MIDLANDS CHAMPIONSHIPS

by John Plummer

Photography by Kevin Horton

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The last train to Nottingham has departed. The final qualifier of the year for the 2019 UKBFF British Championships, the most prestigious event in domestic bodybuilding with more than 40 years of history, is over. Now all eyes are on the big weekend in Nottingham on October 12 and 13 to see who will follow great names like Dorian Yates, Eddie Abbew, Flex Lewis and Ryan Terry.

Some of those who have won on the Nottingham stage, like Steve Avery, Tony Bailey, Kristie Sanderson and Rasto Valent were in Bedworth for the event, which attracted 132 competitors. It's safe to say more than a few of them will be in the shake-up in fortnight's time in the battle to be crowned British champion and to win an IFBB Elite Pro card.

BODYBUILDING

The bodybuilding classes have got better as the year has progressed, and this was a fitting finale before the main course in Nottingham, with deep line-ups in all four weight classes.

Big Nick Bostock got the verdict in a muscle-packed over 100 kg class. Nick has a thick and shapely physique, with a good set of poses, and can hit a decent vacuum.

There was more heavy duty muscle in the up to 100 kg class, where a perfectly peaked Teodor Dragoev took first place. Teodor was on: everything was popping and his abs were unreal. Junior champion Mariusz Boszman took silver – a great result for a 22-year-old in such a strong class against guys with decades of hardcore training. Juniors with the size and quality of Mariusz don't come around often and he made quite an impression, with particularly eye-catching legs and delts.

Up to 90 kg champion Barry Cuncliffe showed good width, excellent legs and hit a superb front lat spread. Yimka Majolajbe won the up to 80 kg class with biceps as big as watermelons. Runner-up Jamin John showed great flexibility and had fun on stage. Jamie Stormont, in third, was lean and balanced but slightly outsized.

Simon Gheshash returned to take the over 40s with his trademark conditioning, which really brought out his back detail. Runner-up James Edwards had plenty of muscle and Jamin John, in third, was hard and detailed.

Not many people are good enough to win their class without a decent tan but Richard Reader managed it. Richard's physique was the most muscular and he was lean enough to show detail even though his skin was too light.

Mateusz Froelke won the most fiercely fought intermediate qualifier of the year. For a tall man, he carries a lot of well conditioned muscle. Runner-up Adam Amini's classic shape caught the eye.

Classic Bodybuilding was a dog fight featuring no fewer than 12 athletes. Paulius Berzinskas, a tall man with an X frame and excellent conditioning, proved to be the top dog.

MEN'S PHYSIQUE

Kuldeep Singh Chana was one of the day's standout competitors. He took the tall men's physique class, showing terrific condition and shape, and would have probably won the award for best smile. He totally rocked the stage.

Bradley Walker sent his wonderfully noisy followers home happy by winning the up to 174 cm class, with a slender and symmetrical shape.

Kristian Nemeti was the pick of a tight junior top three. Kristian had a really shredded midsection and an impressive taper. Runner-up Chenar Zahawy had deep abs, and was duly rewarded for his persistence when he took the up to 179 cm open class later.

Deepak Verma won an unusually deep masters class. The top three all had fabulous tight midsections but the winner, Deepak Verma, had a little bit more, scoring highly on aesthetics and balance.

Ciaren Batson prevailed in a raucous classic physique class, which the audience loved. Nick Duffy's full and shapely upper body took muscular men's physique.

FEMALE CLASSES

Wellness top 3: Winner Alexandra Jakri (centre); 2 Amy Payne (right) and 3 Ella Cole

Bodyfitness produced its best top three of the year and a terrific champion.

Sasha Zadeh's legs were exceptionally lean and detailed and she had an excellent back and glutes. Maintaining this standard of conditioning over the next two weeks won't be easy but if she can manage it, she will be dangerous at the finals. Masters bodyfitness champion Deborah Warren was also seriously lean. Runner-up Candi Martin had a nicely tapered upper body.

Sara Harpin also made a big statement in women's physique, confidently displaying a strong and healthy looking physique with plenty of shapely muscle.

The 11-strong wellness line-up produced an outstanding top three. Ella Cole's lovely shape took third. Amy Payne has really stepped things up since last year, when she finished fourth at the British and made the top 10 at the Arnold Classic Europe: showing serious glute gains and a sensational shape, she was unlucky to have to settle for second on the day to the beautifully flowing lines of Hungarian-born personal trainer Alexandra Jakri, who dialled in her condition nicely. IFBB Elite Pro Stefanie Griffin handed out the trophies.

Top international competitor Marta Nowicka gave another display of quality feminine muscle to win the tall bikini fitness class, holding off a spirited performance by UKBFF debutant Jessica Seymour, who looked superb and has a bright future in this class.

Eleanor Barnhurst had a day to remember, winning both the junior and then the up to 164 cm height class with a tight and polished physique that displayed good proportions. Junior runner-up Karolina Jauicke had an excellent athletic shape that would have benefited form a darker tan.

