The 2022 Olympia featured 11 world championship bodybuilding contests, including the Women’s Physique Olympia. Two-time winner Sarah Villegas was looking to win her third straight title; if successful, she would join Juliana Malacarne as the only three-time winner in the division’s history.
However, the fans noticed that last year’s runner-up, Natalia Abraham Coelho, came to play, and she may have been in her best shape ever. Coelho’s conditioning certainly paid off, as Coelho was crowned the winner of the 2022 Women’s Physique Olympia at the Zappos Theater on Friday, Dec. 17, 2022. Here are the placings and prize monies awarded to the top five:
2022 Women’s Physique Results
- Natalia Abraham Coelho — $50,000
- Sarah Villegas — $20,000
- Brooke Walker — $12,000
- Barbara Menage — $7,000
- Ivie Rhein — $6,000
[Read: 2022 Mr. Olympia Results — Live Updates & Coverage]
[Related: 2022 Figure Olympia Results — Cydney Gillon Retains]
2022 Women’s Physique Recap
There were two callouts in the final round, and they were dramatic. Here were the comparison rounds:
Comparison 1
- Anne-Lorraine Mohn
- Marie-Solange Essoh
- Jeannie Feldman
- Ivie Rhein
- Melissa Teich
- Winsome White
Comparison 2
- Barbara Menage
- Natalia Abraham Coelho
- Sarah Villegas
- Brooke Walker
Villegas and Coelho were in the middle of the final callout, meaning the title was likely a battle between them. The finalists who performed their posing routines were:
- Natalia Abraham Coelho
- Barbara Menage
- Sarah Villegas
- Brooke Walker
- Ivie Rhein
The fans in Zappos Theater speculated over who would win this contest during the routines. Finally, after a posedown, the crowd cheered loudly when Coelho was crowned.
Villegas finished as the runner-up for the second time in her career. Coelho is the fifth unique champion in the division’s 10-year history.
[Related: Shaun Clarida Wins the 2022 212 Olympia]
The 2022 Olympia Schedule
Below is the schedule for the rest of the 2022 Olympia weekend. The divisions below are listed in the same order as they appear on the Olympia website.
The morning and evening sessions on Dec. 17 begin at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively.
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022
9:00 a.m. — Pre-Judging
- Classic Physique Olympia
- Men’s Physique Olympia
- Bikini Olympia
- Wheelchair Olympia — Pre-Judging and Finals
7:00 p.m. — Finals
- Mr. Olympia
- Men’s Physique Olympia
- Bikini Olympia
- Classic Physique Olympia
BarBend is producing live coverage of the pre-judging and finals for each division.
Featured Image: Chris Bernacchi
