Bikini star Maureen Blanquisco is inching closer to her next Olympia competition, leading her to discuss the show’s contenders and her ambitions. In a recent interview shared on October 1, 2024, Blanquisco opened up on Jennifer Dorie’s absence from the stage and her plans to win a second Bikini Olympia title.
Maureen Blanquisco is a highly successful Bikini talent, who reached the pinnacle of her career in 2022 after laying claim to the Bikini Olympia title. En route to gold, she denied a crop of the world’s best, which included names like former three-time titleholder Ashley Kaltwasser, two-time champion Jennifer Dorie, and reigning three-time Arnold Classic Ms. Bikini International Lauralie Chapados.
Her poise and stage presence make for a lethal combination on stage alongside her hourglass figure. However, if she hopes to raise gold above her head for a second time, she’ll have to get through the usual suspects with one of her most well-rounded packages to date. She won’t have to deal with the reigning champion Jennifer Dorie as she pulled out of the marquee competition for personal reasons.
Maureen Blanquisco Talks 2024 Mr. Olympia Bikini Lineup and Ambitions: “Two Titles Will Be Amazing”
Blanquisco was surprised by Dorie’s decision to pull out of the 2024 Mr. Olympia. Having spoken to her, she believes Dorie made the right decision as ‘competing is always going to be there.’
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“I’m ready to rock the stage,” says Maureen Blanquisco. “Yeah, I was surprised. Jennifer, it’s going to be very weird not having her on the stage but I actually spoke with her and I saw her video I messaged her right away and asked her are you okay. I mean it was such a good idea for her to do that because it’s good to think about the other aspect of life not just competing.”
“Competing is always going to be there. I feel like it’s going to be really odd because I’ve been sharing the stage with her for the last I don’t know so many years. She’s going to be missed. It’s not going to be the same. If I ever win the title again without her there, I’m going to be on the stage with my mic and say hey Jennifer you got to come back because this is not going to be worth it.”
She isn’t underestimating Kaltwasser and is locked in on the idea of winning a second Bikini Olympia title after coming close in 2023 when she took runner-up.
“Ashley is yea, but the thing is yeah, like I said in my last, I did this interview with Jay Cutler I only wanted to want to get a title right, two titles will be amazing, of course, I’m not going to argue with that but one title is I’m pretty happy.”
She revealed that this year’s prep has been easier than all of her past ones.
“I’m happy literally so I think that’s why this prep is way much easier than any other prep. Like last year, it was easy too the only problem last year is I was stuck in Europe and I had four weeks before the Olympia before I got my own visa.”
Blanquisco admits there’s considerable pressure this time around as she looks to further her impact in the Bikini category.
“You hustle different when you’re an underdog,” she adds. “This one is a lot of pressure.”
“It’s going to be a lot of tough contenders.”
Getting through contenders Ashley Kaltwasser and Lauralie Chapados will be no easy feat. Kaltwasser is by far the most active Bikini threat on the roster and holds the most victories of any competitor regardless of division in the IFBB Pro League. Chapados has also made notable strides as of late, focusing on symmetry and her posing routine to bring an even more potent look to the Olympia stage next weekend.
Maureen Blanquisco understands the emotions that come with performing at the highest level. Don’t miss her attempt to earn back the Bikini Olympia title when the show returns from October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada!
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