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News

Rafael Brandao, Ashley Kaltwasser Wins 2021 Romania Muscle Fest Pro

Rafael Brandao of Brazil won the Men's Open division and Bikini star Ashley Kaltwasser claimed her 30th professional victory.

Written by Roger Lockridge
Last updated on July 31st, 2023

Another week, another bodybuilding show and another IFBB pro claims their first-ever professional win. The 2021 Romania Muscle Fest Pro was held on Nov. 14, 2021, in Bucharest, Romania — featuring nine pro contests — and it was Rafael Brandao of Brazil who claimed the Men’s Open title. Also of note, Ashley Kaltwasser won her 30th ever pro show in the bikini division.

Brandao won first place for the first time in his career, the first-place check for $10,000, and the automatic qualification for the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Samson Dauda, who won the Prague Pro the previous week, came in second, and Behrooz Tabani rounded out the top three. The top 10 in the Men’s Open and top five in the other eight divisions are below.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Wings of Strength (@wingsofstrength)


Editor’s Note: All division winners qualify for the 2022 Olympia. Second place gets six Olympia qualification points, third gets five, fourth gets four, and fifth receives three. Any name with an asterisk next to it is already qualified for the Olympia.

  1. Rafael Brandao — $10,000 
  2. Samson Dauda* — $4,000 
  3. Behrooz Tabani Abarghani — $3,000
  4. Emir Omeragic — $2,000
  5. Quinton Eriya — $1,000
  6. Milan Sadek
  7. Bela Kokeny
  8. Bruno Oliveira Santos
  9. Roelly Winklaar
  10. Marcela Pedro Da Cruz

First Place — Rafael Brandao

Because the Romania Muscle Fest Pro featured just one round of judging (as opposed to the typical two), Brandao only had to nail his peak once. The Brazilian seemed to have learned from his second-place finish at the Prague Pro the previous week, and he came in a little leaner while showing more confidence.

His upper body appeared fuller as well. Thanks to those factors, the weight of chasing the first pro win is now off of his back, and he will make his Olympia debut in 2022.

Second Place — Samson Dauda

Dauda’s showing was a bit better in Prague than at this show. This show also marked his fifth time competing in less than two months. His definition wasn’t as prominent as it was when he claimed his first pro victory. Dauda was very classy in congratulating Brandao for his victory.

Third Place — Behrooz Tabani Abarghani

Hailing from Iran, Tabani had great shape, and his legs looked quite developed from all sides. His muscle maturity and density weren’t at the level of the top two in this lineup, but he has a lot of potential going forward.

Ashley Kaltwasser Wins 30th Pro Title

Three-time Bikini Olympia Winner Ashley Kaltwasser emerged victorious in the Bikini division at this contest. As a result, Kaltwasser has achieved 30 professional victories in the IFBB Pro League. For perspective, Dexter Jackson is the winningest competitor on the men’s side of the sport with 29 wins. The rest of the top five are below.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Ashley Kaltwasser (@ashleykfit)

  1. Ashley Kaltwasser — $2,000 
  2. Allison Testu*
  3. Gessica Brun 
  4. Tatiana Lanovenko 
  5. Matilde Biagini 

Other Divisions’ Placings

In total, nine of the 11 pro divisions were contested in Romania. The top five for the other divisions are below. 

212

  1. Angel Calderon — $2,000 
  2. Ahmad Ashkanani*
  3. Jafar Ghafarnezhad 
  4. Radoslav Angelov 
  5. Naser Mohamed 

Classic Physique

  1. Jose Maria Mete Bueriberi — $2,000 
  2. Peter Molnar*
  3. Jesus Rodriguez Sendra
  4. Vahid Badpei 
  5. Hassan Mahdi Abdulreda 

Men’s Physique

  1. Alessandro Cavagnola — $2,000 
  2. Furkan Er 
  3. Daniel Leone 
  4. Balint Nemeth*
  5. Emile Walker 

Women’s Bodybuilding

  1. Nadia Capotosto — $2,000 
  2. Branka Njegovec 
  3. Mayla Ash 
  4. Anastasia Korableva 
  5. Tiana Flex 

Women’s Physique

  1. Anne Lorraine Mohn — $2,000
  2. Carol Alves 
  3. Penpraghai Tiangngok 
  4. Ileria Armeni 
  5. Mirea Henriquez 

Figure

  1. Jennifer Zienart — $2,000 
  2. Tereza Linhartova*
  3. Maryam Bamdad 
  4. Gabriela Linhartova 
  5. Elena Kirshchina 

Wellness

  1. Anna Mroczkowska — $2,000 
  2. Leonida Ciobu
  3. Maria Paulette 
  4. Aysegul Besli 
  5. Michelle Capponi 

Featured Image: @wingsofstrength on Instagram

About Roger Lockridge

Roger "Rock" Lockridge has been writing professionally for 10 years and has been training for 20. His work in the fitness industry has been seen in numerous outlets and has been a part of coverage for several events including the Mr. Olympia, Arnold Classic, the CrossFit Games, and the Olympics. He's also shared his own personal success story in several interviews and articles. Lockridge lives in West Virginia with his wife and son.

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