After four days of competition, Laura Horvath (Women) and Jeffrey Adler (Men) both captured their first career CrossFit Games titles. Horvath is the first-ever Eastern European to win the Games, while Adler is the second-ever Canadian Man to earn the victory after James Fitzgerald’s inaugural triumph during the 2007 Games.

Here is the final top 10 for the Individual Women at the 2023 CrossFit Games:

Women

1. Laura Horvath (Hungary) — 966 points | 2023 Fittest Woman on Earth®
2. Emma Lawson (Canada) — 919 points
3. Arielle Loewen (United States) — 883 points
4. Gabriela Migała (Poland) — 788 points
5. Alex Gazan (United States) — 786 points
6. Alexis Raptis (United States) — 771 points
7. Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir (United States) — 741 points
8. Emma Cary (United States) — 731 points
9. Danielle Brandon (United States) — 711 points
10. Paige Powers (United States) — 696 points

Here is the final top 10 for the Individual Men at the 2023 CrossFit Games:

Men

1. Jeffrey Adler — 953 points | 2023 Fittest Man on Earth®
2. Patrick Vellner — 837 points
3. Roman Khrennikov — 801 points
4. Brent Fikowski — 781 points
5. Dallin Pepper — 778 points
6. Jonne Koski — 771 points
7. Chandler Smith — 743 points
8. Jay Crouch — 728 points
9. Lazar Dukic — 726 points
10. Jelle Hoste — 710 points

Event 10 Results — Muscle-Up Logs

The “Muscle-Up Logs” tested athletes’ upper-body strength and endurance. Athletes performed five rounds of the below for time:

• Seven ring muscle-ups
• Sandbag carry across a field while passing over three progressively taller logs (four feet, five feet, and five-foot five-inches)

Adler (7:28.70) just edged out Jonne Koski (7:31.43) by mere seconds for the event win. On the Women’s side, Laura Horvath began her final charge toward a title with a victorious time of 8:41.22. Notably, Roman Khrennikov reportedly suffered a serious foot injury during the event. It severely hampered his mobility, all but unofficially taking away his chances for the title. The athlete decided not to withdraw, persevering through the final few events in the interest of a competitive spirit.

Event 11 Results — Parallel Bar Pull

In true CrossFit Games tradition, details about the final two events were not revealed until the last minute. The “Parallel Bar Pull” was naturally quite a surprise. Athletes had a 15-minute time limit for eight rounds of the below:

• “Down and back” parallel bar traverse
• 30 heavy-rope double-unders
• Hand-over-hand sled pull (345-pound sled for Men, 290-pound sled for Women)

Horvath once again captured a crucial event win with a time of 8:36.46. On the Men’s side, Brent Fikowski earned an event win with a time of 7:45.08 which helped solidify a top-four finish at the end of the contest. Still suffering from his significant foot injury, Khrennikov completed the double-unders by jumping with only his single undamaged foot, finishing the event in last place and ending an otherwise dominant performance throughout the Games.

Event 12 Results — Echo Thruster Final

The Echo Thruster was a fitting and comprehensive conclusion to the 2023 CrossFit Games. Here it is, laid out and for time:

• 21 calories echo bike
• 21 reps thrusters (115 pounds for Men, 85 pounds for Women)
• 18 calories echo bike
• 18 reps thrusters (135 pounds for Men, 95 pounds for Women)
• 15 calories echo bike
• 15 reps thrusters (155 pounds for Men, 105 pounds for Women)
• 66-foot overhead walking lunge (155 pounds for Men, 105 pounds for Women)

Dallin Pepper finished with a time of 6:44.79 to cement himself in the final Men’s Individual top five overall. Olivia Kersetter, the youngest competitor on the field at 17 years old, set the pace for the Women with a time of 7:22.25.

With two new Individual CrossFit Games champions, the sport could be entering a new era. Horvath and Adler will take their respective torches and try and begin their own successful reigns at the top.

