The 2023 Romania Muscle Fest Pro was held on the weekend of Nov. 10-12, 2023, in Bucharest, Romania. Promoter Jake Wood featured nine of the 11 IFBB Pro League divisions in this show, with the main event being the Men’s Open. The 2023 Mr. Olympia bronze medalist, Samson Dauda, emerged as the champion in dominating fashion.
2023 Romania Muscle Fest Pro Results
The final results for all nine contests are below, courtesy of the IFBB Pro League website:
Men’s Open
- Samson Dauda (United Kingdom)
- Behrooz Tabani Abarghani (Iran)
- Marcello de Angelis Rezende (Brazil)
- Nathan De Asha (United Kingdom)
- Mohamed Foda (Egypt)
- Andrea Presti (Italy)
- Alfred Chiriac (Romania)
- Volodymyr Byruk (Ukraine)
- Jan Turek (Czech Republic)
- Kevin Brucher (Germany)
- Gianluca Di Lorenzo (Italy)
- Roberto Buonomo (Italy)
- Pavel Cervinka (Czech Republic)
- Hameed Juma (Bahrain)
- Anton Bippus (Denmark)
- Pavel Beran (Czech Republic)
212 Bodybuilding
- Ahmad Ali Ashkanani (Kuwait)
- Giuseppe Zagarella (Italy)
- Radoslav Angelov (Bulgaria)
- Alexandru Vasile Uta (Romania)
- Lucas Garcia (Brazil)
- Dawid Cnota (Poland)
- Daniel Vasilica (Romania)
- Vincent Alliot (France)
- Junior Pagula (Brazil)
- Morad Zahir (Morocco)
- Victor Eric Lopez Garcia (Mexico)
- Vincente Santamaria (Spain)
Classic Physique
- Wesley Vissers (Netherlands)
- Ruben Lopez Reyes (Spain)
- Alexander Westermeier (Germany)
- Sebastien Theurel (France)
- Ali Shams Ghamar (Iran)
- George Achampong (Denmark)
- Nicolas Alberto Concepcion (Philippines)
- Mehmed Mehmedov (Bulgaria)
- Chris Pistolas (Greece)
- Pekka Kotipohja (Finland)
- Milos Stojanovic (Serbia)
- Francesco Della Vedova (Italy)
- Karol Rogaczewski (Poland)
- Luc Andre Steinker (Germany)
- Fernando Gornals Margol (Spain)
- Alberto Milani (Italy)
Men’s Physique
- Miroslav Juricek (Czech Republic)
- Caike DeOliveira (USA)
- Furker Er (Turkey)
- Mohammad Ali (Austria)
- Jeffrey Darko (United Kingdom)
- Alessandro Cavagnola (Italy)
- Mauro Fialho (Spain)
- Alexandru Panek (Romania)
- Alessandro Colacchi (Italy)
- Andrea Amato (Italy)
- Andrea Antonelli (Italy)
- Giuseppe Riserbato (Italy)
- Jaime Maso Lopez (Spain)
- Hamad Al-doseri (Bahrain)
- Oskar Tchorzewski (Poland)
Tied for 16th
- Mishal Alhassan (Saudi Arabia)
- Aryan Ali (Germany)
- Nasreddine Bouakouk (Algeria)
- Nikolay Rashkov (Bulgaria)
- Jose Luis Rivas (Spain)
Women’s Bodybuilding
- Leyvina Rodrigues Barros (Brazil)
- Anastasia Korableva (Romania)
- Tiana Flex (South Africa)
- MayLa Ash (USA)
- Barbara de Freitas Moojen (Brazil)
- Hagit Seindlis (Israel)
- Jacqueline Fuchs (Switzerland)
- Viktoria Knysh (UAE)
- Gemma Lancaster (United Kingdom)
- Ivana Dvorakova (Czech Republic)
- Simone Ellis (England)
Women’s Physique
- Raluca Raducu (Romania)
- Caroline Alves Dos Santos (Brazil)
- Sahar Rahmani (Iran)
- Natalia Bystrova (Russia)
- Silvia Cuartero Martinez (Spain)
- Julia Glazycheva (Russia)
- Jo Kelly (United Kingdom)
- Modesta Halby (Denmark)
- Marina Kassinopoullou (Cyprus)
- Emilija Martic (Canada)
- Tanya Chartrand (Canada)
- Petra Osterwald (Switzerland)
- Dany Jacot-Descombes (Switzerland)
- Christina Kremser (Austria)
- Sarah Crail (Australia)
Tied for 16th
- Emilia Balkova (Bulgaria)
- Tatiana Bulut (Turkey)
- Cristina Chatti (Spain)
- Diana Hristova (Bulgaria)
- Lisa Kurzamann (Austria)
- Laura Pyszora (United Kingdom)
- Natalia Spierings (United Kingdom)
Figure
- Tereza Linhartova (Czech Republic)
- Stefana Sandu (Romania)
- Rejoice Godwin (Spain)
- Jennifer Reece (Canada)
- Jennifer Zienert (Germany)
- Sonja Ivanov (Germany)
- Daiane Aparecida Freitas (Brazil)
- Maria Ignacia Mas Delgado (Spain)
- Veronica Gallego Garcia (Spain)
- Anna Kohckar (Ukraine)
- Behnaz Nasrollahi Azar (Germany)
- Charlotte Goubet (France)
- Helen Zavitsanou Pistolas (Greece)
- Yadviga Zakurina (Russia)
- Maria Ignacia Mas Delgado (Brazil)
Tied for 16th
- Reem Albareeq (Bahrain)
- Vanessa Happle (Germany)
- Cristina Araujo Silva (Spain)
- Lubomira Steftcheva (Bulgaria)
Bikini
- Alice Marchisio (Italy)
- Valerya Fedorenko (Ukraine)
- Giuditta Taccani (Italy)
- Dorottya Zoe Toth (Hungary)
- Kerry Sexton (United Kingdom)
- Rania Stamatiadou (Greece)
- Irene Iravedra Cunarro (Spain)
- Violeta Palamarchuk (Ukraine)
- Lorena Blanco (Spain)
- Andrina Scharli (Switzerland)
- Luca Katai (Hungary)
- Sara Lujza Rogacsi (Hungary)
- Mara Carro (Germany)
- Natalia Koursari (Greece)
- Aleksandra Duba (Poland)
Tied for 16th
- Johanna Durr (Germany)
