Out of the five IFBB Pro League shows taking place on July 15, 2023, only one will host a Men’s Open contest — the 2023 Vancouver Pro. This show takes place in Abbotsford, BC, Canada, and it will also host five other divisions.
All division winners earn qualifications to compete in the 2023 Olympia Weekend in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5, 2023, if they have not already qualified.
2023 Vancouver Pro Rosters
The rosters for the three men’s and three women’s divisions are below.
Men’s Open
- Prince Boabang (Canada)
- Eiren Gauley (Canada)
- Stan de Longeaux (USA)
- Morgan MacDonald (Canada)
- Hassan Mostafa (Egypt)
- Nathan Spear (USA)
Classic Physique
- Isaac Baier (Canada)
- Adam Beveridge (Canada)
- Dylan Bursey (Canada)
- Billy Danh (Canada)
- Carl Gauthier (Canada)
- Narek Khachatryan (Canada)
- John Le (Canada)
- Jesse Strand (USA)
- Robert Waterhouse (England)
Men’s Physique
- Wagner Abreu (Brazil)
- Xezekiel Afanou (Canada)
- Patrick Asiedu (Australia)
- Austin Belanger (Canada)
- Drew Cullen (USA)
- Jason Huynh (USA)
- Kamal Ait Irhmour (Morocco)
- Mehdi Kabbadj (USA)
- Clarence Lau (Canada)
- Chuan-Yu Liu (District of Taiwan)
- Eric Neal (USA)
- Chevy Phillips (Canada)
- Gurjinder Virk (Canada)
Fitness
- Noemie Champagne-Cloutier (Canada)
- Danielle DaCosta (Canada)
- Michelle Fredua-Mensah (United Kingdom)
- Stephanie Jones (USA)
- Sara Kovach (USA)
- Jessica Ann Zehr (Canada)
Figure
- Dalila Alegria (USA)
- Autumn Cleveland (USA)
- Lauren Martin-Stow (Canada)
- Gina Palma (USA)
- Paige Sabedra (USA)
- Rachel Shoemake (USA)
Bikini
- Rhoda Allie (Canada)
- Jill E. Humphrey (USA)
- Ashley Kaltwasser (USA)
- Kateryna Kauffmann (Canada)
- Kristy Ann Keppel (USA)
- Nikki Kiani (Canada)
- Meggy Martin-Johnson (Canada)
- Maxine Alexandra Somov (Canada)
- Gina Switzeny (Canada)
- Tianna Weymouth (USA)
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Men’s Open Athletes to Watch
Below are three of the Men’s Open competitors who will likely contest for the gold after pre-judging.
Hassan Mostafa
Egypt’s Hassan Mostafa has tried to win two shows in 2023, and he’s come up one spot short both times. Iain Valliere placed ahead of him at the 2023 Toronto Pro Supershow, and Phil Clahar pulled off an upset victory at the 2023 Orlando Pro.
Mostafa is a favorite to win this contest, but he must show the best physique in both rounds of judging to win it.
Stan de Longeaux
“Stanimal” recently scored his highest placing as a Men’s Open athlete when he took third at the 2023 Orlando Pro. The former Classic Physique competitor has seven total years of pro experience, and he’s in his fourth as a Men’s Open competitor. He only placed one spot behind Mostafa in Orlando, so he could very well stand side-by-side with Mostafa in Canada.
Nathan Spear
Nathan Spear is a fan favorite online who’s slowly risen in the pro ranks onstage. He was seventh in the 2023 New York Pro, his highest placing to date. With only six Men’s Open athletes in this show, Spear guaranteed a higher placing here, but he obviously wants to be closer to first than sixth. If Mostafa and de Longeaux are off the mark, Spear could make magic happen.
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Bikini Division Athletes to Watch
If any one is to defeat the winningest IFBB pro in history, Ashley Kaltwasser, the best bets are on the two other athletes below:
Ashley Kaltwasser
Ashley Kaltwasser recently became the first IFBB Pro to win 40 pro shows, and three of them were scored in 2023. As a former three-time Olympia winner, Kaltwasser doesn’t have to win a pro show to qualify in 2023, but winning keep the qualification from passing down. Kaltwasser is considered the favorite to win this contest and begin her journey to 50 pro victories.
Nikki Kiani
Kiani has been in three contests already this season, and her highest placing was sixth at the 2023 Mile High Pro, won by Kaltwasser. Kiani could reach first callouts, so if the others are off the mark at all, Kiani could close the door and claim the qualification.
Kristy Ann Keppel
Kristy Ann Keppel is making her professional debut at this show. She turned pro at the 2022 NPC Universe contest, where she turned pro as a Masters competitor. She is a dark horse on the roster, but some surprises are predictable in hindsight.
Featured image: @stanimal9 on Instagram
