Dominican Dynasty
By Allan Donnelly, Staff Writer
Photography by Kevin Horton
Adela Garcia takes her third Fitness Olympia title in Las Vegas
Among the many debatable topics in sports is just how dominant a team, or an individual, has to be over a period of time in order to reach dynasty status. The general conscensus? Two in a row, albeit impressive, just won’t cut it. Once you hit three, though, your name belongs in the conversation.
Adela Garcia proved once again that she is ready to rise to the occasion when it matters most, by holding off the usual suspects to win her second consecutive Fitness Olympia at Orleans Arena on September 28. With the win, Garcia moved into rarified air, as she has now won three out of the past four Fitness Olympias, moving her to within one win of tying Susie Curry’s record. Curry dominated the sport for four years, winning titles from 2000 to 2003 before retiring from the stage. After her victory, Garcia made no secret of her desire to put her name next to Curry’s in the history books.
"That’s my goal," said Garcia, she has placed in the top five in every one of her eight Fitness Olympias. "I want to win four Olympia titles and tie Susie."
To do so, Garcia will likely have to hold off the hard-charging Kim Klein, who proved once again that it is only a matter of time before she moves into the top spot on the Olympia stage. Klein, who won the prestigious Fitness International for the first time in March, nabbed her second straight runner-up placing at the O.
Adding intrigue to the contest was former Fitness Olympia winner Jen Hendershott;s decision to return after briefly deciding to retire from the sport. Hendershott announced her intentions to walk away from competition after placing second at the 2007 Fitness International in March. However, within weeks of that announcement, there were rumblings that the queen of routines wasn’t entirely sold on that decision, rumblings that were confirmed when, in early June, she decided to prepare for the fray in Vegas once again.
After the show, an upbeat Hendershott confirmed she has no plans to re-retire quite yet.
At the top of the order, the 2007 edition of the Fitness Olympia proved to be a mirror image of the 2006 results, as the competitors and their placings were exactly the same. Along with the top three, Tanji Johnson (fourth), Tracey Greenwood (fifth) and Julie Palmer (sixth) each matched their 2006 finishes. Whether such uniformity is good or bad for the sport is a hot topic, but Garcia hopes one of those placing holds true to form for at least one more year.
