… Grimes is new Mr Physique

THE scores of fans who turned up at the Marriott Hotel on Sunday evening were hoping to see Kerwin Clarke retain his Mr Guyana crown, but, Bruce Whatley had other plans.
Whatley, no stranger to the stage and now based in the USA, turned heads, at the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation Inc. Senior National Championships.
Whatley used his experience and a little advantage in having a more defined body than his competition in his category to out-pose Ron Loncke and Tremel King,, to set up a final showdown with Clarke, Marlon Bennett (Masters and Lightweight), Caerus Cipriani (Welterweight) and Dwayne Chung (Bantamweight).
Clarke, a four-time Mr Guyana and last year’s CAC gold medallist entered as a clear favourite but Whatley, who finished second in the Middleweight at the CAC took the edge on the judges’ scorecards. Some cheered, while some, including Clarke, were dumfounded at the judges’ decision.

Meanwhile, Emmerson Campbell was also in for a shocker after falling to Yannick Grimes in the Men’s Physique category.
Campbell had long had the edge of his Buddy’s Gym rival, but when it mattered most, Grimes returned as favourite and relegated the Fitness 53 Gym member to third place behind his gym-mate Lance Gordon.
Alisha Fortune was the lone competitor in the Body Fitness category.
The event, according to the GBBFFI president Coel Marks, was an “overwhelming success”, congratulating the athletes for putting on a good show. He thanked those who crammed into the venue to support.