Meanwhile, Vellner just edged out reigning Fittest Man on Earth® Jeffrey Adler to take home the Men’s Individual crown for the second time in four years. Despite dealing with adverse conditions, that didn’t stop the athletes from showcasing their strength, speed, and stamina for the fans who weathered the storm in Round Rock, Texas.

[Related: Scotland’s Own Tom Stoltman Takes Home Title at 2023 Giants Live World Tour Finals With Dominant Performance]

Here are the final standings for both divisions at the 2023 Rogue CrossFit Invitational:

2023 Rogue CrossFit Invitational Final Standings — Women

1. Laura Horvath — 780 points (Winner)
2. Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr — 770 points
3. Emma Lawson — 650 points
4. Gabriela Migała — 630 points
5. Alex Gazan — 590 points
6. Emma Cary — 550 points
7. Danielle Brandon — 540 points
8. Arielle Loewen — 510 points
9. Dani Speegle — 505 points
10. Manon Angonese — 460 points
11. Christine Kolenbrander — 455 points
12. Lauren Fisher — 420 points
13. Paige Powers — 405 points
14. Paige Semenza — 390 points
15. Emily Rolfe — 330 points
16. Bethany Flores — 320 points
17. Karin Freyova — 305 points
18. Kyra Milligan — 295 points
19. Shelby Neal — 265 points
20. Elena Carratala Sanahuja — 235 points

2023 Rogue CrossFit Invitational Final Standings — Men

1. Pat Vellner — 660 points (Winner)
2. Jeffrey Adler — 640 points
3. Roman Khrennikov— 610 points
4. Brent Fikowski — 610 points
5. Ricky Garard — 565 points
6. Travis Mayer — 555 points
7. Jayson Hopper — 545points
8. Dallin Pepper — 545 points
9. Jay Crouch — 540 points
10. Noah Olsen — 530 points
11. Jelle Hoste — 485 points
12. Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson — 475 points
13. Chandler Smith — 455 points
14. Lazar Đukić — 445 points
15. Tudor Magda — 435 points
16. Bayley Martin — 375 points
17. Victor Hoffer — 360 points
18. Will Moorad — 300 points
19. Garrett Clark — 255 points
20. Jonne Koski — 10 points

[Related: 7 Tips to Perfect Your Deadlift Form]

With nine events that tested their strength and conditioning (as well as their mental fortitude), the CrossFit participants at the 2023 Rogue Invitational deserve tremendous credit for enduring a difficult challenge. While the two winners had a couple of hiccups, both Horvath and Vellner accumulated enough points to emerge victorious and secure lucrative paydays.

Here’s an event-by-event breakdown of how each champion performed:

Laura Horvath 2023 Rogue Invitational Event by Event Performance

Other than struggling to make it through “10th Inning” at the start of Day Two, Horvath had little trouble completing the other eight events on the schedule. In fact, she secured a top-three finish in six of the nine events, including wins in “The Circus,” “Hulk Hands,” and “The Cleanup.”

Of course, the 2023 CrossFit Games winner needed every point to fend off six-time Fittest Woman on Earth® Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, who showed no rust in her first competition since 2021. Ultimately, though, Horvath outlasted her peer in what proved to be a neck-and-neck battle till the very end.

1. Texas Heavy — Fourth place
2. Seat at the Bar — Second place
3. The Circus — First place
4. 10th Inning — 14th place
5. The Duel III — Second place
6. Max Deadlift — Third place
7. Hulk Hands — First place
8. Big Cat — Fifth place
9. The Cleanup — First place

Pat Vellner 2023 Rogue Invitational Event by Event Performance

Although he got off to a slow start, Vellner more than made up for his lackluster showing in “Texas Heavy” by rattling off top-three finishes in four of the next five events. That string of standout performances helped him climb atop the leaderboard and maintain a slim lead over Adler, who ultimately came up 20 points shy of the No. 1 spot.

