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Patrick Vellner on CrossFit Games Future: “I’m Not Going Anywhere.”

August 25, 2022 by
Credit - Athlete’s Eye
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In a reel posted on his Instagram account, eight-time CrossFit Games athlete and four-time podium finisher Patrick Vellner announced that he would return to compete for that elusive title of “Fittest” in the 2023 season.

  • “Well it’s been a trip!” said Vellner in the post. “Time to move past the 2022 CrossFit Games and set my sights on 2023! I’m not going anywhere.”

Why it matters: Vellner headed into this past season as one of the favorites to challenge current champion Justin Medeiros for the Games title after placing second in 2021, the highest finish in his career. 

  • Vellner finished lower than expected in sixth overall in what he called a “disappointing finish”. 
  • The Canadian was the second oldest man in the Games field, at 32-years-old, yet he still competed at a high level, earning his sixth top-10 finish in seven trips to the Games as an individual.
  • Depending on how he’s feeling post-Games, it’s likely he’ll return to compete at the Rogue Invitational in late October–he finished second to Medeiros there last year. 

The bottom line: Some may say that Vellner is closer to retirement than he is to the podium but he’s just one year removed from his silver medal finish at the Games where he and Medeiros battled it out for the championship. 

  • Vellner admitted in his Instagram event recaps that he struggled with some of the new movements introduced at the Games and preparation for each of the events, elements that he vows he will learn from and improve on. 
  • If he indeed does follow through on those promises there’s no doubt that he will once again be considered a title contender in 2023.

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