Lynn gives no Quarter
Photography by Kevin Horton
Jenny Lynn wins her second Figure Olympia in Las Vegas
With the number of figure competitors entering the professional ranks increasing exponentially over the past two years, it seems only a matter of time before the new wave begins to overtake the names that have dominated the sport since its inception six years ago. At the 2007 Figure Olympia on September 28-29, however, Jenny Lynn proved the changing of the guard hasn’t arrived just yet.
For the second year in a row, Lynn won the most prestigious title in her sport, edging out 23-year-old Gina Aliotti, second-year pro Sonia Adcock and first-year pro Jennifer Gates to move within one win of tying Davana Medina’s record of three Figure Olympia victories. It was the 11th pro triumph of Lynn’s career, and it came via a classic case of less is more. Since her inaugural professional figure competition in 2003, Lynn had entered at least three contests a year until winning her first Figure Olympia in 2006, at which point she decided to take a break from competing and focus solely on defending her title this year.
‘It was a huge difference for me because I was able to take a full year off and prepare myself for this show," 35-year-old Lynn explained. "I put everything into the four months prior to this day to get ready for this."
Amanda Savell and Amber Littlejohn finished just behind the rookie Gates, placing fifth and sixth, respectively. Monica Brant-Peckham, competing in what could very well turn out to be her final Figure Olympia, finished seventh marking the first time Brant-Peckham has failed to make the top three at the contest.
The runner-up finish was an enormous achievement for Aliotti, who has been steadily moving up the ladder since turning pro at the 2005 NPC USA. Aliotti took sixth in her first Olympia in 2006, then matched that finish at this year’s Figure International. She gained momentum by winning the Tournament of Champions in California one week prior to the Figure Olympia.
"There are a couple of girls who are coming up and eventually they are going to be [Olympia] winners," Lynn said. "Gina has an amazing physique. She will be the next reigning champion - I have no doubt. I’m going to try to fend her off for as long as I can, but I have no doubt she’s the next in line.
Lynn may be generous in her praise of the new waive of competitors, but that doesn’t mean she’s willing to concede any ground to them. Backstage after her win, she made a point of saying she’s going to stick around a while longer. ‘I would really like to go for four," Lynn said of her desire to break Medina’s record for Olympia wins. "I think four would probably be my max. So I probably have two more shows in me."
