Description
1981 World Games Bodybuilding Championships
This contest was one of the last major contests I shot on silent film before shooting 100% on video took over.
The very popular bodybuilding event was staged at the prestigious San Jose Performing Arts Center, Santa Clara, CA, on July 30 to August 1st, 1981. The contest took place before a packed house with the promoter being former bodybuilding champion Paul Love.
The main stars were John Kemper, Jaques Neuville, James Youngblood, Jesse Gautreaux, Ulf Bengtsson, Renato Bertagna and Joe Distinti just to name a few. Billy Knight, Mr. Australia, placed 2nd behind James Youngblood of USA in the Middleweight Class.
Kike Elomaa, Pam Brooks and Carla Dunlap starred in the women’s classes. Kike Elomaa subsequently became Ms Olympia 1981 and Carla Dunlap became Ms Olympia 1983.
You can see all the top athletes, men and women in this classic contest video. From pumping, posing and judging, it’s all there. Background music added.
See the complete Contest Results below, apart from the names of the men who placed below 5th place in the two heaviest weight classes.
At this time, the IFBB had no Overall Posedown between the Class Winners.
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Special Note
John Kemper 1944-2012.
IFBB judge and long-time NPC official John Kemper passed away on June 13th, 2012. He was 67 years old. John was the founder of the famous Diamond Gym in the 1970s and located in Maplewood, New Jersey.
From his first title as Teenage Mr. New Jersey, John enjoyed an outstanding career culminating in winning the 1981 Masters Games Heavyweight, Heavyweight and Overall titles at the 1983 NPC Junior USAs and the 1987 Masters Nationals.
I worked with John twice shooting photos and film in the early 80s. The first time was on the day after he competed in the 1980 Mr. America in LA. Most of the photos in our Gallery on John are from that shoot. The second time was a year later in San Jose, on the day after he competed in the 1981 World Games. He was an outstanding physique and a great model to work with. Our condolences go out to the Kemper family. He will be greatly missed.
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Complete Contest Results:
1981 IFBB World Games Bodybuilding Championships.
Men’s-HeavyWeight
1 John Kemper – USA (Photo Gallery)
2 Wayne Robbins – Canada
3 Achmed Ibrahim – Egypt
4 Manfred Grossler – Austria
5 Rolando Pintoy – Philippines
Men’s-Light-HeavyWeight
1 Jacques Neuville – France
2 Jesse Gautreaux – USA
3 Keijo Reiman – Finland
4 Ulf Bengtsson – Sweden (Photo Gallery)
5 Osamu Usui – Japan
6 Cesar Lopez – Mexico
7 L.K. Adhikary – India
Men’s-MiddleWeight
1 James Youngblood – USA
2 Billy Knight – Australia
3 Erwin Note – Belgium
4 Ray Beaulieu – Canada
5 Lucien Gunther – Holland
6 Michel Dermaux – Belgium
7 Paijo Bin Jemadi – Malaysia
7 Teh Ah Fook – Malaysia
9 Vicente Segovia – Spain
10 Michael Hekel – Switzerland
11 Moloy Roy – India
Men’s-LightWeight
1 Renato Bertagna – Italy
2 Esmat Sadek – Egypt
3 Joseph Disinti – USA (Photo Gallery)
4 Harry Derglin – Switzerland
5 Ralph Lopez – Puerto Rico
6 Guillermo Franco – Guatemala
7 Katsumi Ishimura – Japan
8 Luis Guzman – Puerto Rico
Women’s-HeavyWeight
1 Kike Elomaa – Finland
2 Gail Schroeter – USA
3 Deborah Diana – USA
4 Carla Dunlap – USA (Photo Gallery)
5 Kay Baxter- Wick – USA (Photo Gallery)
6 Shelley Gruwell – USA
7 Linda McCrerey – USA
8 Joanne Cameron – USA
9 Vera Cools – Belgium
10 Carole Bennett – Australia
11 Lynne Bergmame – Canada
12 Marlene Fuhrer – Switzerland
13 Leia Kawaii – USA
14 Monika Chevalley – Switzerland
Women’s-LightWeight
1 Pam Brooks – USA
2 Josee Baumgartner – France
2 Christine Reed – USA
4 Debbie Trenholm – USA
5 Jacqueline Roos – Holland
6 Kathy Basacker – USA
7 Josiane Jamar – Belgium
8 Stella Martinez – USA
9 Dagmar Zuso – Switzerland
9 Susan Roberts – USA
11 Sue Tonks – England
12 Carla York – USA
13 Terri Miladinovich – USA
14 Milda Graham – Canada
15 Kathleen Cosentino – USA
16 Kathy Tuite – USA
17 Michelle Tennier – Canada
18 Wendy Daniels – Canada
19 Claudine Turin – Switzerland
20 Terri Buhne – Australia