The Figure Overall Lineup

Figure Medium Class and Overall Champion
Rosa Valente

Sat, 07/04/2009 - 11:24 AM EDT

Article By: Jaymin Proulx

The 2009 OPA Ontario Fitness and Figure Championships at Centennial Hall in London proved, once again, to be a successful turnout and made way for high-caliber athletes to grace the stage.

Fitness competitor Sommer Robertson, coached by IFBB Fitness Pro Mindi O'Brien, didn't let the audience down when completing several difficult moves such as a back handspring, handstands, and signature one-arm pushups. Her sassy routine was "pimp-tress inspired" and held the audience with the hip-hop choreography. Sommer had a petite physique and her shoulder development was good considering her tiny frame.

In the figure short division, Lauren Jacobson won with Angela DeFrancesco coming second and Sandra Pacheco coming third. All three were a tight fit and it came down to suit fit and color selection as well as tighter glutes development on Jacobson's part. Both Angela and Sandra deserve honors for their strong upper body and lean quads, but overall, Lauren appeared to have a more complete package with a beautiful suit a relaxed stage demeanor.

In the figure Medium category, Rosa Valente was the winner. What stood out about Valente was her extremely tight glute-ham conditioning. She is genetically gifted with small hips, excellent shoulder development, long legs, pretty hair and an exotic coloring. When viewing the back of her physique, one sees how lean she appeared coming into the event. Second and third place went to Anita Kus-Roberts and Jolene Fonseca. Both had striking similarities with conditioning and muscle development.

In the figure Medium-Tall division was another tight call-out. Rachel Davis placed first and Carrie Burstein second and Jacqueline Gallachen placed third. All three ladies had extremely small waists but Rachel looked slightly leaner in her quads than the others. These top three also had excellent shoulder development and nicely developed backs, but again, small details on Davis' part earned her higher points from the judges.

In the figure Tall division, Sherri Fisher placed first while Karrilynn Blonde finished second, and Silvana Salvati finished third. Fisher's physique was pretty close to perfection. She had a tiny waist, excellent conditioning, and her back was something to be admired. She had prominent shoulders and like many of the other class winners, her glute-ham conditioning was spot-on. Props go out to the other two ladies for also having broad shoulders and an overall pleasing package.

In the Figure Masters Division, Sandra Pacheco came first, Chantal Milot came second, and Avril Mamo finished third. Pacheco did have the reins with a dense and compact physique. Her back conditioning was what took top place as she was more than prepared for the event.

In the figure Grandmasters, 47-year-old Judy Daughtry earned first place, Sharon Briand earned second, and Kim Salmon made third. What was interesting is that Kim Salmon initially placed higher than Sharon Briand in the medium-tall class but the odds were in Briand's favor later on. Judy Daughtry's striking hair and coloring as well as her lean physique won the judges over and her confidence on stage was what made her stand out.

Rosa Valente became the overall figure champion presenting the best figure physique of the night. The ecstatic Valente was overwhelmed, as she should be, and in disbelief after receiving her trophy at the end of the evening show. She will be one to watch for in future National Competitions.