One of the three IFBB Pro League shows taking place on the weekend of Nov. 24-26 will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The 2023 Invictus Pro will host 17 pros in the Classic Physique and Figure divisions. They will compete for the title and the 2024 Olympia Weekend qualification that comes with gold. Entering the show, none of these competitors have yet qualified for the 2024 Olympia.
2023 Invictus Pro Bodybuilding Show Rosters
The rosters for both divisions are below:
Classic Physique
- YanFeng Guo (China)
- Andrei Kozhokar (Russia)
- Ruben Lopez Reyes Spain
- Denis Romanov (Russia)
- Daryn Shirbayev (Kazakhstan)
- Aleksandr Titov (Russia)
- Dmitrii Vorotyncev (USA)
- Maxime Yedess (France)
Figure
- Tatiana Altergod-Alerborn (Russia)
- Zulfiya Bitiyeva (Kazakhstan)
- Kristina Bodnariuk (Russia)
- Solongo Enkhbold (Mongolia)
- Veronica Gallego Garcia (Spain)
- Reem Jaffar (Bahrain)
- Tejaswini Pandit (India)
- Stacey Steiner (Australia)
- Yadviga Zakurina (Russia)
[Related: 2023 Men’s Physique Olympia Champion Ryan Terry Recaps His Decade-Long Bodybuilding Journey]
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Classic Physique Athletes to Watch
Ruben Lopez Reyes
Ruben Lopez Reyes was in the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia, but he didn’t qualify for the 2023 edition in Orlando, FL. This will be his second attempt to qualify for the 2024 Olympia. He’s coming off a second-place finish in the 2023 Romania Muscle Fest Pro.
Denis Romanov
This will be Denis Romanov’s fifth show of the calendar year. He has placed as high as third and as low as tenth in his previous four shows. He will be looking for his first pro win and Olympia qualification.
Daryn Shirbayev
The host country’s only athlete in this lineup is Daryn Shirbayev, who made his pro debut in the 2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro in Reno, NV, where he placed third. In a lineup like this, he could have a much greater chance of winning it. The home-stage advantage could serve him well in that effort.
[Related: From Golden Idols to Mass Monsters: Every Bodybuilding Era, Explained]
Figure Athletes to Watch
Zulfiya Bitiyeva
Zulfiya Bitiyeva is the athlete representing Kazakhstan in the FIgure lineup and she may be the favorite to win. The Masters competitor ranked fifth at the 2023 Masters Olympia and was on the main Olympia stage in 2022, ranking outside the top 15.
Kristina Bodnariuk
Kristina Bodnariuk ranked third in the 2023 Fitparade Pro; her first onstage pro appearance in two years. The fourth-year pro has yet to win a pro show or qualify for the Figure Olympia. She could check both of those goals off in this contest.
Stacey Steiner
Stacey Steiner finished second at the 2023 Orchid Pro. As a Masters competitor, she opted to enter the Open division for this show. She has yet to qualify for the Olympia.
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Featured Image: @rubenlopezreyes on Instagram
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