That's how to make your mark. Matthew Bicar and Calvin Rhun rounded out a fantastic top three.

Keep an eye on Alan and Kleris – they could be among the stars of 2019.

An impressively lean Duane Hanson won the masters.

Mizan Rahman, whose shape and full muscle bellies caught the eye, was the pick of a strong top three in muscular men's physique.

RESULTS

Junior Bodybuilding

1 Michal Ohradka

2 Saud Khalil

3 Daniel Hawkins

Junior Bikini Fitness

1 Sarah Burdock

2 Paige Garner

3 Hayley Irwin

also competed: Karolina Markova, Georgia Brayley, Charley Vurtis, Phalem Ndemaze and Georgia Harries-Rogerson

Junior Men's Physique

1 Kleris Zoga

2 Steven Johnson

3 Aldo Menkshi

also competed: Malik Bovdehane, Jack Downes, Mousa Elshatlawy

and Oliver Deelay

Rookie Bikini Fitness

1 Ellie Sutton

2 Martyna Derlat

3 Georgia Brayley

also competed: Maya Dimcheva, Karolina Markova, Michelle Jayne, Katherine Dyer, Anna Hinds, Jessica Gordon, Agate Loce, Sally Northover, Klara Kubinska, Eurika Goosen and Aleksandra Bystrzucua

Wellness

1 Stefanie Griffin

2 Angelika Prejna

3 Nadine Blackett

also competed: Liliya Stoyanova, Nevena Yordanova and Sophie Donaghey

Rookie Men's Physique

1 Alan Gyamfi

2 Samson Olatunji

3 Subhasis Ghosh

also competed: Manda Ionut, Kriseiyan Malinovtonchev, Craig Horner, Mihail Kotsev, Charles Dyntove, Gregory Lawrence, Neil Whittle, Stuart Edwards, Shaun Pickering, Matthew Henry, Sian Edmunds, Abhinav Ganguly, Jack Downey, Aldo Menkshi, Paul Ellis, Jake Black and Thomas Parry

Masters Bodybuilding over 40

1 Norman Rogerson

2 Gabriel Alvarez-Serrano

3 Raial Kwiatkowski

also competed: Petar Tafkov and Dean O'Connor

Masters Bodybuilding over 50

1 Dean Harris

2 Michael Seel

3 Nik Hunter

also competed: Andrew McHaffie

Masters Men's Physique

1 Duane Hanson

2 Richard Muir

3 Davide Nuzzo

also competed: Mike Marshall, Nabeel Alsaadi, Steven Winter, Mandip Phlora, Harry Ely, Christopher Harrison, Thomas Riff and Tyrone Haughey

Masters Bikini Fitness

1 Annabelle Winterton

2 Pamela David

3 Rhianon Williams

also competed: Maya Dimcheva, Louise Mosedale, Raynor Stock-Lynch, Ksenia Norris, Damy Possoni, Claire Harwood, Jessica Gordon, Anna Jarvis, Agnes Zaka, Klara Kubinska, Eurika Goosen, Anne Starekout, Agnieszka Wojciak and Svetlana Wheeler

Masters Bodyfitness

1 Olga Upelniece

2 Ugne Bubnaityte

3 Victoria Crewe

also competed: Claire Myler, Julie Horton, Julianna Lawrence and Heylia Cooper

Classic Bodybuilding

1 Kieren Westlake

2 Angad Singh

3 Courtney Jerome

also competed: Kieron Pemberton, Brandon Hall, Mensah Oteh, Chris Laueham, Barnaby Harris, Edgarad Lindinas, Szymon Mordas, Kypros Ellinas and Ben Stansfield

Bodyfitness

1 Ugne Bubnaityte

2 Monika Susynska

3 Alex Karagianis

also competed: Leanne Dix, Laura Maddox, Heylia Cooper and Ayme De Oliveira

Bodybuilding up to 80 kg

1 Siraj Rahman

2 Leon Roberts

3 Benjamin Smith

also competed: Saud Khalil, Darren Antoine, Adam Amini, Reza Shokri, Dean Lovkin and Rafal Kwiatkowski

Bodybuilding up to 90 kg

1 Gabriel Alvarez-Serrano

2 Martin Gorman

3 Daniel Johnson

Bodybuilding over 90 kg

1 Aurimas Rimkevicus

2 Enzo Tom

3 Nicholas Stupart

also competed: Dean O'Connor, Petar Tafkov and Lubos Sagat

Women's Physique

1 Daniella Scozzi

2 Phoebe Black

3 Rachel Collins

Classic Physique

1 Kieren Westlake

2 Nabil Ghandour

3 Connor Igor

also competed: Denislav Chalakov, Nick Coyle, Szymon Skorski and Chris Anderson

Bikini Fitness up to 164 cm

1 Dionne White

2 Martyna Derlat

3 Ashleigh Jackson

also competed: Louise Mosedale, Paige Garner, Anna Hinds, Donte Bakalarz, Jade Clare, Agate Loce, Stephanie Cerrato, Penny Thompson, Mariana Semchii, Elizabeth Finley and Lynsey Allen

Bikini Fitness over 164 cm

1 Andressa Rivelles

2 Pamela David

3 Einorka Mazeikiene

also competed: Jodie Byrne, Rhianon Williams and April Walters

Muscular Men's Physique

1 Mizan Rahman

2 Wagner Rocha

3 Dwayne Roberts

also competed: Domas Jaudzemas, Matthew Hodgson and Thomas Parry

Men's Physique up to 179 cm

1 Kleris Zoga

2 Matthew Bicar

3 Calvin Rhun

also competed: Gabriez Rusu, Kriseiyan Malinovtonchev, Mihail Kotsev, Virmantas Olisauskas, Istuan Csaki, Sami Tertar, Thomas Riff, Charles Holder, Daniel Hinds, Danny Kirov, Baroghina Marius, Antonio Nunes, Davide Nuzzo, Ben Dashwood, Dennis Pascual, Carl Hewer, Billy Croson, Saeed Khazal, Tom Wolfe, Jack Black and Jason Magee

Men's Physique over 179 cm

1 Alan Gyamfi

2 George Ogunpitan

3 Carlos Harris

also competed: Joshua Colton, Reza Rezamand, Thomas Seenra, Jamie Thompson, Paul Ellis, Alex Tarnaveanu, Kayode Osibanjo, Luke Manning and Zak Mohammed