Featured image: @laurahorvaht on Instagram

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With the 2023 CrossFit Games inching ever closer, here’s a breakdown of Medeiros and four other potential Men’s contenders’ chances. At still just 24 years old, Medeiros would seemingly only be at the beginning of a dominant extended reign atop the CrossFit kingdom, joining the likes of four-time champion (2011-2014) Rich Froning Jr. and five-time Games winner (2016-2020) Mat Fraser. That is, unless any of these athletes have something to say about it.

Potential 2023 CrossFit Games Men’s Individual Contenders

It would likely be a shock to many in the CrossFit community if Medeiros fell short of an iconic “three-peat.” That’s not even unpacking the possibility of a new Men’s champion for the first time since 2020. In this event, both the Men and Women — who will be seeking a new CrossFit Individual queen in the absence of Tia-Clair Toomey — could have a new champion soon enough.

Here’s a short profile of CrossFit’s arguably biggest active star and four other Men’s Individual contenders in Madison.

Justin Medeiros (United States)

Best finish: Men’s Individual Champion (2021-2022)

Games debut: 2020

Medeiros wasted no time bursting onto the scene as a bright 21-year-old during his debut in the 2020 CrossFit Games. The athlete earned a podium result, finishing just behind Samuel Kwant (second place) and the legendary Mat Fraser at the end of his CrossFit Games run. With Fraser and a definitive challenger out of the picture the following year in 2021, Medeiros stormed his way to his first Games title, looking destined for greatness in the process. Such a prognostication ended up coming true.

Medeiros will be tough to beat for anyone in the Men’s field. It may take a catastrophic finish in one of the events and/or the champion being entirely off his game to fall short of another resounding victory.

Jeffrey Adler (Canada)

Best finish: Fifth place (2020, 2022)

Games debut: 2019

Adler is probably one of the more notable contenders on the Men’s side of the Games bracket. After a top-five finish in 2022 — his second in three years — it’s apparent the Canadian dynamo is establishing a consistent rhythm and comfort that serves him well in a tense, chaotic environment like the Games.

Adler recently won the Men’s 2023 North America East Semifinal. If he can transfer over such a performance to Madison, he seems primed to make a legitimate run for the grand prize.

Lazar Đukić (Serbia)

Best finish: Eighth place (2022)

Games debut: 2021

To some, Đukić could have the appearance of a “dark horse” — someone who isn’t an obvious contender but may deliver a surprise upset for placing near the top. That line of thinking would be a mistake because, when all is said and done, consistency can win out in the endurance grind of the Games.

Đukić is coming off a victory in the Men’s Europe Semifinal and finished in 12th place worldwide during the Quarterfinal. It would not be a stretch to see this Serbian competitor making a legitimate leap toward the top of CrossFit.

Roman Khrennikov (United States)

Best finish: Runner-up (2022)

Games debut: 2020

It’s easy to forget now, but Khrennikov actually already almost beat Medeiros in a CrossFit Games setting. In 2022, the fellow American athlete fell just 27 points short of overcoming Medeiros and earning the vaunted title. The critical thing to remember is that while some might have forgotten how close Khrennikov came to glory, the athlete assuredly didn’t repress the memory of besting Medeiros in nine of the 18 workouts during the 2022 Games.

Khrennikov hasn’t been at the absolute top of his game lately — he finished in just fourth place during the North America East Semifinal and was only in 19th worldwide during the Quarterfinal — but that might not matter at the Games. The athlete has shown he has the capacity to rise to the occasion and perform in a big moment.

Patrick Vellner (Canada)

Best finish: Runner-up (2018, 2021)

Games debut: 2016

A seasoned veteran, Vellner is entering his ninth CrossFit Games (including an appearance at the 2015 Games in the Teams division). Such a track record highlights Vellner as a model of dependability. At age 33, he is undoubtedly one of the older athletes in the Men’s Individual competition, as the Age Group division begins at 35, but that shouldn’t diminish his potential for a win. If anything, such extended experience could give Vellner a decisive edge over his peers.

