By Neto Baptiste
Bikini Fitness competitor and silver medalist at this year’s Arnold Classic IFBB Elite Pro World Championships, Ambassador Kimberly Percival, said that although the first aim was to repeat as champion at the international event, she can look back on her performance with pride after having given it her all.
Speaking with Observer media following Saturday night’s show held in Seville, Spain, Percival said that feedback from the judges were all positive following what she described as a close contest between herself and this year’s winner Anastasiia Zolotoya of Russia.
“Walking away from world championships with a second place finish was definitely not the intended outcome, but I am happy because my goal this year was to improve myself, and I did have an opportunity to meet the judges and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Everybody was very impressed with the improvements and confirmed that I did best my showing last year and it really just came down to a one point difference that swung in the other direction, and I really can’t take that as a loss in any way shape or form,” she said.
Percival, who was part of a seven-member team to this year’s championships, said the competition this time around was much tougher than it was one year ago, but commended all the members of the team for bravely stepping onto the stage to represent Antigua and Barbuda.
“I think it’s the hardest I personally have had to work on stage, and a lot of the categories were stacked and a lot of the fellow athletes and team members would agrees that it was probably the hardest they would have ever had to work on stage … and my body is aching at the moment,” she said.
“Out of our seven athletes we walked away with three placings essentially [including her second place finish]. Leanna, it was her first time heading to worlds and she captured 11th place which is tremendous on your first go around especially at such a competitive world championships. This is Melissa’s third year qualifying for worlds and this year she was able to break into the top 10 and captured sixth place so just one spot shy of the top five,” the ambassador added.
Also competing in the bikini fitness category, Melissa Seaforth finished sixth while Leanna Carrington was 11th overall. Michelle Seaforth and Geanna Jules did not make the finals.
Men’s physique competitor, Kenroy Christian, and classic physique athlete, Bernard Percival, also did not make the final of their respective category.
Ambassador Percival says she will now turn her attention to a competition slated for Prague, Czech Republic in short order.