Svetlana Fedkina Speaks on Her Top Six Finish in the New Fit Model Olympia
There were many reasons to be excited about the 2026 Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, NV, but one that got a lot of attention was the new Fit Model Olympia category. This inaugural show meant that every athlete who graced the stage was a part of bodybuilding history.
One of those competitors was Svetlana Fedkina, and she feels that fate and hard work were what led her to that moment.
“I remember when (IFBB Pro League Vice President) Tyler Manion announced the new Fit Model division in December 2024. My first thought was, ‘This is my chance. Maybe this is my path to the Olympia.’ Of course, I didn’t know that I would actually make it there, but for the first time in a long time, I saw a division where I felt I could truly show who I am as an athlete.”
From Bikini to Fit Model
Fedkina said that competing in bodybuilding shows felt like a natural continuation of her sports life, which included ballet for most of her childhood. She discovered the Bikini division in 2013 and could see herself competing in those shows.
“That’s really why I fell in love with bodybuilding. For me, it brings together everything I love: sports, discipline, constant self-improvement, aesthetics, and the opportunity to perform and express myself on stage.”
Fedkina enjoys competing but also acknowledges a higher purpose: inspiring people to improve themselves and make changes for the better.
She said, “I want people, especially women, to see that being strong and healthy can also be feminine and beautiful. If my own journey can inspire someone to become a better version of themselves, that means a lot to me.”
When the Fit Model category was announced, Fedkina saw an opportunity to train and showcase her ultimate form as an athlete. When she first started competing in Bikini, Ashley Kaltwasser was the reigning Olympia champion. Her look from back then was acknowledged by the IFBB Pro League as the inspiration and standard for this new division.
Call it inspiration or divine intervention, but Fedkina felt this was more than a new category for her to enter. The years of pursuing a pro card in her previous class may have seemed like failure at the moment, but now she feels they were stepping stones to this point.
“I also had this strong feeling that everything I had been through in the sport was somehow preparing me for this opportunity.”
Becoming a Part of Olympia History
She earned that coveted pro card in May 2026 at the Junior USA event. She made her pro debut one month later at the St. Pete Pro, taking eighth place. Then came Tampa. In only her second pro show, Fedkina not only took first place but earned an Olympia qualification as a result. That qualification culminated in a sixth-place finish at the inaugural Fit Model Olympia.
“Being part of the first-ever Fit Model Olympia was incredibly special to me,” she said. “It was a historic moment not only for our division, but for the sport of professional bodybuilding as Fit Model made its debut on the Olympia stage. I’m very proud that my name will always be part of that history.”
Regardless of the result, Fedkina already made her own history by becoming the first Slavic athlete to qualify for the Fit Model Olympia. While she is proud of that, she also understands it came thanks in part to timing and opportunity. She’s thinking more about what she can do with that accolade going forward, including inspiring other athletes to follow suit and join her on the Olympia stage.
“I hope it can inspire other women from that part of the world as well. Sometimes your opportunity doesn’t come when you expect it to. You just have to keep going long enough to be ready when it finally does.”
After starting 2026 as an amateur, she made her Olympia debut and left as one of the top six in her category, making her a potential contender to watch in 2027. As is the case with many world-class athletes, Fedkina has already set her sights on what is ahead and plans on finishing better than sixth if she makes it back onto the Olympia stage.
“That result gave me two things at the same time: confirmation that we did a lot right, and even more motivation because I can clearly see that there is still room to grow. It showed me that I can compete at this level, and it made me even more excited to see how far I can take this.”
Train Like a Fit Model
Fedkina shared a lower body workout that she used during her Olympia prep. She feels that even though the standards are different from Wellness or Bikini, you still need to prepare for hard work when you go into the gym. She emphasized her setup of the Bulgarian split squats if this is a harder area for a lifter to develop.
“It is basically the only exercise I do all week that significantly involves my quads. Over time, I’ve developed a specific setup and technique, including using a resistance band around my working knee, that helps me shift most of the work toward my glutes.”
Fedkina typically rests for 1.5-2 minutes but will take as much as five for more difficult sets.
- Heavy Bent-Over Hip Abduction — 3 sets of 15–25 reps
- Single-Leg Bulgarian Split Squat in Hack Squat Machine — 3 sets of 12–15 reps per leg
- Smith Machine Hip Thrust — 3 working sets of 12–15 reps
- Single-Leg Kickback — 3 sets of 12–15 reps per leg
Replays of the 2026 Olympia can be seen at olympiaproductions.com. You can follow Fedkina on Instagram @sweetlana_ifbbpro.
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