The world of exercise for sport is full of dominant performers. In fitness, Susie Curry owns the most impressive Olympia résumé, capturing a record four straight wins between 2000 and 2003. But since Susie’s departure from the competitive fitness stage after the last of her triumphs, it’s Adela Garcia - whose 2007 victory was her third in four years at the Fitness Olympia - who has emerged as the sport’s quintessential performer.
Like the 2006 contest, however, it wasn’t a runaway victory. While Adela felt confident after the early rounds, she knew the title could be secured or lost with her routine in the finals. To help cement a repeat, she enlisted the aid of an old friend.
Rodrigo, her inanimate yet well-dressed "dancing partner" with whom she teamed up for the 2007 Fitness International, made his Olympia debut in the night show. "After the Arnold, where I finished in third place, I wasn’t sure if I should send him back to Mexico or not," Adela joked of her inflatable man. "But people wanted to see him again, and so I kept him."
Turned out to be a good decision. The tangoing twosome was on its game in Vegas, nailing a few sensual steps before Adela dived headlong (and solo) into the meat of her routine. Adela had the added pressure of last year’s second- and third-place finishers making strong statements for the crown. Kim Klein’s onstage nurse persona lent itself well to her characteristically high-octane, gymnastics-heavy routine. The always entertaining Jen Hendershott, the ‘05 Fitness O champ, strutted onto the stage with champagne bottle in hand in sarcastic homage to the train wreck of humanity that is Britney Spears before getting down to business.
The remainder of the top-six finishers from last year were sharp as well. Tanji Johnson, Tracey Greenwood and Julie Palmer all looked strong in the early rounds and put on crowd-pleasing routines during the finals. But it was Fitness Olympia rookie and eventual seventh-place finisher Oksana Grishina, a former Olympic silver medalist in cycling (2000) for Russia, whose powerful yet nontraditional routine drew one of the biggest ovations of the evening.
Back to the top of the order, Adela’s eight-point win places her within one of Susie’s record of four Fitness O titles. Although she’d love to hit that mark on her next try in 2008, Adela is more excited about what this year’s show - which featured a record 19 competitors from five different countries - said for the sport. "I think more people are talking about fitness now. I’ve seen the numbers growing, and I’m very happy about that," she said.
Her only plans after the show were to head to Costa Rica for some R&R. She offered no comment as to whether Rodrigo would be joining her.
