ABIES AIMS FOR IFBB PRO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS GLORY
Abies Nosa (right) and the other Madrid pro show winners.
The IFBB season is building to an exciting climax, with the UK's top pro and amateur both boosting their chances of major global success at the weekend.
Abies Nosa beat 21 other guys to take first place in men's physique at the $25,000 IFBB Elite Pro Madrid at the weekend.
Abies, who is now a three-time IFBB Elite Pro champion, won $2,000 to go with the $5,000 he won last month for taking first place at the Arnold Classic Europe.
His back-to-back victories have marked him out as one of the favourites for gold at the $200,000 IFBB Elite Pro World Championships, which take place in Tarragona, Spain, from 1 to 3 November.
If defending world champion Dmytro Horobets competes, he knows he will be in a battle with Abies, who isn't in the mood for making up the numbers.
“My focus is to try to beat everyone no matter who shows up,” he said. “I wanted to show and make a statement in Madrid that the win at the Arnold wasn't luck and that I am serious about trying to be the best in the federation.”
El Noval looking superb in men’s physique.
Eighty-seven IFBB Elite Pros took to the stage in Madrid for what has become one of the IFBB's biggest events.
El Noval (men's physique), Jade Packer (wellness) and Adam Andrei Alexandru (classic physique) all represented the UK strongly but didn't place on this occasion.
But there was UK joy in the Diamond Cup amateur event that took place alongside the pro show.
Olga Upelniece won yet again in bodyfitness to boost her chances of landing the $9,000 top spot in bodyfitness in the IFBB World Ranking for whoever accumulates the most points in major international contests in 2019.
Hajnalka Lipcsei shows her medals.
The top 15 in all categories will share $300,000 as part of the World Ranking.
Hajnalka Lipcsei rounded off an incredible week by taking first place in masters bikini fitness and second place in her open class. She achieved it a week after becoming a two-time British masters bikini champion at the UKBFF British Championships in Nottingham.
Gabriel Alvarez also managed fifth place in masters bodybuilding.
With the IFBB Pro World Championships and the IFBB World Rankings culminating soon, and the Sugar Classic in Leicester rounding off the domestic season on 17 November, the month ahead promises to be exciting.