Four Men’s Physique athletes and 13 Bikini division competitors will step onstage in Budapest on Sunday, May 14, 2023, at the IFBB Pro League’s 2023 Tropicarium Budapest Pro in Budapest. The winners of those pro contests will qualify for the 2023 Olympia weekend in Orlando, FL, on the weekend of Nov. 2-5.
2023 Tropicarium Budapest Pro Rosters
The rosters for both divisions are below:
Men’s Physique
- Simon Pietro Arena
- Rory Gissing
- Benedikt Lukas
- Balint Nemeth
Bikini
- Kristina Brunauer
- Martyna Derlat
- Julia Heinio
- Noora Mahonen
- Vania Maria Mesquita
- Zsofia Reka Molnar
- Renata Nowak
- Cristobalina Pajares
- Lisa Reith
- Giulia Silvestri
- Rukiye Solak
- Aneta Szoltysek
- Laura Zakharias
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Simon Pietro Arena
This is Arena’s first contest of the 2023 season and his second as a pro. He advanced from the amateur ranks by winning his pro card at the 2022 NPC Worldwide Champions Cup show. His only pro appearance thus far was at the 2022 Sheru Classic, where he placed out of the top 15.
Rory Gissing
This is also Gissing’s second pro contest. His debut pro contest was a sixth-place finish at the 2021 Arnold Classic UK. He took the entire 2022 season off to make improvements, and we’ll see in Budapest if that time paid off.
Benedikt Lukas
Lukas is a fourth-year pro from Germany seeking his first pro win. The best placing of his pro career thus far was sixth at the 2021 Tsunami Cup Pro. If he can strike gold in Budapest, he will advance to his first Olympia contest.
Balint Nemeth
Nemeth is the only bodybuilder in the lineup with Men’s Physique Olympia experience; he finished out of the top 15 in 2022. In this lineup, he could be the favorite to take the victory if he can leverage that experience over the rest of the field.
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Bikini Athletes to Watch
Below are potential standouts to keep eyes on during callouts in the Bikini division:
Kristina Brunauer
Austria’s Kristina Brunauer was in the 2021 and 2022 Olympia lineups. She finished out of the top 15 both times. She won the 2022 Sheru Classic Italian Pro and could be a favorite to win the contest in Budapest. If she does, it will be the third pro win of her career.
Noora Mahonen
Mahonen has competed once in 2023, finishing second at the 1 Bro Pro show. She was a 2020 Olympia competitor but finished out of the top 15. She won two shows in 2019 and intends to earn her third in Budapest.
Lisa Reith
Reith was one spot behind Mahonen in the 1 Bro Pro show and has finished as high as seventh prior to that. Reith will advance to her Olympia debut if she wins this contest.
This is one of two pro shows to include Men’s Physique and Bikini division events. The other is the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, taking place on Saturday, May 13.
Featured image: @kristinabrunauer_ifbbpro on Instagram