Vellner, a seven-time CrossFit Games competitor who won the Rogue Invitational in 2020, delivered his best performance in “Seat at the Bar.” The Canadian native took home second in the event by completing the 20-15-10 rep scheme of log muscle ups, followed by five back squats of 375 pounds (170 kilograms) in six minutes and 47 seconds. He also demonstrated excellent strength by tying Tudor Magda for the second-highest deadlift with a 595-pound (270-kilogram) pull on Event No. 6.

1. Texas Heavy — 13th place
2. Seat at the Bar — Second place
3. The Circus — Third place
4. 10th Inning — Fourth place
5. The Duel III — Third place
6. Max Deadlift — Third place
7. Hulk Hands — Ninth place
8. Big Cat — 10th place
9. The Cleanup — 10th place

[Related: Try These 3 Air Bike Workouts for Conditioning, Fat Loss, and More]

Not only did Horvath and Vellner become multiple-time Rogue Invitational champions over the Oct. 26-29 weekend, but they also became substantially wealthier for their efforts. Finishing ahead of the pack earned them each a record-setting prize purse of $280,304.30. Considering the second-place finishers took home roughly a third of that amount ($97,780.57), it’s safe to say the 2023 Rogue Invitational winners can appreciate all the blood, sweat, and tears they poured into their training to prepare for the four-day showdown at Dell Diamond.

Featured image: @rogueinvitational on Instagram

The post 2023 Rogue CrossFit Invitational Results — Laura Horvath and Patrick Vellner Become Two-Time Champions appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In her post-victory interview at the 2023 CrossFit Games, Horvath discussed what it means to be a role model as a first-time winner of the Games. The athlete, who doesn’t display the defined six-pack of many of her contemporaries, is appropriately built to thrive in an intense strength-sport environment like CrossFit. The champion shared an enlightening answer as someone clearly prepared to set a quality example in the years to come.

The interviewer asked a simple question of Horvath, with a vital premise: How does it feel to be a role model to young girls who see someone like her excel in a CrossFit setting? With a Hungarian flag draped over her back, Horvath — who was understandably still out of breath — chose her words carefully in the biggest moment of her career to date.

As fitness and health standards, as well as cultural norms, sometimes set unrealistic expectations for women of all ages, Horvath shared an honest speech about how being true to herself has served her success.

“It’s a lot of pressure, but I’m just very happy that my body can do this,” Horvath said. “And I’m not looking at the new “Barbie” movie, ‘Oh, I want to look like that.’ I want to look like what I look like. And I just want to prove that my body, whatever it looks like, can do these amazing things. And move things from A to B and run fast and lift heavy, and all those things. I’m very excited that little girls and teenagers can look up to all these amazing girls that are here, because our bodies are not us, we are what’s inside. And it’s amazing what our bodies can do if you put the work in.”

Some elite athletes at the top of their game might elect to stick to their craft and keep their noses to the ground. For the most part, that sentiment still applies to Horvath, even after winning the biggest prize in CrossFit. However, this new member of CrossFit royalty certainly seems to understand the gravitas of her accomplishment, and she doesn’t appear to be shying away from the responsibility.

Featured image: @laurahorvaht on Instagram

The post Laura Horvath Discussed Being Role Model After Winning 2023 CrossFit Games appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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

The post 2023 CrossFit Games Day 4 Results appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Here are the top 10 finishers in the Women’s Individual division at the 2023 CrossFit Games:

Individual Women, 2023 CrossFit Games | Final Standings

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’s an overview of Horvath’s winning performance at the 2023 CrossFit Games, event by event:

Laura Horvath | Event By Event 2023 CrossFit Games Performance

1. Ride — Seven laps (9th place)
2. Pig Chipper — 13:50.40 (1st place)
3. Inverted Medley — Cap +5 (27th place)
4. The Alpaca Redux — 16:36.18 (2nd place)
5. Ski-Bag — 4:36.18 (1st place)
6. Helena — 9:06.79 (15th place)
7. Cross-Country 5K — 19:02.68 (13th place)
8. Intervals — 8:32.50 (8th place)
9. Olympic Weightlifting Total — 470 pounds (1st place)
10. Muscle-Up Logs — 8:41.22 (1st place)
11. Parallel Bar Pulls — 8:36.46 (1st place)
12. Echo Thruster Finals — 7:41.20 (4th place)

Horvath won her first career CrossFit Games title by virtue of a performance that could be described as “boom or bust.” If the athlete performed well in an event, chances are, she was likely taking the victory. If she didn’t, she struggled to finish in the top 10. Nonetheless, her five event triumphs out of 12 tests were enough to make history.

