Angela Borges of Brazil makes history as the first Wellness Division competitor to qualify for the Olympia. On May 1, 2021, Borges earned the gold medal at Jim Manion’s IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding) Pro League Pittsburgh Pro in Pennsylvania.
Here were the official results for the Wellness Division from that event (the lower the score, the better):
- Angela Borges, Brazil — Three points
- Yarishna Ayala, USA — Six points
- Amanda Rezende, Brazil — Nine points
- Sunny Andrews, USA — 12 points
- Lorena Ragusa, USA — 15 points
- Casey Delong, USA — 18 points
- Renee Harshey, USA — 21 points
- Daisha Johnson, USA — 24 points
- Alyssa Rose Logrande, USA — 28 points
- Devoné Martin, USA — 29 points
Alongside her win, Borges qualified for the 2021 Olympia in Orlando, FL, on Oct. 7 through 10 — the first Olympia to feature the Wellness Division as part of its program.
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What Is the Wellness Division?
According to NPC News Online, the Wellness Division is “for females with athletic physiques that showcase more body mass in the hips, glutes, and thigh areas.” The upper body is expected to have significant development as well, but not to the same extent as the lower body. The division can have up to four classes based on height — up to five-foot, two inches tall to over five-foot, six inches tall. The conditioning levels expected are similar to that of athletes in the Bikini Division but with more muscle mass. Muscle separation is desired, but striations are not. For reference, the desirable muscle mass for Wellness is more than Bikini, but not as lean as Fitness or Women’s Physique.
Posing
The required poses for the Wellness Division consist of a front pose and three individual quarter turns (right, rear, and left). In the front pose, competitors place one hand on their hip and let the other arm hang straight down (no bend in the elbow or wrist), with one leg extended slightly. Usually, the extended leg is the one opposite the hip that has a hand placed on it for balance purposes. The next pose is a quarter turn to the right. While facing the judges, competitors bend their right knee (upstage leg) as their right hand is on their hip and the left arm is straight down.
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Following the right quarter turn, each competitor faces upstage, arches their lower back, and sticks out their glutes (showing roundness of the glutes and the insertion of the hamstrings). Following the rear pose, competitors quarter turn to the left and perform a pose that mirrors the pose quarter-turned to the right (bent knee, hand on hip, extended arm).
Check out Borges’s posing for Wellness below in a video from NPC New TV‘s YouTube channel:
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Jim Manion’s IFBB Pro League Pittsburgh Pro Results
Here are the official results from the other divisions at the 2021 Pittsburgh Pro:
Figure
- Maria Luisa Diaz Periera, USA — Four points
- Christine Stearns, USA — Five points
- Heather Dees, USA — Nine points
Bikini
- Ashley Kaltwasser, USA — Three points
- Alessia Facchin, Italy — Six points
- Lauren Dannenmiller, USA — Nine points
Classic Physique
- Divine Wilson, USA — Three points
- Mudbi Favors, USA — Six points
- Dmitrii Vorotyntsev, Russia — Nine points
Men’s Physique
- Kyron Holden, USA — Three points
- Raymont Edmonds, USA — Six points
- Erin Banks, USA — Nine points
On to the Olympia
Borges has serious momentum with this first qualification to the Wellness Olympia. It remains to be seen who else will earn qualification and join her on stage in Orlando, FL. Whoever steps up will have the chance to make history as the inaugural champion of a new division on the biggest stage in the sport.
Feature image: @mrolympiallc on Instagram /Photo by Will Wittmann (@w_wittmannphoto)
