Fans welcomed competitors from Men’s 212 Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, and Figure at the 2023 Balkan Grand Prix Pro Show in Sofia, Bulgaria on October 7. This show served as one of the final Olympia qualifiers of the season.
With the qualification deadline expiring on October 9, athletes have few opportunities left to ensure their presence on the prestigious 2023 Mr. Olympia stage. This year’s Olympia competition returns to Orlando, Florida once again and will take place from November 2-5 inside the Orange County Convention Center.
Unlike seasons prior, the point system has been shelved. Therefore, the only way athletes could clinch a position on the Olympia stage was by winning a Pro show like this one. It was an exciting night in Bulgaria.
While plenty of names stood out during prejudging, it was Radoslav Angelov who walked away victorious in Men’s 212 Bodybuilding, with Hasan Alibrahim claiming gold in Classic Physique. Lena Ramsteiner wrapped up the show with a first-place victory in Figure!
2023 Balkan Grand Prix Pro Show Winners
- Men’s 212 Bodybuilding: Radoslav Angelov
- Classic Physique: Hasan Alibrahim
- Figure: Lena Ramsteiner
2023 Balkan Grand Prix Pro Show Results Breakdown
Men’s 212 Bodybuilding
It was a thrilling night in Bulgaria, with competitors eager to cement their standing atop the stage at the nearing 2023 Mr. Olympia contest. During prejudging, Radoslav Angelov was one to watch early, as he brought separated muscle detail in the lower body with an exceptional back. This weekend, Angelov was out for vengeance after taking ninth place at September’s 2023 Dubai Pro.
In Angelov’s way was Marco Ruz, whose conditioning and shape carried him into the finals as a title contender. Ruz continues to improve from show to show, and in his last outing, he took runner-up in a close battle with Oleh Kryvyi at the 2023 Europa Pro Championships. This time, it was Radoslav Angelov’s night; he earned first place. Marco Ruz placed second and Dobromir Deley finished third.
- Winner — Radoslav Angelov
- Second Place — Marco Ruz
- Third Place — Dobromir Delev
- Fourth Place — Zhaofeng He
- Fifth Place — Mirnes Husanovic
- Sixth Place — Muhammet Kurutas
- Seventh Place — Mohammad Alissa
- Eighth Place — Ayat Najdbaghri
- Ninth Place — Gabor Berek
- Tenth Place — Reza Kakavand
Classic Physique
Talent from the Classic Physique category wasted no time stepping on stage. With an Olympia qualification on the line, Hasan Alibrahim looked to have brought arguably the best package of his career. The striations in his chest and shoulders coupled with his lower body detail stood out.
Meanwhile, Zhivko Petkov also looked to have set himself up as a favorite for gold. Petkov has a knack for posing and displaying his physique with an X-frame that gives him the illusion of being much bigger than his foes on stage. In his last outing, Petkov nabbed 10th place at the 2023 T.R.U. Athlete Pro back in August. Following an intense few comparisons, Hasan Alibrahim was awarded the first place prize. Zhivko Petkov finished second and Valeria Enchev ended the contest in third.
- Winner — Hasan Alibrahim
- Second Place — Zhivko Petkov
- Third Place — Valeri Enchev
- Fourth Place — Roberto Martinez Pizana
- Fifth Place — Ruben Lopez Reyes
- Sixth Place — Saverio Mangione
- Seventh Place — Karol Rogaczewski
- Eighth Place — Valentin Petrov
- Ninth Place — Denis Romanov
- Tenth Place — Alireza Aghayi Behjani
Figure
Figure competitors were feeling the pressure this weekend but they delivered a very memorable contest. Early on, fans and judges took notice of Paula Ranta, whose shape, muscularity, and conditioning were on point this weekend. Ranta entered this competition with momentum, having recently taken second place at the 2023 Europa Pro Championships.
Opposite of Ranta was Lena Ramsteiner, who has also looked great this season. At the prestigious 2023 Texas Pro, she impressively claimed fifth place. With a beautiful V-taper and capped shoulders, the night belonged to Lena Ramsteiner who took first place. Paula Ranta finished second and Veronica Gallego finished third.
- Winner — Lena Ramsteiner
- Second Place — Paula Ranta
- Third Place — Veronica Gallego
- Fourth Place — Maria Wattel
- Fifth Place — Kristina Bodnariuk
- Sixth Place — Behnaz Nasrollahi Azar
- Seventh Place — Hannah Prause
- Eighth Place — Glynis Van Drunen
- Ninth Place — Katja Nowack
- Tenth Place — Snezhana Vlahova
2023 Balkan Grand Prix Pro Show Scorecards
That wraps up all of the action in Bulgaria. Our team at Fitness Volt wishes the winners good luck on the big stage in less than four weeks!
Published: 7 October, 2023 | 11:20 PM EDT
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