British Championships 2024

‘Magnificent seven land IFBB Pro Cards at BPA British Championships.’

By John Plummer

Photography by Thomas Mone

To order your stage photos from this event, go to Thomas Mone Photography.

Seven superb physique athletes earned the right to apply for IFBB Pro Cards at the BPA British Championships on Sunday, September 29.

The event, at The Athena in Leicester, was the first part of a terrific end-of-season double being staged by the BPA.

The Dr Vic Supershow and IFBB Pro Night of Champions UK will take place on October 25 and 26 at the Thistle Hotel at Heathrow, West London. There is £20,000 up for grabs at the Supershow, which is open to all amateurs, and you can enter right up to the weekend. The pro show has $37,500 at stake, so make a date for what will be the richest prize in British bodybuilding this year.

If the quality of physiques surpasses what was on display in Leicester it will be quite a weekend.

This was only the second ever BPA British Championships and once again there were top class trophies, including flowers and tiaras for the female champions, and a beautiful stage to show the physiques’ in their best lights.

Here’s how the action unfolded.

Mens Classes

They say journalists should never become the story… Gary Chappell made a mockery of that when he stepped on stage. Showing the best density and balance in the bodybuilding classes, he defeated Dariusz Nawara in the over-40s then overcame the other age group champions to land the overall. Gary, a national journalist who also runs the website frontdouble.com, has had a long season but his physique looked anything but tired and it would have been interesting to see how he fared in the open classes. He was very, very good.

The masters standard continues to soar. The consistently excellent Anthony Larson finished first of seven in the over-50s and then Richard Deeping beat three other men in the over-60s. How Richard looks so youthful, muscular and balanced is as big a mystery as how show host city Leicester managed to win the Premier League.

Tomas Jakub’s impressive physique took the up to 90kg division and overall in open bodybuilding. Tomas’ fantastic legs and extra thickness set him apart. 

Phil Caine’s nice shape got the verdict over a shredded Andy Batty in the 80kg class while an emotional Jamie Stormont stormed to victory in a terrific 70kg showdown. Jamie brought friends and family on stage and announced his retirement immediately after being named champion. Big Dariusz Nawara took the super-heavyweight title.

Dean St Mart was a worthy classic champion. He scored highly on aesthetics and also showed superior development. 

Steve Beer performed strongly, finishing third in masters bodybuilding and then winning masters classic bodybuilding. Steve’s conditioning stood out.

Disability champion Kevin Cosgrove kicked off the show by displaying a well balanced physique, crafted despite heart failure. Joseph Benton took the intermediates. 

The unstoppable Reza Bahrani was once again the men’s physique king. Reza has everything a champion needs – a lean, muscular and balanced physique, amazing abs, good looks and stage presence. That’s a tough combination to beat. Dylan Cahill had a good go, pushing him hard in their height class. Dylan has all the tools required too — he’s put on some timber since his last performance while retaining his youthful and well-groomed good looks, and he had the consolation of landing the junior British title.

The day’s other men’s physique star was Shiraz Mirza, who overcame a shoulder injury to make it on stage at the age of 49 to win the over-40s and his height class. He also had perhaps the day’s sharpest abs. Philip Earley showed terrific conditioning to win the over-50s.

Female classes

It’s hard to believe this was Sarah Page’s third show ever — she already looks like an accomplished champion. 

Sarah, from Peterborough, has forged quite a reputation as a cosplayer dressed as the late American wrestler Chyna. She has 87,000 followers on Instagram and performs as her alter ego at events. But she is rapidly forging a name in her own right in the bodybuilding world. She won the BPA Impact Classic in her first ever show and followed that up with another victory here not only in women’s physique but also in the overall female category, in which she lined up against the bodyfitness and wellness winners.

Tanya Lennan continued her amazing year by taking the overall bikini title. Tanya has the kind of proportions that separate champions from the rest — her combination of genetics and hard training make her a formidable opponent and nobody was able to get by her here.

Celese Agrigno claimed the overall masters bikini title by displaying fantastic shape, capped by good glutes and presentation.