- Noemi Lavacca (Italy)
- Anna Thaarup (Denmark)
Wellness
- Gisele Machado (Brazil)
- Paula Dominguez (Spain)
- Sandra Colorado Acal (Spain)
- Klaudia Vanessza Csuri (Ukraine)
- Dainora Dvarionaite (Lithuania)
- Lexy Oliver (Italy)
- Valentina Mabrouk (Italy)
- Houda Hmini (Morocco)
- Rosa Benadero Munoz (Spain)
- Laleska Bruschi (Brazil)
- Lisa Beck (Germany)
- Carlotta Tonelli (Italy)
- Marjelle De Cock (Belgium)
- Lenia Fernandes (Portugal)
- Laurene Gaudelier (France)
Tied for 16th
- Celandine Holenweg (Switzerland)
- Lidia Melero (Spain)
[Related: 30-Minute Gains — Jeremy Ethier Explains Science For Improved Training Efficiency]
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Trailer for “Breaking Olympia,” a Documentary About 7-Time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, Released]
Men’s Open Winner — Samson Dauda
Following Dauda’s third-place finish at the 2023 Olympia in Orlando, FL, it was going to be hard to derail his momentum going into this show. As many expected, the judges saw his physique as the best and crowned him champion. It’s his second pro win of 2023; he won the 2023 Arnold Classic in March.
The surprises came down the scorecard with Behrooz Tabani Abarghani (second) and Marcello de Angelis Rezende (third) both placing ahead of Nathan De Asha, who finished in fourth place.
212 Bodybuilding WInner — Ahmad Ashkanani
Ashkanani was fifth at the 2023 Olympia 212 contest, won by Keone Pearson. Winning this show makes Ashkanani eligible for the 2024 Olympia in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024. With that qualification secured, he can take a nearly year-long off-season to prepare for the Olympia or continue competing to prevent other contenders from qualifying. Only pro show winners are eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympia.
Classic Physique Winner — Wesley Vissers
Wesley Vissers walked away from the stage with his second pro victory of 2023. He has his ticket to the 2024 Classic Physique Olympia as a result. Ruben Lopez Reyes looked impressive and settled for silver. Germany’s Alexander Westermeier claimed the bronze.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: What’s the Diet Urs Kalecinski Used to Win Bronze at the 2023 Classic Physique Olympia?]
Men’s Physique Winner — Miroslav Juricek
Miroslav Juricek had not been onstage since he placed seventh in the 2022 Warsaw Pro. He picked a great show to make his return and won with all first-place votes over runner-up Caike DeOliveira. Juricek qualified for his Olympia debut in Las Vegas in 2024.
Women’s Bodybuilding Winner — Leyvina Rodrigues Barros
In the Women’s Bodybuilding division, Leyvina Rodriguez Barros made her presence known with a winning physique to add her name to the 2024 Ms. Olympia roster. She will make her second career Olympia appearance if she competes in Las Vegas. She ranked 15th in the 2022 Ms. Olympia, also held in Las Vegas.
Women’s Physique WInner — Raluca Raducu
The host country had one champion crowned in this contest. Raluca Raducu is the Women’s Physique division champion after scoring a one-point decision over runner-up Caroline Alves Dos Santos. Raducu qualified for the 2024 Olympia off that margin. Third place went to Sahar Rahmani.
Figure Winner — Tereza Linhartova
Tereza Linhartova was the runner-up in this contest in 2021 but took the title two years later with an improved physique. . The 2023 Figure Olympia 11th-place finisher can wait until the 2024 Olympia to compete again if she likes. Romanian Stefana Sandu was the runner-up.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Jeff Nippard’s 5 Science-Backed Tips for Hypertrophy]
Bikini Winner — Alice Marchisio
Alice Marchisio came off a second-place finish at the 2023 Italian Olympus Pro. She made the proper adjustments for this show and converted the gold. The 2021 NPC Worldwide Amateur Olympia Spain champion earned her first pro win and Olympia qualification. Second and third places went to Valerya Fedorenko and Giuditta Taccani, respectively.
Wellness Winner — Gisele Machado
Gisele Machado was a late entry into the Wellness division show, but the Brazilian made the right move as she won the title with unanimous first-place votes. She went four-for-four in pro shows in 2023. She qualified for the 2023 Wellness Olympia but didn’t compete. However, she has a 2024 Olympia qualification thanks to this victory.
Featured Image: @samson_dauda on Instagram