Every Winner of the Bikini Division at Olympia

bikini olympia winners

Here’s a complete list of all the Bikini Olympia winners. 

Women’s bodybuilding has continued to grow in the International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro. It started with the addition to the Mr. Olympia competition, which was Ms. Olympia division in 1980, then expanded to the Fitness class in 1995, and the Figure division in 2003. And a little over a decade ago, in 2010, it added the Bikini category for female competitors–for a total of 10 Bikini Olympia winners.

Of course, this division attracted a lot of spectators from both men and women. In addition, the Bikini division brought a lot of new female bodybuilding talent into the pool because this category focused less on muscle mass, meaning women did not have to come in nearly as big and shredded as the bodybuilders did. Instead, IFBB Pro Bikini competitors are judged on balance and shape, meaning they had a muscular physique, but remained very feminine, like you would see in a typical bikini model. And overall physical appearance–complexity, skin tone, poise, and presentation. 

Sonia Gonzalez became the first Bikini Olympia champ in 2003. Since then, of the ten competitors to win in the last 12 years, only three have won on multiple occasions, Ashley Kaltwasser, Angelica Teixeira, and Jennifer Dorie.

Jennifer Dorie actually reclaimed the Bikini Olympia throne at the Orange County Convention Center on November 4, 2023. This post will cover every winner in Bikini Olympia history and a recap of every contest from 2010 to 2023. 

Bikini Olympia Winners 

Winner  Year (s)
Sonia Gonzalez 2010
Nicole Nagrani 2011
Nathalia Melo 2012
Ashley Kaltwasser 2013-2015
Courtney King 2016
Angelica Teixeira 2017-2018
Elisa Pecini 2019
Janet Layug 2020
Jennifer Dorie  2021, 2023
Maureen Blanquisco  2022

 

Sonia Gonzalez (2010)

Sonia Gonzalez was crowned as the first Bikini Olympia champ in 2003. Her fellow runner-up and third-place competitors soon won in the following years. 

Nicole Nagrani (2011)

After winning third place at the Bikini Olympia opener in 2010, Nicole Nagrani beat out the reigning champ Sonia Gonzalez the following year. As a result, Sonia Gonzalez moved to the fifth-place spot. 

Nathalia Melo (2012)

Nathalia Melo won the Bikini Olympia title in 2012 after finishing the previous year as the runner-up. And Nicole Nagrani moved to second. 

Ashley Kaltwasser (2013-2015)

 

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In 2013, Ashley Kaltwasser emerged as one of the only two competitors to win an Olympia title on their debut–Cory Everson conquered this feat as Ms. Olympia in 1984. No male athlete has been able to pull this off, though. Katlwasser also was the first Bikini Olympia champ to defend her title, and she became one of two women to win multiple Bikini Olympia titles, dominating in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Moreover, Katwasser holds the record for the most wins with over 30 trophies. 

Courtney King (2016)

 

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Courtney King, who also happens to be the fiancée of the Classic Physique Mr. Olympia five time reigning champ, Chris Bumstead, stepped in and ended Ashely Kaltwasser’s winning streak in 2016. But, unfortunately, Courtney King retired from competitive bodybuilding after clinching the Bikini Olympia crown. 

Angelica Teixeira (2017-2018)

 

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The 2016 runner-up, Angelica Teixeira, took advantage of King’s retirement and grasped the title in 2017. The Brazilian became the second athlete to defend her title, winning back-to-back after her victory in 2018. 

Elisa Pecini (2019)

 

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Elisa Pecini interrupted Teixeria’s quest to beat Ashley Katlwasser’s three-year win streak when she became the Bikini Olympia champ in 2019. Teixeira received third place. 

Janet Layug (2020)

 

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The 2019 second-place finisher, Janet Layug, clinched the Bikini Olympia title in 2020. She had previously won other titles, but up until 2020, Olympia eluded her. Despite 2019 being her best year yet, winning Japan Pro Bikini, Asian Grand Prix Pro Bikini, Bikini International, and Arnold Classic Australia Bikini. Until this point, the competition was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, the show moved to Orlando, FL, due to the pandemic. 

Jennifer Dorie (2021, 2023)

Janet Layug announced that she wouldn’t return to the Olympia stage after her 2020 win, making room for a new champion in 2021. The female bodybuilder to replace Janet Layug on the throne was Jennifer Dorie. She beat out the former champ Ashley Kaltwasser, who received third, for this title. 

Jennifer then came and did it again in 2023, taking first place out of almost fifty athletes in this division. Jennifer and the defending champion Maureen Blanquisco were the two in the final callout, and Jennifer ended up taking home that title yet again.

Maureen Blanquisco (2022)

The 2022 Olympia champ is Maureen Blanquisco. She took over the Bikini title at the 2022 Olympia in Las Vegas, and it appeared as though she was a front runner at the 2023 Olympia, but ultimately Jennifer Dorie took that title home.

Bikini Olympia Winners Wrap Up

The Bikini Division is one of the latest Olympia categories after Ms. Olympia, Fitness, and Figure for female bodybuilders. Adding that category brought more eyes to the sport and paved the way for more women competitors, especially the ones that did not want to be full blown bodybuilders. The women in the Bikini division aren’t as muscular as the other female division. Instead, the competitors are judged on their beauty, poise, and muscular conditioning. It is almost like a beauty pageant but the women have more muscle mass than your standard models.

Sonia Gonzalez was the first one of the Bikini Olympia winners. Ashley Kaltwasser has racked up the most titles, and Angelica Teixeira follows close behind, as well as Jennifer Dorie after winning her second title at the 2023 Olympia contest.

What do you think the future of the Bikini Division looks like?

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Terry Ramos
As a personal trainer and writer, Terry loves changing lives through coaching and the written word. Terry has a B.S. in Kinesiology and is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and ISSA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He enjoys playing music, reading, and watching films when he's not writing or training.