It’s been two years since Vellner fell just short of Medeiros himself during the 2021 Games. This was after Vellner was runner-up to Mat Fraser in 2018. After shining in the North America West Semifinal, Vellner could be another athlete seeking a well-earned redemption. That one shining moment almost a decade into his elite CrossFit career might be around the corner.

Medeiros seems well-positioned to make another worthy addition to his trophy case. The Games, however, can be anything but predictable. It wouldn’t be a shock to see one of these competitors give him a real run for his money.

Featured image: @justinmedeiros34 on Instagram

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On July 7, 2023, the Buttery Bros shared a video on their YouTube channel where they received an inside look at how Adler is training for his latest Games opportunity.

At the time of the video, Adler was roughly six weeks out from the 2023 Games. He explained that this part of his training process was looser than it had been in the past.

Pre-Workout Regimen

Adler starts his day accordingly with some dynamic stretches. The athlete utilizes a wall, the floor, and a small ball to ease into the demands of his day’s workout. The main focus was getting his back and shoulders prepared.

Adler diagrammed his supplement stack, which starts with a pre-workout energy drink in the mornings. He then takes a BCAA powder in the afternoons, which offers electrolytes and amino acids for performance and post-workout recovery. Citrulline and beta-alanine are his final components.

Full Training Day

Here’s an overview of Adler’s training program featured in the video.

Speed Bike Intervals

Adler performs two timed interval rounds after warming up for about 20 minutes on a stationary bike. The intervals had times ranging from two to four minutes with goals of achieving between 150 and 400 watts. Adler’s average watts over 40 minutes was 292. By comparison, the Buttery Bros stayed in the 170-190 range.

Muscle-Up Medley

Both Adler and the Buttery Bros completed three rounds of the below, for time, during this segment:

• Deadlifts — 142.9 kilograms (315 pounds), five reps 
• Burpee Muscle-Ups — Five reps
• Burpee Bar Muscle-Ups — Five reps
• Yoke Bar Muscle-Ups — Five reps
• Deadlifts — 142.9 kilograms (315 pounds), five reps

At the end of each circuit, everyone rested for two minutes. Adler recorded a time of 2:22 on his final round. Every athlete achieved all 45 muscle-ups.

12-Minute EMOM

Adler explained that this third workout has the aim of beginning one round of exercises “every minute on the minute.” That meant he goes through his movements beginning at the top of a minute and uses whatever time is left over as rest:

• Parallel Bar Traverse — Three reps
• Double-Under Crossovers — 15-20 reps
• Ski Erg — 60 seconds

Adler explained his traversing technique — trying to shift as much of his weight as possible to each supporting arm before shimmying along the parallel bars. The double-under crossovers was a challenging event which cost many competitors, including five-time champion Tia-Clair Toomey, valuable points when it debuted at the 2022 CrossFit Games. The movement requires athletes to use stamina, coordination, and fast-twitch movements to complete all repetitions without stumbling. The Ski Erg is a mimic of upper body skiing movements, which requires lats and overall upper-body strength.

After the 12 minutes needed for the third workout, the group left for an extended break and breakfast.

Traditional Weightlifting

Adler warmed up with 20 box jumps before lifting weights post-breakfast. He then rolled through box speed squats using a safety squat bar and resistance bands for nine sets of three reps. The idea was to improve dynamic movement instead of necessarily focusing on weight or technique. To further combine strength and cardio training, a set was performed 30 seconds.

Afterward, Adler performed speed deadlifts, this time centering on how fast he could complete his pulls at lighter loads for another nine sets of three. He would close the day’s overall workout routine with “accessory” movements, like single-leg Romanian deadlifts and core training.

Recovery

Adler enjoyed alternating hot-cold therapy following the training session which lasted more than two and a half hours. He spent a few minutes in the steam room and a few minutes with a cold plunge. Part of the aim was to reduce inflammation in the knees and address heart rate variability (a measure of overall recovery).

Adler’s CrossFit Games journey is not complete. He will try to win his first-ever Men’s Individual title in Madison, WI, in early August 2023.

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