The 2023 Empro Classic Pro was held on the weekend of June 17-18 in Alicante, Spain. This bodybuilding show featured two men’s and four women’s IFBB Pro League divisions. The main event was the Men’s Open won by Michal “Križo” Križánek, qualifying him for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest in Orlando, FL, on Nov. 2-5.
Other show winners include German Pastor Cueto in Classic Physique, Romana Skotzen in Women’s Physique, Jennifer Zienert in Figure, Ivanna Escandar in Bikini, and Leonida Ciobu in Wellness.
2023 Empro Classic Pro Results
The final placings for the top 15 of each division are listed below, courtesy of the IFBB Pro League website:
Men’s Open
- Michal Križánek (Slovakia)
- Andrea Presti (Italy)
- Wellington Fernando Baptista (Brazil)
- Jose Manuel Munoz (Spain)
- Roman Fritz (Germany)
- Petar Klancir (Croatia)
- Joan Pradells Martinez (Spain)
- Krystian Wolski (Poland)
- Emir Omeragic (Germany)
- Jorge Zamorano Avila (Spain)
Classic Physique
- German Pastor Cueto (Spain)
- Antoine Loth (Spain)
- David Martinez Campos (Spain)
- Jhon Duque Montoya (Spain)
- Francisco Navarro Hernandez (Spain)
- Lucas Alexander Guido (Germany)
- Junior Javorski (Brazil)
- Andre Gerstner (Germany)
- Joan Canngieter (Aruba)
- Jonathan Moreno (Spain)
- Djallal Feidi (France)
- Abraham Rodriguez (Spain)
- Camilo Diaz (USA)
- Emanuele Ricotti (Italy)
- Ryan Cartwright (United Kingdom)
Women’s Physique
- Romana Skotzen (United Kingdom)
- Birgit Andersch (Austria)
- Yaiza Miranda Gonzalez (Spain)
- Sanna Nupponen (Finland)
- Uta Koehler-Spitzbart (Germany)
- Hayley Brylewski (England)
- Mar Ruiz (Spain)
- Carolina Fernandez (Spain)
- Marina Kassinopoullou (Cyprus)
Figure
- Jennifer Zienert (Germany)
- Nadine Claudia Huber (Germany)
- Rejoice Godwin (Spain)
- Adela Ondrejovicova (Slovakia)
- Daiane Aparecida de Freitas (Brazil)
- Hannah Prause (Germany)
- Anna Kochkar (Ukraine)
- Helen Zavitsanou (Greece)
- Paula Ranta (Finland)
- Erin Thomson (Scotland)
- Manon Dutilly (France)
- Carmen Garcia Penalver (Spain)
- Jeanne Kassel (Germany)
- A.C Fortuin (The Netherlands)
- Jenny Kurth (Germany)
Bikini
- Ivanna Escandar (Spain)
- Cristobalina Pajares (Spain)
- Sofia Maudos Pia (Spain)
- Claudia Clemente (Portugal)
- Kristina Brunauer (Austria)
- Lisa Reith (Germany)
- Anna Setlak (Italy)
- Aneta Szoltysek (Poland)
- Ines Gentil Das Neves (Portugal)
- Marina Zhekova Marinova (Spain)
- Kerolana Tamires D.L De Sousa (Brazil)
- Julie Miljkov (Denmark)
- Shuhui Fan (China)
- Sarah Ait Lamkadem (France)
Wellness
- Leonida Ciobu (Moldova)
- Sandra Colorado Acal (Spain)
- Carolina Santana (Brazil)
- Lisa Meiswinkel (Germany)
- Ruth Petizco (Spain)
- Teresa Maria Sina (Angola)
- Alexandria Maria da Silva (Spain)
- Catia Moreira (Portugal)
- Carlotta Tonelli (Italy)
- Katia Hermes (Brazil)
- Ana Amante (Spain)
- Diana Carlomagno (Italy)
- Kihara Martinez M. (Chile)
- Susy Rosero (Colombia)
- Lara Fernandez (Spain)
[Related: How Doing 100 Push-Ups a Day Can Improve Your Fitness]
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Does Powerlifting Build Muscle?]
Men’s Open Winner — Michal Križánek
Križánek was considered the favorite going into the show. His dominant performance validated that belief. After competing for several years in the IFBB Elite Pro, he switched to the Pro League in 2022, winning his first contest at the 2022 Prague Pro. He placed 12th at that year’s Mr. Olympia contest, won by Hadi Choopan.
Those in attendance reported Križánek to be in the best condition of his Pro League career. It earned him a second trip to the Olympia. Andrea Presti finished as the runner-up with an exceptional physique as well.
In this case, Presti wasn’t off the mark; Križánek’s superb shape was just too much to overcome. Wellington Fernando Baptista scored bronze, making this his third top-three finish in a row since his debut in 2022.
Classic Physique Winner — German Pastor Cueto
German Pastor Cueto, also known as German Pastor, was the clear winner in Classic Physique. He was already qualified for the 2023 Olympia thanks to his win at the 2023 Musclecontest Ireland Pro. This is Cueto’s second professional win of the season and his career.
The IFBB Pro League rules state that if the winner of a pro show is already qualified for the Olympia, no qualification will be issued. So, second-place finisher Antoine Loth and bronze medalist David Martinez Campos will have to win a different show to earn a trip to Orlando.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: 10 Bodybuilders With Some of the Most Chiseled Abs in the Sport’s History]
Women’s Physique Winner — Romana Skotzen
Skotzen was coming off a second-place finish at the 2023 Toronto Pro Supershow. This is her first pro victory, and it qualified her as the ninth entrant to the 2023 Women’s Physique Olympia contest. If she competes, it will be her Olympia debut.
So far, Skotzen is the only U.K.-qualified athlete in the Olympia lineup. Birgit Andersch made this an exciting contest, but the judges placed her second. Yaiza Miranda Gonzalez left with the bronze.
Figure Winner — Jennifer Zienert
The third pro show of the 2023 season was the charm for Jennifer Zienert. The judges gave her unanimous first-place votes, awarding her her second pro win since 2021. Nadine Claudia Huber took the silver spot, displaying she has what it takes to potentially win a pro how before the season is over.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Your Guide to Concentric Vs. Eccentric Training — Which Should You Emphasize, and When?]
Bikini Winner — Ivanna Escandar
Escandar was the only champion representing the host country in this show. Although she was a late entrant, the judges awarded the already-Olympia-qualified Escandar the win. She previously won the 2022 Bigman Weekend Pro, so no Olympia qualification was awarded for this division, either.
Wellness Winner — Leonida Ciobu
Leonida Ciobu claimed the Wellness title to become the 11th competitor to qualify for the 2023 Wellness Olympia. She’s one of two Spanish athletes thus far qualified; the other is the runner-up from this contest, Sandra Colorado Acal.
The next Men’s Open show on the 2023 IFBB schedule is the 2023 Orlando Pro on Saturday, July 1, in Orlando, FL.
Featured image: @ifbb_pro_michalkrizokrizanek on Instagram
