Martinez wins in Atlanta Written by: Shawn Perine   Martinez notches 2nd pro win, Olympia berth   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!   Some thoughts:   * Frank Roberson brought the house to its feet with one of the most entertaining routines ever witnessed by this reporter. The cowboy hat-wearin', boot-stompin' Texan should be on every promoter's list for their next guest poser. He also looked great. * Ahmad Haidar improved a lot between the morning and evening shows but his watery appearance, a rarity for this supremely conditioned athlete, took its toll in the early rounds. Still, he has plenty of time to dial it in for the O. * Toney Freeman was in the shape of his life and was none too happy over being overlooked for top six consideration. He was only two spots away. * Johnnie Jackson seems to have zeroed in his conditioning. First Toronto, now here. This guy has a really complete and very thick physique. Another great Olympia contender. * Nasser El Sonbaty seemed frustrated with his low placing. After having come so close to Olympia glory it's been a rough road down. To his credit, he showed excellent vascularity and sliced quads. * Greg Kovacs made it as far as the tanning and oiling stage, then fell ill and threw up. He withdrew before ever stepping foot onstage * Kenny Jones' performance, in which he skulked around stage in an overcoat, fedora, shades and a cigar before stripping down to a towel, left the audience... bewildered.   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   2004 Show of Strength Figure Competition   With the prejudging callouts serving as accurate forcasters, the redoubtable Jenny Lynn grabbed the top prize at the 2004 GNC Show of Strength, a cool $5000. Lynn had been one of only two women to make the first callout of both the one- and two-piece rounds without the judges needing to see them a second time. The other was Jamie Franklin, who was the show's runner-up. Third place went to the statuesque Amber Littlejohn, still in her rookie year as a pro.   The top 6 placings are as follows:   1. Jenny Lynn 2. Jamie Franklin 3. Amber Littlejohn 4. Christine Pomponio-Robbins 5. Zena Collins 6. Shannon Meteraud   2004 Show of Strength Fitness Competition   With the always-favored Kelly Ryan out of the competition due to a calf muscle tear Adela Garcia-Friedmansky was free and clear to shake and flip her way to first place at the 2004 Show of Strength fitness competition, grabbing $9000 in the process. Her matador-inspired routine thrilled the Cobb Galleria Centre crowd and left them screaming for more. Taking second was Belmar, New Jersey's Kim Klein, who is obviously no stranger to high-level gymnastics. In third was Jen Hendershott who reprised her sneering, swaggering, in-your-face routine from the Arnold Classic earlier in the year.   The top 6 placings are as follows:   1. Adela Garcia-Friedmansky 2. Kim Klein 3. Jen Hendershott 4. Teri Mooney 5. Julie Palmer 6. Debbie Czempinski   2004 Show of Strength Women's Bodybuilding Competition   The Show of Strength women's bodybuilding competition turned out to be an interesting study in contrasts. In the lightweight class it was the venerable Nancy Lewis who, with her spot-on conditioning and leonine lines, took the winner's spoils of $4000. In second was the heavily muscled and zaftig Joanna Thomas, who presented an entirely different look from that of Lewis. Finishing third was Rosemary Jennings, whose physique resembled somewhat of a cross between the two women who finished above her.   In the heavyweight class it was Yaxeni Oriquen, she of the well-proportioned mass, proving dominant and nabbed a $4000 check of her own. In another interesting showdown the Venezuelan was pitted in comparison after comparison against Betty Pariso who, while only slightly less massive, was more defined than Yaxeni, particularly in the upper body. In the end it may have been Yaxeni's shape that was the deciding factor. Lisa Aukland led the rest of the tight field with a third place finish.   In the posedown for the overall title the judges went for mass over conditioning as Yaxeni outdueled Nancy and was awarded an extra $1000 for her efforts.   The top 6 placings in the lightweight class are as follows:   1. Nancy Lewis 2. Joanna Thomas 3. Rosemary Jennings 4. Gayle Moher 5. Mary Ellen Doss 6. Jeannie Paparone   The top 6 placings in the heavyweight class are as follows:   1. Yaxeni Oriquen* 2. Betty Pariso 3. Lisa Aukland 4. Christine Roth 5. Annie Riviecco 6. Maria Calo   * overall winner