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1990 - a fresh start in the new decade
Normally, competitors must qualify for the Ms. Olympia by achieving certain
placings in lesser pro contests. However, the cancellation of the Women's Pro
World contest in 1990 left only the Ms. International as a Ms. Olympia
qualifier. Consequently, the IFBB decided to open the Ms. Olympia to all women
with pro cards, and a field of thirty competitors entered. Lenda Murray, a new
pro from Michigan, earned a decisive victory and emerged as the successor to
Cory Everson. Murray became the next dominant figure in the sport.
A new professional contest, the Jan Tana Classic, was introduced in 1991. The
contest was named for its promoter, a marketer of tanning products, and ran
annually until 2003 with the departure of Wayne Demilia (it was later revived in
2007). The inaugural event was won by Sue Gafner. The Jan Tana filled the void
left by the Women's Pro World contest, and occupied the number three slot on the
pro circuit throughout its lifetime. 1991 also saw Tonya Knight return to
competition, winning the Ms. International.
Early 1990s controversies
The 1991 Ms. Olympia contest was the first to be televised live. Lenda Murray
faced a serious challenge from the 1990 runner-up, Bev Francis. Francis had
started bodybuilding in the mid-80s, converting over from powerlifting. Over the
years, she had gradually refined her physique to be more in line with judging
standards. However, she came to the 1991 contest noticeably larger than in
previous years. Francis was leading going into the night show, with Murray
needing all of the first place votes to retain her title. Murray managed to do
just that, winning a somewhat controversial decision by one point.
1992 saw more controversy, this time at the Ms. International contest. In
response to the increased size displayed by Murray and Francis at the previous
Ms. Olympia, the IFBB made an attempt to "feminize" the sport. The IFBB, led by
Ben Weider, had created a series of "femininity" rules; one line in the judging
rules said that competitors should not be "too big". The judges’ guide to the
competitors stated that they were looking for a feminine, but not emaciated
physique. The contest winner was Germany's Anja Schreiner, a blue-eyed blonde
with a symmetrical physique, but who weighed only 130 pounds at 5'7". The
announcement of her victory met with so much booing that Arnold Schwarzenegger
had to step on stage to address the audience, saying "the hell with the judges".
Many observers felt that the IFBB had instructed the judges to select the most
marketable contestant, not the best physique.
The 1992 Ms. International is also famous for an incident involving British
competitor Paula Bircumshaw. Bircumshaw was the same height as Schreiner and
possessed a similar level of symmetry and definition, but carried significantly
more muscle, weighing in at 162 pounds. She was the clear audience favorite, but
was relegated to eighth place. Normally, the top ten contestants are called out
at the end of the show when the winners are announced, but the judges only
called back the top six, hoping to keep Bircumshaw back stage. This resulted in
an uproar from the crowd. With the audience chanting her name, Bircumshaw
returned to the stage along with the top six competitors and gave the judges the
finger. As a result, she was slapped with a one year suspension.
Advertising in Muscle & Fitness for the 1992 Ms. Olympia featured Schreiner
prominently, relegating two-time defending champion Murray to a small "also
competing" notice. Nevertheless, Murray apparently met the "femininity"
requirements, and managed to retain her title; Schreiner finished sixth, and
promptly retired from competition.
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