FEMALE   BODYBUILDING

Graceful and gracious

Despite the press conference and pay-per-view trash-talking between eight-time Ms. Olympia LENDA MURRAY and two-time heavyweight runner-up IRIS KYLE, Murray was, as always, cordial after her defeat by Kyle. "When you compete, you have to be prepared to lose," 42-year-old Murray said. "That's just the way it is, especially in something subjective like this. So for me, yes, it's disappointing that I didn't get the ninth [Olympia title] to leave on the note that I wanted to leave on. And I'm not saying for sure that I'm definitely going to leave, but I feel great because I really worked hard and I know I didn't come in like a chump. I lost before [to KIM CHIZEVSKY in 1996 and 1997], but back then, it wasn't as comfortable a feeling because I wasn't in the shape that I should've been. Now I know I did my job, so I'm happy."