Victor Martinez claimed victory at the 2004 GNC Show of Strength Men's Bodybuilding Competition and 2004 Olympia qualification with a physique that should serve serious notice to all Olympia contenders. With his tiny waist, barndoor shoulder girdle and jaw-dropping back he proved a popular winner with the Cobb Galleria Centre fans as well as the judging panel, who awarded the NYC resident straight firsts in every round.

In second was Darrem Charles who once again nailed his conditioning while maintaining skin-tight fullness. His free posing routine was chock full of gravity-defying moves coupled with moments of grace. With this performance Darrem also established himself as a serious threat to grab top six honors at Mandalay this October 30th.

Third place went to Puerto Rico's Gustavo Badell whose physique is not unlike that of Ahmad Haidar, only larger. His legs and arms are truly standouts and his midsection shows a crispness normally associated with bodybuilders of the 80's.

While the top three placings were met with satisfaction by most, the fourth through sixth spots proved to have less than unanimous support from the fans. Massive Branch Warren nabbed fourth with a physique that was crisper in the night show than the day. His freak factor made him a crowd favorite and his placing was greeted with the loudest boos of the evening. Troy Alves was awarded fifth, a decision that left him and his supporters shaking their heads in disbelief. After the first two rounds he was solidly in fourth but he lost momentum with the judges during the evening show. Nevertheless, Troy will definitely present a force to be reckoned with come Olympia time. Rounding out the top six was a shorn Craig Titus, whose inclusion left a number of competitors muttering to themselves.

Overall the 2004 GNC Show of Strength was an excellent weekend of events marked by professionalism and class. Scott Johnson and team should be commended on a job well done and for helping to deliver us a brand new Olympia contestant- Victor Martinez!

Final Placings

1. Victor Martinez
2. Darrem Charles
3. Gustavo Badell
4. Branch Warren
5. Troy Alves
6. Craig Titus
7. Johnnie Jackson
8. Toney Freeman
9. Ahmad Haidar
10. Jason Arntz
11. Claude Groulx
tie Frank Roberson
13. Mike Dragna
14. Nasser El Sonbaty
15. George Turmon
16. Fred Bigot
17. Aaron Maddron
tie Stan McCrary
Tied for 19th: Ken Jones, Johnny Stewart, Lawrence Marshall, Lee Apperson, Rod Ketchens, JoJo Ntiforo, Mat Duvall

Withdrew:
Greg Kovacs