2026 Alina Popa Classic Pro
The IFBB Pro League Women's Bodybuilding division hit the stage with the Alina Popa Classic Pro on August 30, 2026, in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. The seven-athlete lineup from five countries in the contest was named after Romanian bodybuilding legend Alina Popa.
It was a swan song for professional female bodybuilders, as the qualification for the 2026 Olympics comes to a close. At the end of the judging, the one who came up on top on home soil was Romania's Anastasia Korableva, who beat Hungary's Alida Opre and Italy's Nadia Capotosto. Korableva rounded out her season with three points, which is four more than Opre.
WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING – OPEN
|
# |
NAME |
COUNTRY |
JUDGING |
TOTAL |
PLACE |
|
4 |
Anastasia Korableva |
Romania |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
6 |
Alida Opre |
Hungary |
7 |
7 |
2 |
|
2 |
Nadia Capotosto |
Italy |
8 |
8 |
3 |
|
3 |
Emilia Dimitrova-Balkova |
Bulgaria |
12 |
12 |
4 |
|
1 |
Christiana Ankrah |
Ghana |
16 |
16 |
5 |
|
7 |
Hagit Seindlis |
Israel |
17 |
17 |
6 |
|
5 |
Vanesa Lloria Santana |
Spain |
21 |
21 |
7 |
Anastasia Korableva Wins on Home Soil
Anastasia Korableva was the star of the night, as she awed her home crowd in taking a victory. Korableva scored three points to put her out in front of Alida Opre for the first time. She wasn't an all-time great, but she was clearly the judges' favorite for the overall prize.
The outcome of the same also secured Alina Popa Classic Pro for Korableva for her first career-best. Her win was even more significant because the field was judged to an international standard. The top three were from three different European countries: Opre was from Hungary, and Capotosto from Italy. Koraleva's win also made her a contender for the 2026 Ms. Olympia and added another feather to her cap.
Event Highlights
The 7-athlete field at the 2026 Alina Popa Classic Pro was also a good mix of international athletes, and the total number of competitors was smaller than at some of the bigger IFBB Pro League shows held last year. The athletes came from almost all European countries, as well as Ghana, Israel, and Spain, and women's professional bodybuilding is still expanding internationally.
It was also interesting to learn how the contest's name relates to Romanian bodybuilding. Alina Popa Classic is named after one of Romania's top professional female bodybuilders – Alina Popa. The 2026 edition was thus of special significance, as it was a professional event hosted by the home country. The competition also marked a continuity of women's bodybuilding in Europe, as contestants from various countries competed at the IFBB Pro League level in Bucharest.
Final Thoughts
Though it may have been a small group of seven athletes, it was a large, impactful week of professional Women's Bodybuilding in Bucharest at the 2026 Alina Popa Classic Pro! Her hero of the evening was Anastasia Korableva, who won the game and the championship, three points ahead of her home-country fans.
Nadia Capotosto had a neck-and-neck race with Alida Opre for second place, which she just completed. The athletes competed from seven nations, as the contest was also international, embracing the spirit of the modern IFBB Pro League. Perhaps most importantly, the event gave Korableva an important late-season win and a space among the athletes in the quest to secure a spot on the 2026 Ms.