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Jeffrey Adler and Lazar Djukic: 2022 CrossFit Games Athlete Studies (And a History Lesson)

September 19, 2022 by Brian Friend

Photo Credit: Athlete's Eye

This is part four of a series in which we focus on two athletes and dissect their performances from the 2022 CrossFit Games.

In case you missed it, the first part of this five-part series compared Haley Adams and Gabi Migala’s performances this year and last, the second part examined Roman Khrennikov and Ricky Garard’s 2022 outing, while the third compared Mal O’Brien and Laura Horvath’s accomplishments this year.

When Rich Froning Jr retired from individual competition following the 2014 CrossFit Games, it began a changing of the guard so to speak in the men’s individual division. Perennial top ten athletes and podium contenders like Froning, Jason Khalipa, Tommy Hackenbruck, Dan Bailey, Spencer Hendel, Graham Holmberg, and Neal Maddox one by one stopped competing. Josh Bridges tried to extend his career, but despite qualifying a couple more times, was never able to threaten for a top ten position again.

There was a new crop of American men who were eager and ready to take the places of these great competitors from a previous era: names like Mat Fraser, Noah Ohlsen, Cole Sager, Travis Mayer, and Will Moorad entered the scene (and many are still a big part of it). Ben Smith and Scott Panchik were the best at straddling these two generations of top level Games athletes.