Arnold Classic Africa: TT's Simon places 18th

RENALDO MATADEEN

PROFESSIONAL bodybuilder Dexter Simon has made a statement of intent for the upcoming IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness) World Men's Championship this November, in the United Arab Emirates.

Simon did so with an impressive 17th place finish in the Arnold Classic Africa last weekend, competing against the world's elite in a field of over 30 athletes. The event was by invitation only and Simon revealed that despite a "changing of the guard," as the only Masters performer (over 40 years) there, he feels confident moving forward, especially as the top ten wasn't the usual suspects with so many emerging faces registering on the judges' scorecards.

"There was a changing of the guard as the usual top ten didn't happen to the surprise of many but that's how it goes at that level. We are pros so we take it in stride and move on. The most we can do is refine our physique for the next show," Simon added, pointing out the Men's Physique Professional he participated in is an open event for all heights and ages.

"You want to be in this range and placing 17th was a huge accomplishment as these were the world's top professionals. One of the guys who placed second in a show at Greece weeks before placed 16th now, so you can see the competition out there," he added.

Simon made it out of the elimination round of the tournament, eventually won by Ukraine's Dmytro Horobets, and said the difference came down to shape, some genetics and more experience. He's only been doing this for the last four years so he indicated he will continue to train effectively and efficiently as he holds a Caribbean record of 41 shows in this period.

As for how he's planning for November, Simon confirmed July will be his "crunch time" due to three important shows. He has events carded for Barbados, Miami and St. Maarten, and while the latter two should be easy to place in the top five and garner him points for qualification, he's involved in bringing down premier contestants for the Bajan show which will make it tougher to win.

"You have to select upcoming shows wisely to place as well. You must balance shows to get points, endorsements and also, prestige. I have to look at the calendar and strategically position myself for the World Championships, sacrificing some prestigious meets for something that can get me points," he maintained, clarifying that you make the cut by winning a show outright or amassing enough points to be in the top 10 finishers after the qualified athletes.
"Last year, I ended up in 18th spot going into the Worlds in Poland, placing 14th. I'm still the number one Masters in the world and the only person over 40 who was involved last year. This year might be a little tougher because the higher you get (in the calendar) the more prestigious the shows (are), and the harder it is the place in the top five to get points," he said, still optimistic he'll be making the cut when points are being tallied in September.

Simon is enduring home-based training for the next five weeks, at his base in Diego Martin, aiming to finesse his shape and refine for a "wider shoulder, smaller waist" frame, in addition to what he describes as "top-notch conditioning." Ultimately, he knows it will still be a gruelling test to come.

"Each show has a wider pool with higher quality. It's about precision and also, not letting go. A lot of guys go into off-season mode and they don't come back as good as they were before, so after this show I didn't go into cheat-meal mode. It's just to recover and restart to prep for the Worlds," he concluded.