As the 2022 Mr. and Ms. Olympia begin to inch closer and closer, many bodybuilding competitions leading up to mid-December may become more vital in that journey. One of those road markers was the recent 2022 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Sheru Classic Italy Pro League contest, which took place on June 25, 2022, in Rome, Italy.

This year’s Sheru Classic Italian Pro featured three competitive divisions — Men’s Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, and Bikini. The winners of these categories were Marco Ruz (Classic Physique), Ali Bilal (Men’s Physique), and Kristina Brunauer (Bikini). With their respective victories, each of these athletes has earned automatic qualification for the upcoming Mr. and Ms. Olympia. Meanwhile, the second to fifth-place finishers in each division all earned points for their own hopeful qualifications. Both contests will occur on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.

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Here’s a rundown of the Men’s Classic Physique results from the 2022 IFBB Sheru Classic Italy Pro, courtesy of NPC News Online:

2022 Italy Pro Results | Men’s Classic Physique

Marco Ruz
Emanuele Ricotti
Edwin Underwood
Mehmet Emin Baydill
Shanti Mitchell
Kelvin Hinde
Issa Al Hasani
Giovanni Randazzo
Ayham Alaws
Philipp Jendnelek

Ruz’s victory follows a recent relative hot streak. The French athlete previously most notably came in fourth place during the 2021 New York Pro. Before that, he came in second in the Middleweight division at the National Physique Committee (NPC) Worldwide Amateur Olympia. The size of Ruz’s muscles, his conditioning, and his work with body parts like his arms, legs, back, and abs were apparent. Ruz has never competed in a Mr. Olympia before and will now get the opportunity this December.

In the other competitive Men’s division on hand at the 2022 Italy Pro, another athlete enjoyed one of the better finishes of their career. Here are the full results:

2022 Italy Pro Results | Men’s Physique

Ali Bilal 
Youcef Djoudi
Furkan Er
Fabian Faber
Burak King
Kenny Privet
Nishant Bansal 
Andrea Mosti
Manoj Patil
Marecl Treichler

Fresh off earning his IFBB Pro Card in December 2021, Bilal’s win at the Italy Pro will similarly give him his first chance to compete at the 2022 Mr. Olympia.

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Last but not least, there were the athletes competing in the Bikini category. With her automatic bid in the 2022 Ms. Olympia official, winner Kristina Brunauer can try and improve upon a 16th-place finish from last year’s contest.

Here are the results for this division:

2022 Italy Pro Results | Bikini

Kristina Brunauer
Anna Setlak
Stine Hansen
Chloe Margraitner
Lilan Lopez
Lucrezla Marchi
Eleonora Sundas
Noemi Lava
Soldea Bella 
Alice Marchisio

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With approximately six months before the 2022 Mr. and Ms. Olympia contests, there are assuredly still plenty of opportunities for rising bodybuilders to earn their spots. The two competitions will take place concurrently on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.

Featured image: @kristinabrunauer_ifbbpro