Santa Susanna 2007

by Andrew Michalak

The 2007 Santa Susanna Fitness Weekend was so long that we could title it “The Fitness Week” this year. Many IFBB officials came to this Spanish spa on Tuesday, September 18, to take part in the World Judges Seminar, then amateur athletes joined them to compete for medals at the 2007 IFBB World Women Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships and World Men Fitness Championships and then the professional men bodybuilders and women fitness stars were welcomed to take part in the 2007 Santa Susanna Pro Grand Prix, competing for prize money and last possible tickets for the upcoming 2007 Olympia contests in Las Vegas. And between all these top sports events there were many meetings and official dinners but one of these meetings was absolutely extraordinary. This was a visit of the IOC Honorary President for Life, H.E. Marquis of Samaranch who came to Santa Susanna to meet the IFBB President Dr. Rafael Santonja and the other officials.

Juan Antonio Samaranch had been always receptive with the IFBB during his 21-year-long Presidency in the IOC. It was during his tenure that the IFBB was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1998 at the 107th IOC Session in Nagano, Japan. It was he, who as the first IOC President watched the bodybuilding contests live, during the historical 2000 European Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. Mr. Samaranch met the IFBB founder and first President Mr. Ben Weider and our actual president Dr Santonja many times. He titled Mr. Ben Weider a true “Gentleman of Sport” in his speech in Santa Susanna. He also emphasized his long acquaintance with the current IFBB President, Dr. Santonja, to whom he expressed the trust on his capacity to lead the federation for the future.. Finishing his short address to the IFBB officials, Mr. Samaranch said – “You remain united, what is the most important thing, and work for sport.”

It seems that our work and the progressing activity of the whole “physique sports family” has become seen worldwide, as more and more IOC top officials show interest in our contests and our achievements. IOC influential members participated in the latest European Games in Kyiv, Ukraine as well as in these Championships in Santa Susanna, which were attended by Dr. Julio Maglione, Vice-President of the Association of the National Olympic Committees [ANOC] and President of the Uruguay Olympic Committee and Mr. Julio Rocha, President of the Olympic Committee of Nicaragua. Also Non-Olympic sports authorities were represented by Mr. Gintautas Vileita, first Vice-President of the European Sports Committee. I have never seen so many top world sport dignitaries at any IFBB event in the past.

This increasing prestige of the IFBB and its international championships has been possible due to the very intensive diplomacy of the IFBB new President, Dr. Rafael Santonja, who travels a lot, meets the sport and administration top officials in all continents, invites them to our championships and gets them acquainted with our sports and IFBB activity. This diplomatic “offensive” is combined with the mass media “offensive”. Several TV channels, including Eurovision and Russian NTV, sent their crews to cover the Championships and the number of the photographers from all continents was so big, that there were no enough places for them in the first row of seats. According to the IFBB data, the reports covering this year’s Championships will be broadcasted by nearly 100 TV channels in all continents.

48 - NEW RECORD OF PARTCIPATING COUNTRIES

But Dr. Santonja has had the really powerful weapons in his worldwide offensive. The number of participating countries in the IFBB Championships is still increasing. In Santa Susanna a new record has been set: national teams from 48 countries came there to create a very spectacular revue of physical excellence and body beauty. It is also important that these champions came from all parts of the world (18 Non-European countries!) and that more and more of the Non-European athletes enter the finals and battle for the medals. It proves that the physique sports world “map” has had less and less “blank places” and that the sport skills of the competitors have become more equal all over the world.

The other powerful “weapon” of the IFBB President is the army of highly qualified sport administrators, judges, trainers, doctors and other specialists involved in the top sport activity. They help the competitors to prepare the top sport condition for the events and show their full potentials. This was clearly visible during the Championships this year. The battle was very close and tough in all categories and the champions displayed a really professional level. Enough to say, that the medal winners in fitness up to 163 cm category were separated by one-point differences in the final scores only. Margarita Byelinska of Ukraine was the most lucky one this time, winning the world title after her first place in the summer European Games and silver medal at the 2007 European Championships. She was followed by Vera Egorova of Russia and Loana Muttoni of Brazil.

