The 2023 Southern California Pro Wellness contest was held in San Diego, CA, on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Lili Dong of the USA claimed gold and the 2023 Olympia qualification that came with it. The 2023 Olympia is scheduled for Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL, where Dong will make her Olympia debut.
Cassandra Pennington and Lovely Lindo came in second and third, respectively. The head judge for the contest was Steve Weinberger. The final standings for all 12 athletes are below:
2023 Southern California Pro Results — Wellness Division
- Lili Dong (USA)
- Cassandra Pennington (USA)
- Lovely Lindo (USA)
- Simara Walter (Brazil)
- Frida Paulsen Stern (USA)
- Joanna Jean (Canada)
- Nuannaree Sriwaralak (Thailand)
- Anne-Marie Gobeil (Canada)
- Rayanne Collins (USA)
- Alexis R. Figeura Quesada (USA)
- Kimberly Riley (USA)
- Carie Bradshaw (USA)
[Related: Natalia Soltero Wins 2023 Northern California Pro Figure Show]
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Winner — Lili Dong
Dong is the 11th competitor to punch her ticket to the 2023 Olympia in the Wellness division. This was her fourth show of the 2023 season — she finished no lower than third in any of them.
Dong was the runner-up at the 2023 Miami Muscle Beach Pro and took the bronze at both the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro and 2023 New York Pro. She earned straight first-place votes from the judges in San Diego, CA, to score her first career win.
Second Place — Cassandra Pennington
Pennington made her professional debut at this contest and impressed the judges to claim the runner-up spot. Only two points separated her from bronze medalist Lovely Lindo.
Pennington turned pro at the 2022 NPC Universe contest. She will have to compete again and win a pro show to join Dong on the Olympia stage. However, a silver-medal finish in San Diego proves the potential to win a contest is there.
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Third Place — Lovely Lindo
Lindo made her pro debut at this show as well. Her most recent amateur contest was the 2022 NPC USA Championships. Lindo proved she can hold her own on a pro stage but will have to compete again and earn gold to reach the 2023 Olympia in Orlando.
The next Wellness show on the 2023 IFBB Pro League schedule is the Empro Pro in Spain on Sunday, June 18, 2023.
Featured image: @lilidong_ifbbpro on Instagram
