Great report!
Like the former Ms. International competition, there was no "IFBB rule" which determined who got to enter. You are correct about the Olympia deferral. If a person qualifies for the Olympia, they may request a deferral until the next calendar year's Olympia. That used to be the rule anyway, and I'd be surprised if that isn't still the case. As they posted on their Facebook page, the Rising Phoenix organizers chose to follow the Olympia qualifying criteria and then awarded 3 special invites as well. I don't know what they will do in 2016, but with the success of this event, I could easily foresee them using the same selection format next year.
I haven't had a chance to speak with them since the show, but when we spoke in May, I was advised that they've got a 3-year plan in place to stage a world championship, so I'm very excited to see what they'll do for an encore and hope that more pro women bodybuilders will try to get into that Top 12 of qualifiers next year. I sincerely hope that some of the women who've defected to Physique will consider a return to the Bodybuilding division.