The taller fitness class, over 163 cm was dominated by the Czech star Jana Stockelova, 2006 runner-up, after the close battle against Antonella Ferretti of Italy and Evegenya Filyanina of Russia. Men fitness brought two medals for Poland. Tomasz Pietras gave no chance to his rivals, winning unanimously both physique rounds and the world title and Andrzej Baczynski placed 3rd. They were separated by new Russian star Mikhail Ivanov.

Jana Purdjakova of Slovakia has become a bodybuilding legend, winning her 5th World Championships gold medal. She is very effective in the battle on stage, presenting so attractive “total package” that enables her to defeat all demanding rivals, like Rosita Trigila of Italy (silver medal) and Irina Muntean of Romania (bronze medal).

Women body fitness was very exciting, with so many champions (90!) from so many countries. They represented all colors of skin and all cultures. In the first category, up to 158 cm, we saw the “come back” of the Slovak star Natalia Revajova Lenartova, who already won several world and continental titles but delivered a baby in August, so nobody expected she would be ready to fight for the medals this year. She proved the opposite and incredible possibilities of the sport lifestyle, winning the silver medal this time, behind the new Russian “body perfection” – Anna Rasputnyak, who emerged this year as the winner of the European Championships in Cacak.

The other Slovak international star, Katarina Verbovska, graduated veterinary doctor from Kosice, regained the throne in the 163 cm class, while the 2006 world champion Barbora Benesova of the Czech Republic, “performed” as the Czech national team coach this time. Eleni Kritikopulou of Greece had to accept the silver medal, and Nelli Tsyshkevich of Russia won her first world bronze medal.

Brazilian “offensive” in the 168 cm class was spectacular and effective. The victory was an internal matter of the two Brazilian stars: Larissa Reiss, who placed 3rd in 2006, and a new face in the line-up – Glaucia Ferreira. Reiss was in her life condition but, anyway, lost to Ferreira, who impressed the judges with beautiful body lines and shape. The European “artillery”: 2006 world champion Gabriela Kubesova and runner-up Cecilia Benjaminson, couldn’t rise to this double Brazilian challenge this time.

The most successful body fitness star emerged from the tall class, over 168 cm. Yulia Zabelina won everything available this year: European tall class and overall title as well as both world tiles, being crowned the best 2007 world body fitness physique. She managed to dethrone the 2006 world champion Sonya Kopcokova of Slovakia, what was an incredibly difficult task, while Kopcokova also came in her life condition. They were followed by the Spanish “trio”: Maribel Barnes, Evie Madsen and Jaqueline Costa.

Russia, who entered full A and B Teams, won the Best Team title, ahead of Slovakia, Brazil, Spain and Italy – the real women physique sports strongholds in the globe. The detailed report soon.

After this amateur part of the fitness weekend, the pro events took place on Sunday, attracting 28 top European professional “top caliber” bodybuilders. Like the past year, the battle for the top trophy of the 10 000 US Dollars was run between Spanish bodybuilding Hero Paco Bautista and German “Mass Monster” Markus Ruhl. Bautista showed the top condition, with very thin skin and incredible details of his huge muscularity. He was in the best shape in the line-up while Ruhl was very massive but not so deeply cut up. This was the similar situation like in 2006 but we need to remember that the main pro bodybuilding event will take place a week later in Las Vegas, where both athletes will meet once again. The main questions are: will Bautista be able to keep his top hardness and will Ruhl be able to improve his definition? If you want to know the answer as quickly as possible, visit Las Vegas, USA, during the upcoming weekend!

Click here and Download complete results in pdf format


The top officials watching the finals (from L to R): Datuk Paul CHUA (IFBB Vice-President for Asia); Dr. Rafael SANTONJA (IFBB President); Dr. Julio MAGLIONE (ANOC Vice-President and IOC Executive); Nieves SANTONJA (Dr. Santonja’s wife).


IFBB President Dr. Rafael SANTONJA during his opening speech. Next to him (from L to R): Carlos RAMOS (Catalonian Bodybuilding Federation President); Jose RAMOS (Spanish Federation President); Josep MONREAL (Mayor of Santa Susanna).


