By Gary Chappell
WHEN the judges moved him into the centre of the Men's Physique line-up in Prague, Marcus Benjamin-Privett felt it for the first time: this could be his day.
"I thought, oh my God, I could actually win this," he told FrontDouble. "My body went cold."
He did not quite get there. Fellow Brit Emile Walker defended his EVLS Prague Pro title, with Benjamin-Privett second in a British one-two, ahead of Olympia competitor Benquil Marigny. But for an athlete who finished 14th at the same show 12 months ago, the result says plenty about where he is heading.
"Bittersweet, mate. Completely bittersweet," said Benjamin-Privett. "It's made me more hungry to go for that first place.
"I've been slept on for a number of years. I knew I had the potential to be one of the best athletes. So the fact that it's now being recognised and I'm improving show by show, month by month, year by year, I'm happy. I'm starting to reap the rewards.
"Bittersweet, happy, humbled, but definitely not satisfied."
The moment Benjamin-Privett started to believe came at prejudging. As the judges reshuffled the line-up, they moved Marigny – 13th at this year's Olympia – out of the centre and put Benjamin-Privett in the middle.
"I thought, I think I've got it. This is my time," said Benjamin-Privett. "That's when I thought, 'OK, you could win this here'."
By the time the final three were called, the belief was real, until his name was read out in second.
Standing alongside some of the best physique athletes in the world, Benjamin-Privett says he finally felt he belonged.
"I didn't feel out of place. It's about time I started having confidence within myself. It felt like a place of belonging.
"I'd like to be known as one of the best in the world in the near future. I believe I have my space there, ready and waiting for me, as long as I keep working and improving."
Asked where he needs to improve, Benjamin-Privett was clear that he no longer picks his own physique apart in public.
"I leave the improvement comments down to the judges," he said. "I try not to speak badly of myself anymore, because that's something that used to affect me. I don't like pointing out what I believe are weak points, because I feel like that's no good for me. I do have personal things I want to improve, but I'll keep that personal. I try to improve all round and I take the judges' feedback on board.
"But motivation is through the roof. I'm so hungry to get what I've been working for, for over 15 years."
There is no time to dwell. Benjamin-Privett heads to Slovakia [October 25] next, then Morocco [November 1], with one goal in mind.
"I'll do everything I can to try and get my Olympia qualification this year."
His coach, Nathan Smart, added: "It was a day I always knew that could come when he was at his best. He’s shown just how good he can be. Beating six Olympians and pushing undeniably one of the best MP athletes in the world all the way."
| Place | Athlete | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emile Walker | UK |
| 2 | Marcus Benjamin-Privett | UK |
| 3 | Benquil Marigny | USA |
| 4 | Omar Suleiman | UK |
| 5 | Dallas Botchway | Ghana |
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