Horvath enters exclusive company as just 10th woman to ever win the Individual CrossFit Games. At just the age of 26, her reign might only be beginning. At the very least, Horvath has certainly been distinguished as a household name and as a champion.

In her post-win interview with the on-field reporter, Horvath took a mild swipe at pop culture while encouraging younger viewers as she acknowledged the health and fitness benefits of CrossFit training.

“I’m happy what my body can do and I’m not looking at the new “Barbie” movie, ‘Oh, I want to look like that.’ I want to look like what I look like. And I just want to prove that my body, whatever it looks like, can do these amazing things. And move things from A to B and run fast and lift heavy, and all those things. I’m very excited that little girls and teenagers can look up to all these amazing girls that are here, because our bodies are not us, we are what’s inside. And it’s amazing what our bodies can do if you put the work in.”

Featured image: @laurahorvaht on Instagram

The post Laura Horvath Wins 2023 CrossFit Games appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As the 2023 Games loom, here’s a breakdown of five potential contenders for the Women’s Individual title. Toomey leaves behind sizable shoes to fill, but one of these athletes could prove quite capable soon enough.

Potential 2023 CrossFit Games Women’s Individual Contenders

Just because Toomey won’t be a fixture at the latest iteration of CrossFit’s flagship contest doesn’t mean there aren’t worthy competitors waiting in the wings. Here’s a short profile and rundown of a few to consider.

Laura Horvath (Hungary)

• Best finish: Runner-up (2018, 2021)
• Games debut: 2018

Horvath has had a relatively consistent place amongst CrossFit’s elite since the moment she began competing in Madison, WI. Now entering her seventh edition of the Games, some might consider the 2022 podium finisher the overall Women’s favorite with the absence of both Toomey and Mal O’Brien. After a third-place result in the 2023 Europe Semifinal and a second-overall finish in the Quarterfinal, Horvath seems primed to finally break through after three podium finishes (2018, 2021-2022).

Annie Thorisdottir (Iceland)

• Best finish: Champion (2011-2012)
• Debut: 2009

A living CrossFit legend, it’s been a long time since Thorisdottir stood on top of the sport. A former two-time Women’s Individual champion (2011-2012), injuries and a pregnancy halted much of Thorisdottir’s progress in the sport during the middle of last decade. However, in recent years, “Iceland Annie” has started to regain her form. After missing the cut in 2019 and 2020, Thorisdottir came in third in 2021 and ventured into Teams competition in 2022, where she placed fourth as the Captain of Team CrossFit Reykjavik. These days, the 33-year-old could be considered more of a dark horse as she returns to Individual competition.

Though, not many “dark horses” already have two championship titles and two runner-up placings to their name.

Emma Lawson (Canada)

• Best finish: Sixth place (2022)
• Debut: 2022

At just 18 years old, Lawson approaches CrossFit competition like a seasoned veteran. The 2022 CrossFit Rookie of the Year and 2021 Games champion in the Girls (16-17) division, Lawson stormed to sixth place in her Women’s division debut. Usually, potential Games champions have a bit more experience before they finally break through on the biggest stage. However, with much of the Women’s division in apparent flux, that could play to Lawson’s advantage as an exceptionally young and bright possible first-time winner.

Arielle Loewen (United States)

• Best finish: 11th place (2022)
• Debut: 2021

Loewen is another top contender who would certainly qualify more naturally under a dark horse or “surprise” label. Unlike other prospective winners, Loewen does not have a big-name trophy distinction and arguably has less of a high-profile resume overall, never having broken into the top-10. That said, a third-place finish in the North America West Semifinal and third-place overall worldwide result in the Quarterfinal paints the picture of an athlete prepared to skyrocket. Her third Games appearance in 2023 might be that momentous opportunity.