IFBB Patron Mr. Joan CAMPOLIER (former Mayor of Santa Susanna and current CEO of Santa Susanna’s Tourist Foundation) with the IFBB Gold Order presented to him by the IFBB Vice-President Datuk Paul CHUA (left); IFBB President Dr. Rafael SANTONJA (second from right) and Mayor of Santa Susanna Mr. Josep MONREAL (far right).


Carlos RAMOS (Catalonian Bodybuilding Federation President); Jose RAMOS (Spanish Federation President); Datuk Paul CHUA (IFBB Vice-President for Asia); IFBB Patron Mr. Joan CAMPOLIER; IFBB President Dr. Rafael SANTONJA and Josep MONREAL (Mayor of Santa Susanna).


IFBB officials hearing out the Spanish national anthem during the Parade of Nations ceremony.


The top six fitness women up to 163 cm (from L to R): Dagmar PASTERNAKOVA (5th place); Loana MUTTONI (3rd place); Margarita BYELINSKA (1st place); Vera EGOROVA (2nd place); Diana MONTEIRO (4th place) and Anna MEKHNINA (6th place).


Women Fitness over 163 cm


The 2007 IFBB world women’s fitness overall champion Jana STÖCKELOVA (Czech Republic) congratulated by the IFBB President Dr. Rafael SANTONJA (far left); ANOC Vice-President Dr. Julio MAGLIONE (second from left) and CEO of Santa Susanna’s Tourist Foundation Mr. Joan CAMPOLIER.


The 2007 IFBB world women’s fitness overall champion Jana STÖCKELOVA (Czech Republic) with her trophy.


The top five fitness men in the open category (from L to R): Roberto DALLAKIAN (4th place); Mikhail IVANOV (2nd place); Tomasz PIETRAS (1st place); Andrzej BACZYNSKI (3rd place) and Jan BÖHM (5th place).


The 2007 IFBB world men’s fitness champion Tomasz PIETRAS (Poland).


Women Bodybuilding up to 55 kg


The top six women bodybuilders over 55 kg (from L to R): Andrea DECKER (6th place); Alevtina GOROSHINSKAYA (4th place); Larissa CUNHA (2nd place); Elena SHPORTUN (1st place); Simone LINAY (3rd place) and Alina CEPURNIENE (5th place).


The 2007 IFBB world women’s bodybuilding over 55 kg champion Elena SHPORTUN (Russia).


The 2007 IFBB world women’s bodybuilding overall champion Elena SHPORTUN (Russia) congratulated by the IFBB President Dr. Rafael SANTONJA (right) and the IFBB Vice-President for Asia Datuk Paul CHUA (left).


The top six women body fitness up to 158 cm competitors (from L to R): Marisa LOPEZ (6th place); Martina TARKOVA (4th place); Anna RASPUTNYAK (1st place); Natalia REVAJOVA - LENARTOVA (2nd place); Yolanda ESTESO (3rd place) and Agnese RUSSO (5th place).


The top six women body fitness up to 163 cm competitors (from L to R): Jaana KOTKANSALO (6th place); Cristina MENINI (4th place); Eleni KRITIKOPOULOU (2nd place); Katarina VERBOVSKA (1st place); Nelli TSYSHKEVICH (3rd place) and Montserrat VENTURA (5th place).


The top six women body fitness up to 168 cm competitors (from L to R): Cecilia BENJAMINSON (6th place); Carmen GALASSO (4th place); Larissa REIS (2nd place); Glaucia FERREIRA (1st place); Gabriela KUBESOVA (3rd place) and Miriam SANCHEZ (5th place).


The top six women body fitness over 168 cm competitors (from L to R): Alica KAVULJAKOVA (6th place); Evie MADSEN (4th place); Sonya KOPCOKOVA (2nd place); Yulia ZABELINA (1st place); Mirabel BARNES (3rd place) and Jaqueline COSTA (5th place).


The 2007 IFBB world women’s body fitness overall champion Yulia ZABELINA (Russia) congratulated by the IFBB President Dr. Rafael SANTONJA (right) and the Spanish Federation President Jose RAMOS (left).


The 2007 IFBB world women’s body fitness overall champion Yulia ZABELINA (Russia) with her trophy.

Back to Previous Page