Photo By Cpl. Antwain Graham | The winner of each male weight class from bantamweight to heavyweight (pictured from...... read more read more
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CAMP FOSTER - Thirty bodybuilders commanded crowd approval while competing to win the judges' favor during the 14th Annual Far East Bodybuilding Competition at the theater here Aug. 2.
The crowd rooted and cheered as athletes of several weight classes flexed their way through the competition. In the end, an overall champion was chosen from the top finishers of each weight class.
"With all the intensity and participation from the crowd, you could tell they loved the show, especially the ladies," said Jamie Troxel, a guest bodybuilder and champion of the Far East Bodybuilding Competition almost a decade ago.
Competitors were judged on stage presence, physique and performance to determine winners in each weight class, with the winner moving on to compete for the title of overall champion.
Enid Tatum, a military spouse, was the only woman to compete this year and took first place in the heavyweight division and overall women's title.
The male athletes competed in six weight classes: bantamweight, lightweight, light-middleweight, middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.
American and Okinawan male competitors posed for the win, but it was Bobby Rowe, a retired Navy corpsman, who placed first in the bantamweight division, Leo Yozaki who dominated the lightweight division, and Tomoya Nakadomari took the light-middleweight division.
Jeffery Velazquez, who came from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, muscled out the competition in the middleweight division while Shinichi Itosu took the light-heavyweight championship.
"I almost didn't come to the competition, but now I'm glad I did," Velazquez said. "I'll never forget hearing the crowd screaming 'Iwakuni, Iwakuni!' when it was time to choose a winner.
Roosevelt Moody was the only competitor in the heavyweight division and was named the heavyweight champion.
The winners of each male division gathered on the stage one last time to decide the overall male bodybuilder.
The judges cast their votes and the hostess raised the hand of Shinichi Itosu, the light-heavyweight champion.
Itosu simply smiled and curled his biceps like Superman as the crowd applauded his success.
"I was amazed with the outcome of the competition," Troxel said. "Knowing the pressures of training for this, I can see that each competitor's hard work paid off."
| Date Taken: | 08.02.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 08.18.2009 02:57 |
| Story ID: | 37614 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 468 |
| Downloads: | 137 |
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