Meet Leyvina Barros – the iron woman of Brazil
LEYVINA Barros is the name rolling off every bodybuilding fanatic’s tongue.
The star bodybuilder is representing Brazil at Ms Olympia 2024.
Who is Leyvina Barros?
Leyvina hails from Brazil and was born on October 14, 1996.
The ultra-fit bodybuilder is the owner of Sculpted, which “aims to create the ultimate video showcases of the world’s best female figure, physique and bodybuilding athletes”.
She studied physical education at Unopar University and was named super athletic and overall champion of the Mercosur Championship in April 2018.
The huge bodybuilder who boasts humongous pecs and often shows off her veiny arms on social media posts is married to Antonio Inacio, who shares her fascination with bodybuilding.
She competed at Ms Olympia in 2022 and finished 15th, but failed to qualify in 2023.
What is Ms Olympia?
Leyvina is taking part in Ms Olympia 2024 – a title awarded to professional female bodybuilders.
Ms Olympia is the most prestigious competition in the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) Professional League.
To qualify for the event, competitors must win an Open contest held during the qualification period.
Qualification dates for 2024 began on October 9, 2023, and ended on September 15, 2024.
It was first held in 1980 and was won by Andrea Shaw – her fourth win in a row.
Before qualifying for Ms Olympia 2024, Leyvina impressed judges at the Romania Muscle Fest Pro where she came first.
Andrea and Lyvina are competing against 13 other contestants.
They include Americans Angela Yeo, Theresa Ivancik, Julia Whitesel, Ashley Lynnette Jones, Ava Melillo, Helle Trevino, Michaela Aycock, Sherry Priami, and Kristina Mendoza.
Brazilian Alcione Santos Barreto, Italian Nadia Capotosto, Russian Anastasia Leonova, and Alida Opre from Hungary are also in the line-up.
Ms Olympia runs alongside the Mr Olympia event which is taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Thursday, October 10, until Sunday, October 13, 2024.
Sadly, fellow pro bodybuilder Tonio “The Predator” Burton revealed he’s choosing not to appear at Mr Olympia 2024.
Tonio made his Mr Olympia debut in 2021 and finished at 10th place in the 212 division.
However, he has announced that he would be withdrawing from Mr Olympia 2024 after qualifying for his position in California.
The news came as a shock to fans, who were hoping that he’d perform even better than he did at Mr Olympia 2023 where he came in at 8th.
He said that he had taken time off to focus on his health and recover from training.
Tonio made his pro debut at Indy Pro Bodybuilding Show 2021, which he went on to win.
He also won the champion title at the 2023 New York Pro, a massive achievement in the world of bodybuilding.
The athlete is very dedicated to his sport and spends hours in the gym, every day.
At one point in his career, he was eating six meals a day which were often made up of nine ounces of chicken, two cups of rice and asparagus