The 2023 Mile High Pro will be held on Saturday, June 10, in Denver, CO. It will include IFBB Pro League Men’s Physique and Bikini division contests.
The 2022 winners of this contest were Steven Cao in Men’s Physique and Elisa Pecini in Bikini. However, neither defending champ is in this show, guaranteeing new champions will be crowned. Winners in both divisions will earn invites to the 2023 Olympia in Orlando, FL, on Nov. 2-5, 2023.
2023 Mile High Pro Show Rosters
The rosters for both divisions are below:
Men’s Physique
- Rayan Awad (USA)
- Diogo Basaglia (Brazil)
- Tony Claiborne (USA)
- Travis Cleveland (USA)
- Jonathan Coleman (USA)
- Riccardo Croci (Italy)
- Drew Cullen (USA)
- Andrew J. David (USA)
- John Ezra Dew (USA)
- Jason Hazzard (USA)
- Jason Huynh (USA)
- Ephfram Mike Lawhorne (USA)
- Renato Menezes (Brazil)
- Brian Motley (USA)
- Alex Newell (USA)
- Reynel Chavez Pulido (USA)
- Ramses Rams (Spain)
- Aaron Rivera (USA)
- Mark Robinson (USA)
- Francisco Rodriguez (USA)
- Zach Savoie (USA)
- David Short (USA)
- King Stevenson (USA)
- Lamar Tate (USA)
- TJ Terry (USA)
- Damar Turner (USA)
- Serge Victor (USA)
- Cordell Waddey (USA)
- Chris Walding (USA)
Bikini
- Maya Soleil Astabie (USA)
- Alina Bogacheva (Kyrgyzstan)
- Cierra Davis (USA)
- Malu Duarte (Brazil)
- Victoria Harbus (USA)
- Langsha He (China)
- Ariel E. Hollibaugh (USA)
- Ashley Kaltwasser (USA)
- Nikki Kiani (Canada)
- Laura Martinez Manrique (USA)
- Ruth Montes (USA)
- Priscila Rodrigues (Brazil)
- Lisa Solomon (USA)
- Elisabet Vang (USA)
- Norma Jeane Watkins (USA)
[Related: A Couch to 5K Training Plan for Strength Athletes of Different Experience Levels]
View this post on Instagram
[Related: How to Do Alternating Biceps Curls for Improved Arms]
Men’s Physique Athletes to Watch
The roster in Colorado is quite large. Narrowing down who is likely to reach first callouts is no easy feat, but here are three to have pretty good odds:
Riccardo Croci
This Italian competitor is already qualified for the 2023 Olympia thanks to his win at the Tropicarium Budapest Pro. That has been his only show so far this season, and even though he doesn’t have to compete until the Olympia, the extra shows can help him gauge progress and find ways to make improvements. The extra title and prize money for first place wouldn’t hurt, either.
Ramses Rams
Ramses Rams has two fourth-place finishes this year. His most recent was at the Miami Muscle Beach Pro on June 3, 2023. He has actually finished fourth in his last four contests.
Rams was not in the 2022 Olympia, but he has been on the Olympia stage twice, finishing out of the top 15 in 2019 and 2021. Winning here would give him his third overall pro victory and first since the 2021 Chicago Pro.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: How to Use the Leg Extension Machine for Quad Growth & Strength]
Diogo Basaglia
Basaglia will be making his professional debut at this contest. He earned that pro status at the 2022 NPC Worldwide Romania Muscle Fest pro qualifier event by winning the overall Men’s Physique title. European fans have been aware of his potential, but this will be his first appearance in the United States.
Bikini Athletes to Watch
There are many Bikini athletes attempting to score a 2023 Olympia qualification in Colorado. To do so, they’ll have to beat the three-time Bikini Olympia champion Ashley Kaltwasser.
Ashley Kaltwasser
Kaltwasser scored her 38th career victory one week prior to this contest when she took the title of Nevada State Pro champion on June 3, 2023. Her march to an unprecedented 40 wins continues at this show. As an added bonus, if she wins, she would keep another athlete from qualifying for the Bikini Olympia because she is qualified for life as a past champion.
Nikki Kiani
Kiani earned her pro card at the 2022 NPC North American Championships, and she made her pro debut shortly after by taking sixth at the Atlantic Coast Pro. She started 2023 with a ninth-place finish at the Toronto Pro Supershow, but she feels she’s capable of doing better.
View this post on Instagram
Kiani could be in the mix for a first callout at this show, and it would be a great opportunity to gauge her progress because she would be standing next to Kaltwasser, who is still a top-five Olympia competitor.
Malu Duarte
Duarte is coming off a ninth-place finish at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, but she also finished third at the Wasatch Warrior Pro. Aimee Leann Delgado won both of those contests. She’s in her fourth pro season and still looking for her first win, and the Brazilian athlete could make it happen at this show if she is at her best.
Featured image: @nikkikiani_ifbbpro on Instagram