Gabriela Migała (Poland)

• Best finish: Sixth place (2021)
• Debut: 2019

An experienced Games veteran, Migała has seemingly only improved since first entering the Women’s division at the end of last decade after reaching the podium in 2016 in the Girls (16-17) division. For someone who has never even earned a podium finish in the Women’s contest, Migała’s reputation almost precedes her. She’s trained with World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Björnsson, and appears to be an athlete waiting for that one final springboard. Notably, either Migała or Horvath would be the first Eastern-European Individual champion in the entire contest’s history.

There’s a lot to be decided for Individual Women’s competitors in the 2023 CrossFit Games. When all is said and done, one of these women might be the next queen of CrossFit.

Featured image: @laurahorvaht on Instagram

The post 5 Contenders for the Women’s CrossFit Games Title with Reigning Champ Tia-Clair Toomey Absent appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The three competitors were joined by other CrossFit athletes, as well as non-competitor gym members, for what was called a training camp. On June 30, 2023, CrossFit Krypton (which hosted the event and is co-owned by Smith) shared a video of camp highlights on their YouTube channel.

Smith can be seen explaining the planned workout for the day to the assembled crew in Chesapeake, VA. The warm-up phase was a two-round circuit incorporating rowing, push-ups, SkiErg, hanging L-sit leg raise, stationary bike riding, handstands, and burpees.

Next was the main workout of the day. It included three separate stations with exercise pairings performed back-to-back in a superset style. The entire circuit was completed for as many rounds as possible within 12 minutes.

Station One

• Rowing — 20 calories (men) / 16 calories (women)
• Bench Press — 10 reps with 84 kilograms/185 pounds (men) / 56.7 kilograms/125 pounds (women)

Station Two

• Stationary Bike — 20 calories (men) / 16 calories (women)
• Legless Rope Climb — Two reps (height not disclosed)

Station Three

• SkiErg — 20 calories (men) / 16 calories (women)
• Strict Handstand Push-up — 10 reps (facing the wall)

Following the circuits, Smith then instructed the groups to take turns doing strict pull-ups using the “ladder” method. They began by performing one rep per person, followed by two reps on the next set, three reps on the following set, adding one repetition per set to a maximum of 12 reps or until they reached failure. Members that couldn’t perform pull-ups with their bodyweight were using resistance bands to help them complete their reps. 

Following a question and answer session with the high-level athletes, they all moved on to the “cashout” phase of the workout, which featured snatches, back squats, burpees, and toes-to-bar leg raises. This was the final portion of the workout.

Horvath is the highest finishing woman from the 2022 Games returning to this year’s competition. She placed third behind six-time champion Tia-Clair Toomey, who withdrew from the this year’s Games because of her pregnancy and time as a new mother, while 2022 runner-up Mal O’Brien withdrew from the 2023 season due to personal challenges. Migala, meanwhile, will try to improve on her eighth place finish from 2022. Her highest career finish in the Women’s division was sixth in 2021 — in 2016, Migala placed third in the Girls (16-17) division.

As for Smith, the 2023 Games will mark his first CrossFit Games appearance since 2019. This year will be the his first time competing in the Teams division rather than the Men’s division where he won his 2015 championship. Smith will be the captain for Team CrossFit Krypton. This year marks the team’s first time making the Games since their second place finish in 2019. Smith hopes to join Rich Froning Jr. as a former Individual winner to also win a Teams title at the Games.

Featured Image: CrossFit Krypton / YouTube

The post Former Champion Ben Smith Hosts Training Camp for 2023 CrossFit Games. Laura Horvath and Gabriela Migala Show Out appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Chandler Smith and Jeffrey Adler joined Medeiros on the Men’s podium in second and third place, respectively. On the Women’s side, former two-time CrossFit Games champion Annie Thorisdottir (second) and 2022 CrossFit Games Rookie of the Year Emma Lawson (third) finished just behind Horvath.