Ellie Sutton's well trained form took the up to 169 cm class

Toni Charles seems to have been competing every month this year yet she always turns up in excellent shape. She got her reward here with first place in masters bikini fitness ahead of Lisa Cox, who displayed lovely lines.

RESULTS

Junior Bodybuilding

1 Mariusz Boszman

2 Thomas Lawson-Smith

3 Haydon Woodcock

4 Michal Ohradka

Junior Bikini Fitness

1 Eleanor Barnhurst

2 Karolina Jauicke

3 Gabriela Jonova

also competed: Jordyn Parsley and Grace Bugg

Junior Men's Physique

1 Kristian Nemeti

2 Chenar Zahawy

3 Callum Pyatt

also competed: Vikram Bhullar, Jemiah Headley and Bradley Hall

Wellness

1 Alexandra Jakri

2 Amy Payne

3 Ella Cole

also competed: Karolina Lopusinka, Sally Skidmore, Leeah Dominique, Emily-Louise Cole, Stefania-Cristina Roso, Chloe Lake, Camila Sanchez and Edita Radkeviciene

Masters Bodybuilding over 40

1 Simon Gheshash

2 James Edwards

3 Jamin John

also competed: Rupert Miklethwaite, Alexandros Masihzadeh and Elton Martin

Masters Bodybuilding over 50

1 Richard Reader

2 Mark Bentley

3 Christian Vogt

Masters Men's Physique

1 Deepak Verma

2 Liam Gol

3 Michael Ashanti

also competed: Donovan Robinson, Paul Johnson and Marcus Rees

Intermediate Bodybuilding

1 Mateusz Froelke

2 Adam Amini

3 Sean Irwin

also competed: Justice Wright, Ben Lear, Mohsen Yafien, A Rennally, Robert Lewis and Jack Harrison

Masters Bikini Fitness

1 Toni Charles

2 Lisa Cox

3 Karina Fugiel

Masters Bodyfitness

1 Deborah Warren

2 Candi Martin

3 Leah Carter

Classic Bodybuilding

1 Paulius Berzinskas

2 Steven Winter

3 Ian McGuinness

also competed: Ioannis Michael, Densilav Chalkov, Stuart Rowe, Mark Coteman, Rus Ali, Sam O'Shaughnessy, Naser Abdolahpour, Darren Clemment and Dawid Kotodzieyski

Bodyfitness

1 Sasha Zadeh

2 Daniela Carvalho

3 Deborah Baker

also competed: Yasmin Hill, Deborah Warren and Leah Carter

Bodybuilding up to 80 kg

1 Yimka Majolajbe

2 Jamin Zohn

3 Jamie Stormont

also competed: James Pattinson and Sebastian Green

Bodybuilding up to 90 kg

1 Barry Cuncliffe

2 Jas Basra

3 Alexandros Masihzadeh

also competed: Haitham Alkngari, Adam Young and Razvan Basea

Bodybuilding up to 100 kg

1 Teodor Dragoev

2 Mariusz Boszman

3 Ivan Jabchev

also competed: Szymon Skorski, Ali Dernawi and Martin Herz

Bodybuilding over 100 kg

1 Nick Bostock

2 Otto Horvath

3 Svawnas Tamuievicius

4 Zac Leason

Women's Physique

1 Sara Harpin

2 Maxine Ryan

Classic Physique

1 Ciaren Batson

2 Ivo Eglitis

3 Joe Bourne

also competed: Boaz Barry, Mohammad Nazafi, Mahdi Hamedinejad and Amin Maruf

Bikini Fitness up to 164 cm

1 Eleanor Barnhurst

2 Vivien Boros

3 Charlotte Nicol

also competed: Jordyn Parsley, Zane Zviedre, Karolina Jasicke and Karina Fugiel

Bikini Fitness up to 169 cm

1 Ellie Sutton

2 Laura Simon

3 Atalia Beer

Bikini Fitness over 169 cm

1 Marta Nowicka

2 Jessica Seymour

3 Ash Dowen

also competed: Hannah Domney, Grace Bugg and Gabreila Jonova

Muscular Men's Physique

1 Nick Duffy

2 Kris Tomchev

3 James Walters

also competed: Lukas Olear

Men's Physique up to 173 cm

1 Bradley Walker

2 Marcus White

3 Joshua Whitta

also competed: Robert Rahplin, Abhinav Ganguly and Liam Gol

Men's Physique up to 179 cm

1 Chenar Zahawy

2 Deepak Kumar

3 Craig Connan

also competed: Alan Thorogood, Mihail Kotsev, Karanvir Virk, Daniel Comarita, Tommy Millur and Mark Birch

Men's Physique over 179 cm

1 Kuldeep Singh Chana

2 Kayode Osibanjo

3 Mohamad Aitaki

also competed: Callum Pyatt, Mahda Ionut and Damien Scrace

MIDLANDS CHAMPIONSHIPS: REPORT AND RESULTS