The 25th-annual Arnold Classic -- an event that began as an annual bodybuilding competition and morphed into a multisport extravaganza -- took place in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend, and who totally dominated the ladies' "Bikini International" competition? Thaassssss right -- some Broward women.
India Paulino of Pembroke Pines was runner-up in 2012 and snagged the top spot this year.
Nathalia Melo of Fort Lauderdale came in fifth last year and jumped to second.
According to the Arnold Classic's website, the event has 18,000 competitors in 45-plus sports, and 175,000 people come as spectators. Arnold Schwarzenegger is its namesake and co-promoter. The event is described as a proving ground for many Olympic sports like fencing and weightlifting.
Sixteen women were in the Bikini International competition (not to be confused with the "Amateur Bikini" or "Fitness & Figure" categories).
Sixteen women were in the Bikini International competition (not to be confused with the "Amateur Bikini" or "Fitness & Figure" categories).
On a bio page, the 25-year-old Paulino says, "I live in FT. Lauderdale Fl which I absolutely LOVE!!! I am sort of a goofball, I love to have fun and am very spontaneous and random! lol I am not sure if I am a girly girl or a tom boy. I love all of the girly things like makeup, shoppinig, heels but I also love wrestling, shooting, and anything that gets my adrenaline going!!
On her bio page, Melo, 29, says. "I swam for 12 years when i was younger, and always liked to go to the gym and spend hooooooours there (it used to drive my mom crazy!)... I was feeling a little ''lost'' and with no goals in life; I kinda felt like I was walking in circles , then i decided to try something that i had always thought that wasn't capable of doing, and prove to myself that ''I CAN'T'' doesn't exist when you start beliving in yourself."
We don't know the exact science about how these competitions are judged, but according to the folks at bodybuilding.com, Paulino "was wearing her signature yellow suit, which is stunning against her skin tone and complexion. She also had her signature 'hip pop' at the end of her posing."
Melo, the magazine says, "has found that balance between getting her legs lean enough without letting her upper body get too shredded. She exudes sex appeal in a very classy way."
Keep your jokes about tanning oil and stilettos to yourselves; the ladies could not be reached late Sunday, but Paulino was headed to California and Melo to Australia for engagements in between their sexy photo shoots.
