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.

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Gazan bolsters her current fifth-place worldwide ranking on the official CrossFit leaderboard with this victory, earning her second-ever placing in the CrossFit Games. Gazan finished in 24th place for the Individual Women in her debut in 2022. Three teams, CrossFit Franco’s Misfits, CrossFit Invictus, and CrossFit Omnia, all finished with an identical number of points to win the Teams portion.

This North America West semifinals — one of the last legs before the 2023 CrossFit Games in early August — took place on May 25-28, 2023, in Pasadena, CA.

Here are the respective final results and top 20 finishers for all three included divisions at the 2023 CrossFit North America West Semifinal. As is the case with other Semifinals legs, the Individual athletes performed seven workouts, while the Teams competitors participated in six.

Individual Women Results

1. Alex Gazan — 538 points
2. Katrin Davíðsdóttir — 527 points
3. Arielle Loewen — 525 points
4. Christine Kolenbrander — 507 points
5. Bethany Shadburne — 504 points
6. Emily Rolfe — 465 points
7. Olivia Kerstetter — 457 points
8. Abigail Domit — 421 points
9. Baylee Rayl — 415 points
10. Kelly Baker — 415 points
11. Dani Speegle — 413 points
12. Kloie Wilson — 402 points
13. Lauren Fisher — 382 points
14. Emily White — 381 points
15. Sydney Michalyshen — 373 points
16. Hannah Black — 370 points
17. Stacy Lerum — 370 points
18. Hattie Kanyo — 359 points
19. Karisa Stapp — 356 points
20. Ellia Miller — 344 points

Individual Men Results

1. Patrick Veller — 612 points
2. Brent Fikowski — 569 points
3. Samuel Kwant — 564 points
4. Cole Greashaber — 528 points
5. Justin Medeiros — 519 points
6. Chandler Smith — 490 points
7. Nick Mathew — 472 points
8. Colten Mertens — 458 points
9. Cole Sager — 458 points
10. Mitchel Stevenson — 422 points
11. Luis Oscar Mora — 418 points
12. John Wood — 417 points
13. Jack Rozema — 402 points
14. Justin Rhodes — 351 points
15. Maximilian Krieg — 349 points
16. Scott Tetlow — 343 points
17. Chris Ibarra — 343 points
18. Isaiah Vidal — 326 points
19. Phillip Muscarella — 325 points
20. Anthony Davis — 324 points

Teams Results

1. CrossFit Franco’s Misfits — 555 points | Three-way tie for first place
2. CrossFit Invictus — 555 points | Three-way tie for first place
3. CrossFit Omnia — 555 points | Three-way tie for first place
4. CrossFit Kilo II — 528 points
5. Koda CrossFit Redemption — 486 points
6. CrossFit Invictus Unconquerable — 483 points
7. Rhino CrossFit Dawgs — 444 points
8. CrossFit Invictus Sea of Green — 432 points
9. Einhorn CrossFit Ascend — 417 points
10. CrossFit Believe — 364 points
11. Verdant CrossFit — 363 points
12. CrossFit 8035 — 354 points
13. CrossFit Overtake Team Destiny — 349 points
14. Undefeated CrossFit — 334 points
15. CrossFit Complex — 327 points
16. CrossFit Queretaro The W Pack — 309 points
17. CrossFit Kemah — 286 points
18. Ben Lomond CrossFit Rise — 265 points
19. CrossFit Condesa Luther MX — 250 points
20. Salty Hive CrossFit — 236 points

Upcoming CrossFit Semifinal Dates

Five legs of the 2023 CrossFit Semifinals — North America East, Africa, North America West, Oceania, and South America — are in the books, and only two remain. Here are the upcoming dates for the remaining 2023 CrossFit Semifinals:

• June 1-4, 2023: Europe Semifinal | Berlin, Germany
• June 1-4, 2023: Asia Semifinal | Busan, South Korea

At the conclusion of both the Europe and Asia Semifinals, the headline divisions (Individual Women, Individual Men, Teams) of the 2023 CrossFit Games will have most of their primary rosters locked in. From there, it’s a two-month sprint (or wait) until the biggest competition in CrossFit in the late summer.

Featured image: @alexgazan_ on Instagram

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On Sept. 19, 2022, the Wodapalooza revealed that it would once again have a $500,000 prize purse across all of the divisions in the 2023 edition of the CrossFit contest. However, with some changes, the respective winners in each category will split that lucrative total sum accordingly.

 

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There are multiple divisions in the 2023 Wodapalooza — including Elite Individuals, Elite Teams, Masters divisions, and Adaptive divisions. Patrick Vellner is the defending champion for the Men in the Elite Individuals, while Emma McQuaid is the reigning winner for the Women. The Boys were the 2022 Men’s Elite Teams champions, while Team Kriger paced ahead for the Women’s Elite Teams.

Here’s a breakdown of how the prize money shakes out across each division. (Note: These are the prize sums for both the Men and Women in each section.)

Elite Individuals

• First place — $75,000 ($100,000 in 2022)
• Second place — $35,000
• Third place — $25,000 ($21,000 in 2022)
• Fourth place — $10,000
• Fifth place — $8,000
• Sixth place — $5,000
• Seventh place  — $4,000
• Eighth place — $3,000
• Ninth place — $2,000
• 10th place — $1,000

Notably, the prize purse for Elite Individuals will decrease by $25,000. As opposed to 2022’s $100,000 top prize, 2023’s winners will take home $75,000. The other divisions in the contest will see the difference in their top prize totals.

Elite Teams

• First place — $30,000 ($15,000 in 2022)
• Second place — $15,000
• Third place — $10,000
• Fourth place — $7,500
• Fifth place — $3,500

 

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Masters Divisions

• First place — $2,000 ($1,000 in 2022)

Adaptive RX

• First place — $2,000

At the time of this writing, the final roster of athletes for the 2023 Wodapalooza has not been confirmed. The online qualification process for January’s competition is still underway. According to the contest’s website, the online qualifying stage will conclude for Individuals on Sept. 26, 2022, and Teams will finish their portion on Oct. 24, 2022.

Should Vellner return to defend his Men’s title and succeed, his fourth consecutive victory in the contest would surpass Noah Ohlsen’s record of three straight wins (2015-2017). Meanwhile, if McQuaid returns to defend her championship successfully, she would be the third-ever repeat Women’s winner behind Samantha Briggs (2014-2015) and Tia-Clair Toomey (2019-2020).

 

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Whoever comes out on top in Miami has plenty to look forward to. Not only in acclaim from their peers but in capturing a sizable cash prize.

Featured image: @wodapalooza on Instagram

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