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Ten Big Things From Individual Day Two at the 2023 CrossFit Games

August 4, 2023 by Nicky Freymond

Photo Credit: Ava Kitzi

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Day 2 is done and dusted as 79 individual athletes have completed three more tests and are midway through the four-day event. Test 4: The Alpaca Redux, Test 5: Ski-Bag and Test 6: Helena were the workouts completed, and were full of highs, lows, big moments and celebrations.

Here were ten big things from day 2:

Rookie Jack Farlow took second place in Test 4: The Alpaca Redux, with a time of 12:54. This is Farlow’s first all time test win as an individual.

On the women’s side in Test 4, Alex Gazan gutted out the last inches of the sled push as she lost a shoe, then attempted the push with socks, then bare feet, only to quickly throw back on her shoes and manage a dramatic third place finish with a time of 17:25.

Colten Mertens picked up his first ever event win on Test 5, with a time of 4:30.

Test 4 and Test 5 saw very few female finishes, as many of the competitors were time-capped. Those who finished Test 4 were Emma Tall, Laura Horvath, Alex Gazan, Emma Lawson and Alexis Raptis. On Test 5, the finishers were Laura Horvath, Alex Gazan, Olivia Kerstetter, Ella Wunger and Ellie Turner.

Another Games rookie, Ella Wunger, nabbed a heat win on Test 5, with a time of 5:54.

In a dramatic finish, fan-favorite Chandler Smith passed overall points leader Roman Khrennikov on the final five reps of the sandbag squats in Test 5, and finished in seventh overall, with a time of 4:57.

On Test 6, rookie Jelle Hoste passed Pat Vellner twice on the run portion, but Vellner overtook him for a heat win, of 8:16. On Vellner’s performance today, Sean Woodland mused that there are certain inevitabilities in life… “death, taxes, and a Patrick Vellner comeback.” Of the 6 tests, Vellner has placed either 6th or 27th.

After a two-year absence from the Games due to injury, veteran Jamie Simmonds obliterated Test 6, with a time of 8:27, which was her first test win of the event.

Jeff Adler snagged his first test win of the weekend on Test 6, with a time of 7:56, the only athlete to finish under eight minutes. In the post-test interview, he said, “It’s the third round that counts, and I made it count. You guys are surprised I can run!”

Two mothers competed in the final heat of women on Test 6, Arielle Loewen and Annie Thorisdottir, who finished the day in 5th place and 7th place respectively.