Major upsets at GABBFF Senior National Body Building Championships

‒ Clark, Campbell dethroned

By Michelangelo Jacobus

Staged for the first time under new Guyana Amateur Body Building and Fitness (GABBFF) executive Coel Marks at the prestigious Marriott Hotel on Sunday evening, the Senior National Championships proved to be a night of major upsets as four-time Mr. Guyana (bodybuilding) Kerwin Clarke and two-time Mr. Guyana (Men’s Physique), Emmerson Campbell both lost their titles.
The judges favoured USA based Bruce Whatley, who won the men’s bodybuilding overall and Yannick Grimes, a runner up on several occasions taking top spot in the physique category.

Whatley who copped gold (masters) and silver (middleweight) at last year’s CAC Championships in the Dominican Republic, out posed and out flexed the two other athletes in the heavyweight category, Tremel King and Ron Loncke, then clashed with the winners of the other classes including Clarke (middleweight), Marlon Bennett (masters and lightweight), Dwayne Chung (bantamweight) and Caerus Cipriani (welterweight).
Clarke, who was also a gold medalist at CAC in 2016, then went head to head with Whatley. The two muscle men outdid themselves as they posed in all angles much to the pleasure of the sizable and very vocal audience.
The crowd was split evenly in favour the two gladiators, but Clarke was in disbelief when Whatley emerged victorious.
Yannick Grimes of Buddies Gym prevailed over Fitness 53 muscleman Campbell who in recent years has dominated the Physique class.
He (Campbell) surprisingly placed third while his gym mate, Lance Gordon copped second in the five-man line up. Cipriani and Chung were fourth and fifth in that order.
Alisha Fortune, competing in the Body Fitness category was the lone female on stage and walked away with the trophy and prizes unopposed, winning perhaps the easiest contest of her life.
Meanwhile President of the GABBFF, Coel Marks labeled the event a resounding success on all fronts.
He mentioned the noteworthy attendance by patrons and the high caliber quality of the athletes who competed and pointed out that it bodes well for the sport moving ahead in Guyana.
Major sponsors of the event included were: Gandhi’s Variety Store, Fitness Express, Ministry of Culture Youth & Sport, Atlantic Marine Supplies, Chung’s Global Enterprise, World of Flowers, Aruwai Resort, Windjammer Restaurant and Bar, Star Party Rentals, Cafe Sol, IRide Guyana, L. Seepersaud Jewelry, Space Gym, Chakras Massage Parlor and Eclipse Photo Studio.