MEN’ S PHYSIQUE OLYMPIA
BUENDIA TIMES FOUR
JEREMY BUENDIA OWNS THE MEN’ S PHYSIQUE O FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW.
■ Comparing the 2017 Men’ s Physique Olympia results with the top six the previous year, one might conclude that with Jeremy Buendia’ s continued reign, not a lot has changed. That’ s not to say there hasn’ t been churn in the ranks beneath the winner’ s dais since Buendia reached the top in 2014. Of those who finished in the top five at the debut of men’ s physique in 2013— the only Men’ s Physique O Buendia hasn’ t won( he finished runner-up behind Mark Anthony Wingson)— only the superbly conditioned V-taper king Buendia remains. New competitors have risen to fill the slots beneath him, a group some would argue better reflect the direction that men’ s physique division should be taking.
There was subtle movement in the top five this year. Brandon Hendrickson continued his slow climb up the rungs— fifth in 2015, fourth in 2016, and third in 2017. Andre Ferguson grabbed the runner-up slot, a nice jump from his finish in fifth last year. Moving in the opposite direction were Ryan Terry, who fell from second last year to sixth this year, and Jeremy Potvin, downgraded from third to fifth.
Buendia has vanquished the first wave of top talent in men’ s physique and is in the process of wading through the second. In the ranks beneath first place, the cast of new challengers is changing again, seen in the rise of promising new pros making their rookie O appearances— Logan Franklin( seventh), Ondrej Kmostak( eighth), and fourth-place finisher Raymont Edmonds. These will be the next wave Buendia will have to fend off in future O’ s if he is to continue his reign. He’ s well positioned for the future.
86 FLEX | JANUARY 2018