On September 11, some of the top female bodybuilders from around the world gathered in Scottsdale, Arizona to compete in the 2021 Rising Phoenix & Arizona Pro. Accomplished pro bodybuilder, Andrea Shaw, ended up winning the competition for the second year in a row.
The Rising Phoenix event began in 2015, to replace the void in the female bodybuilding world after the Ms. Olympia contest shut down in 2014. Since then, the contest has been held every year to give IFBB athletes the opportunity to compete. While the Ms. Olympia competition was restarted in 2020, Rising Phoenix is still an incredibly high-caliber event, which attracts some of the best female bodybuilders.
Rising Phoenix consists of eight divisions exclusively for female athletes. The top competitor in each category then qualifies for Ms. Olympia, the preeminent competition. As one of the final qualifiers of the year, this makes the Rising Phoenix a very important event as it determines the final lineup for Ms. Olympia.
While all divisions are extremely competitive, this year’s Women’s Bodybuilding competition saw stakes like never before, with a cash prize of $100,000.
Andrea Shaw ended up taking the title this year with a decisive first-place victory in both the prejudging and finals. Having won both last year’s Rising Phoenix and the 2020 Ms. Olympia title, Shaw was heavily favored to win. With the 2021 Ms. Olympia competition coming up in just four weeks, her recent win shows she’s in great condition.
Here is a list of all division winners. Keep an eye out for these names at this year’s Ms. Olympia during October 7-10 as they are sure to place highly.
2021 Arizona Pro: All Division Winners
- Women’s Bodybuilding: Andrea Shaw
- Women’s Physique: Melissa Teich
- Figure: Nicole Graham
- Wellness: Renee Jewett
- Bikini: Francesca Stoico
- Fitness: Darian Borello
- Women’s Bikini Masters: Michelle Hurst
- Women’s Figure Masters: Sasha Vitalis