The well-conditioned Kerry Meadwell lifted the masters bikini over-40s crown while Hatty McCafferty, who won the over-50s, was another of the day’s stars. Hatty finished second in the open class and was unstoppable in the inspiring over-50s line-up. She looks so youthful.

Lauren Baker, who has done a great job filling out her frame, won bodyfitness and Kamsha McClarty underlined her potential as a rising star by winning wellness.

BPA British Championships 2024

RESULTS

OVERALL MASTERS BIKINI Celese Agrigno

OVERALL BIKINI Tanya Lennan

OVERALL FEMALE Sarah Page

OVERALL MASTERS BODYBUILDING Gary Chappell

OVERALL BODYBUILDING Tomas Jakub

OVERALL MEN’S PHYSIQUE Reza Bahrani 

OVERALL MASTERS MEN’S PHYSIQUE Shiraz Mirza

 

DISABILITY

1 Kevin Cosgrove

 

INTERMEDIATE BODYBUILDING

1 Joseph Benton

 

MASTERS BODYBUILDING OVER 40

1 Gary Chappell

2 Dariusz Nawara

 

MASTERS BODYBUILDING OVER 50

1 Anthony Larson

2 Steve Howarth

3 Steve Beer

Also competed: Dean Harris, Derek Wilson, Ryan Evans and JJ Dunne

 

MASTERS BODYBUILDING OVER 60

1 Richard Deeping

2 JJ Dunne

3 Derek Wilson

4 Tom Devers

 

CLASSIC BODYBUILDING

1 Dean St Mart

2 Joseph Benton

 

BODYFITNESS

1 Lauren Baker

 

WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE

1 Sarah Page

 

BODYBUILDING UP TO 70KG

1 Jamie Stormont

2 Rob Harris

3 Joe Pocklington

 

BODYBUILDING UP TO 80KG

1 Phil Caine

2 Andy Batty

 

BODYBUILDING UP TO 90KG

1 Tomas Jakub

2 Dean St Mart

3 Ryan Evans

 

BODYBUILDING OVER 100KG

1 Dariusz Nawara

 

JUNIOR MEN’S PHYSIQUE

1 Dylan Cahill

 

MASTERS MEN’S PHYSIQUE OVER 40

1 Shiraz Mirza

2 Grant Coles

3 Andrew Taylor

MASTERS MEN’S PHYSIQUE OVER 50

1 Philip Earley

2 Michael Nesbitt

3 Neil Cornwell

4 Andrew Taylor

5 Felix McAlinden

 

MASTERS CLASSIC BODYBUILDING OVER 40

1 Steve Beer

2 Phil Caine

3 Andy Batty

 

MASTERS BIKINI FITNESS OVER 35

1 Celeste Agrigno

2 Kerry Meadwell

3 Ann Fraser

 

MASTERS BIKINI FITNESS OVER 40

1 Kerry Meadwell

2 Wendy McMurtry

3 Hatty McCafferty

4 Ann Fraser

 

MASTERS BIKINI FITNESS OVER 50

1 Hatty McCafferty

2 Roz Tallon

3 Heidi Parkinson

4 Ann Fraser

5 Helen Holcroft

 

MASTERS BODYFITNESS

1 Lauren Baker

 

CLASSIC PHYSIQUE

1 Tomas Jakub

2 Joe Pocklington

 

MEN’S PHYSIQUE UNDER 179CM

1 Shiraz Mirza

2 Allan Bell

3 Joe Pocklington

4 Jason Cox

 

MEN’S PHYSIQUE OVER 179CM

1 Reza Bahrani

2 Dylan Cahill

3 Jahlani McCalmon

 

BIKINI FITNESS UP TO 166CM

1 Celeste Agrigno

2 Kerry Meadwell

3 Wendy McMurtry

4 Heidi Parkinson

 

BIKINI FITNESS OVER 166CM

1 Tanya Lenna

2 Hatty McCafferty

 

MUSCULAR MEN’S PHYSIQUE

1 Reza Bahrani

2 Jahlani McCalmon

3 Grant Coles

 

WELLNESS

1 Kamsha McClarty