Bodybuilding is alight in 2023. Competitors from all over the world are beginning to take the stage in hopes of qualifying for and making it to the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition; the most prestigious physique show in the world.
Nittaya Kongthun won the Bikini division at the 2023 Musclecontest Japan Pro, which was held on Sunday, Feb. 19 in Kawasaki, Japan. Kongthun was able to defeat 11 other IFBB Pro League athletes in order to secure the win.
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Sara Choi came in second, and Ana Paula Baggio rounded out the top three. Check out the final standings for all athletes below:
2023 Musclecontest Japan Pro Bikini Results
- Nittaya Kongthun
- Sara Choi
- Ana Paula Baggio
- Shanae DiCicco
- Karen Yuen
- Yurika Shigemoto
- Rosofia Tasaico Ngai Cho Yin
- Min Hee Baek
- Jennifer Spreadbury
- Maika Otsuka
- Asaka Kimura
- Toniesha Gaddis
Winner — Nittaya Kongthun
The Japan Pro had only one round of scoring, and Kongthun managed to achieve a perfect score of first-place votes from the judges. This is her second pro victory (her first was at this exact contest back in 2020). As a result, Kongthun has qualified for the 2023 Bikini Olympia, which is set to take place Nov. 2-5 in Orlando, FL. If she attends, it’ll be her second career Olympia appearance after placing 13th in 2020.
Second Place — Sara Choi
Choi was among the favorites going into this contest because of her seniority. She was going for her fourth professional win, but it was not meant to be this time around. In years past, Choi would’ve scored second-place points in the Olympia Qualification System, but things are a bit different in the 2023 season. If Choi wants to compete at the Olympia, she will have to enter another show and win it outright.
Third Place — Ana Paula Baggio
Baggio traveled from Brazil to compete in this contest, and she left the stage with her second third-place finish: She also took third in the 2020 contest. According to NPC News Online, this was Baggio’s first pro event since the 2021 Musclecontest Brazil Pro, where she took sixth place.
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Like Choi and the rest of the non-winners, Baggio will have to find another contest to win and earn her ticket to Orlando in November. She has yet to compete on the Olympia stage in her three-year pro career.
The Next Big Thing
The next Bikini contest on the schedule is the 2023 Orchid Singapore Pro, scheduled for Feb. 25 in Singapore. The exact location has yet to be announced at the time of this article’s publication. You can see the full schedule for all 11 IFBB Pro League divisions on the IFBB Pro website.
Featured Image: @musclecontestjapan on Instagram