PERHAPS THE THIRD TIME will prove the charm for Rommel Harewood.
One year after falling woefully short of expectations, Polytechnic’s resident muscle man is back at it again, returning to the stage as the odds-on favourite to capture the senior division of tomorrow’s Mr Schoolboy Bodybuilding Championships at Lester Vaughan.
It’s been an up-and-down ride for Harewood, who promised so much after an impressive third-place showing at the event two years ago. And in the absence of 2009 king Jonathan Nana and his runner-up Devon Franklyn, many anticipated the rising Polytechnic boy to take his rightful place on the throne for last year’s edition.
But Harewood more than disappointed, having dropped a spot down the ladder to fourth following what could only be described as an overall “soft” display of muscle and an otherwise ordinary routine.
However, he’s expected to bounce back for tomorrow’s big stage as 2010’s top three finishers – Nicholas Best, Matthew Watson and Shaquille Kellman – are all missing from this year’s line-up.
That division is just one of eight categories set to crown a new champion, with last year’s tiny tots’ girl body fitness winner Tiana Drakes being the lone defending champ to return in her respective category.
The Wilkie Cumberbatch lass will also be favoured to win her bodybuilding division but should expect fierce competition from schoolmates Idalia Welch, Kalliyan Carter and Latisha Corbin.
Fellow Wilkie girl Ryanna Thomas has graduated to the junior (9-11) body fitness class and will present a challenge to Christ Church Girls’ contender Ryesha Bourne, who finished a credible eighth last year.
Without Belmont’s three-time champion Jaquan Beckles, the junior boys’ bodybuilding title should prove to be a wide open race, though Beckles’ schoolmate Paul Payne might think otherwise.
Keiza Gooding-Hinds, the 2010 tiny tots’ winner has graduated to this class and could pose to be a serious contender on his debut.
In the upper junior (12-15) girls’ bodybuilding category, Ralykisha Thomas of Combermere is looking to improve on her second-place showing of last year but will have to contend with Deighton Griffith’s 2010 third-place finisher Tijuana Devonish.
The senior girls’ (16-19) body fitness field figures to be an open one as well without last year’s top three finishers Robin Carrington, Kellyann Skette and Jeanna Johnson, and could see Shanice Reece of St Lucy taking honours in a relatively inexperienced field.
Ten divisions will be contested tomorrow and the action is slated to get underway at 4 p.m. (JM)