[Related: How to Do the Trap Bar Deadlift — Variations, Benefits, and Common Mistakes]

Here are the final standings for both divisions at the 2022 CrossFit Rogue Invitational:

2022 CrossFit Rogue Invitational Final Standings — Women

1. Laura Horvath — 760 points (Winner)
2. Annie Thorisdottir — 705 points
3. Emma Lawson — 670 points
4. Ellie Turner — 670 points
5. Gabriela Migała — 645 points
6. Amanda Barnhart — 620 points
7. Kara Saunders — 610 points
8. Alexis Raptis — 580 points
9. Danielle Brandon — 575 points
10. Arielle Loewen — 560 points
11. Manon Angonese — 555 points
12. Dani Speegle — 545 points
13. Emma McQuaid — 535 points
14. Matilde Garnes — 520 points
15. Carolyn Prevost — 410 points
16. Olivia Kerstetter — 360 points
17. Jacqueline Dahlstrøm — 340 points
18. Bailey Rogers — 330 points
19. Anikha Greer — 310 points
20. Andrea Solberg — 225 points

2022 CrossFit Rogue Invitational Final Standings — Men

1. Justin Medeiros — 735 points (Winner)
2. Chandler Smith — 720 points
3. Jeffrey Adler — 715 points
4. Patrick Vellner — 705 points
5. Roman Khrennikov — 690 points
6. Björgvin Guðmundsson — 620 points
7. Jayson Hopper — 615 points
8. Samuel Kwant — 580 points
9. Noah Ohlsen — 570 points
10. Ricky Garard — 555 points
11. Jonne Koski — 550 points
12. Nick Mathew — 535 points
13. Jorge Fernandez — 420 points
14. Cole Sager — 420 points
15. Henrik Haapalainen — 405 points
16. Saxon Panchik — 385 points
17. Scott Tetlow — 365 points
18. Tim Paulson — 335 points
19. Jack Farlow — 325 points
20. Lazar Đukić — 255 points

[Related: How to Do the Weighted Pull-Up — Benefits, Variations, and More]

Between 10 different events, the CrossFitters at the 2022 Rogue Invitational had quite the strength and conditioning gauntlet to work through throughout the Austin, TX, weekend. Here’s an overview of how Horvath and Medeiros fared from event to event as they captured their respective victories.

Laura Horvath 2022 Rogue Invitational Event by Event Performance

After a slow start, Horvath stormed ahead of the rest of the field when she won four straight events. Horvath performed so well that she had a 75-point cushion entering the final day of the contest and clinched the Women’s Rogue Invitational title with a pair of top-10 performances at the end for the clincher.

1. Texas Trail — Ninth place
2. Ski Bar — 14th place
3. Back Attack — First place
4. DT With a Spin — First place
5. The Turtle — First place
6. The Duel II — First place
7. Texas Oak — Second place
8. Snatch and Press — 19th place
9. The Goblet — Seventh place
10. Heavy Grace — Third place

Justin Medeiros 2022 Rogue Invitational Event by Event Performance

Medeiros’ output at the 2022 Rogue Invitational was largely in line with his usual path to success. The athlete maintained a sterling record of consistency, finishing out of the top 10 in two events just twice while notching top-five results in six separate events.

1. Texas Trail — Fifth place
2. Ski Bar — First place
3. Back Attack — Third place
4. DT With a Spin — Fifth place
5. The Turtle — 12th place
6. The Duel II — First place
7. Texas Oak — 16th place
8. Snatch and Press — Eighth place
9. The Goblet — Seventh place
10. Heavy Grace — Fifth place

[Related: How to Do the Hip Thrust — Variations, Benefits, and Common Mistakes]

Aside from the general acclaim and prestige of winning a major contest like the Rogue Invitational, Horvath and Medeiros’ exploits earned them quite the lucrative equal cash prize. Both athletes took home $218,868 for their victories. It isn’t the end of the 2022 CrossFit season, but if Horvath and Medeiros wanted to hang up their kettlebells until the 2023 campaign, they’ve certainly earned the right to bask for the time being.

Featured image: @rogueinvitational on Instagram

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