There was no change to the top of the leaderboard on the third and final day of the Dubai CrossFit Championship. Laura Horvath and Roman Khrennikov each won in decisive fashion. Horvath exorcised her demons at the event, having twice withdrawn due to injuries in the past, she had eight top-5 finishes enroute to a 33-point victory. Khrennikov added to his competition accolades by finally adding the Dubai CrossFit Championship title. He didn’t have a finish outside of the top-5 and recorded three event wins for a dominating 92-point win. Here are three other takeaways from the opening day of competition.
Holte’s Swan Song
All weekend Kristin Holte recognized that she might get emotional knowing this would be the last time she would step on the competition floor as an individual athlete. The soft-spoken and usually stoic Norwegian was definitely in the moment all weekend, enjoying herself and the time she got to share with her fellow athletes.
In her final individual competition she put in a vintage Holte performance, competing for a podium spot all weekend. She was rewarded with a second place finish thanks to five top-5 finishes including an event win in what else, a run up and down a ski slope.
The organizers of the DCC paid tribute to the eight-time Games veteran and 2019 second “Fittest Woman on Earth” by gathering the volunteers and athletes after the final event to pay tribute to one of the greatest women athletes of all-time.
That is when those emotions came out and she shed tears of sadness and joy as she soaked in the applause and adulation. Those who missed her performance in Dubai can catch her in action, in-person one final time at Wodapalooza as she competes on a team of fellow Norwegians.
Lazar Đukić keeps getting better
If you don’t know the Đukić name yet this is your heads up to take notice. There’s two talented brothers who share that last name, both competed at the 2021 CrossFit Games but for now the elder brother Lazar is the one you should know.
Not only is the Serbian the ninth “Fittest Man on Earth” but he has quickly been building up a resume to challenge for the title of top European athlete. For those who do know his name, his journey started at the Dubai CrossFit Championship where he has competed three times. In 2019 he placed fifth making some people take notice.
He returned to Dubai with championship aspirations and came up short but still finished an impressive second, matching his highest finish in a CrossFit sanctioned event (second in the 2021 German Throwdown Semifinal). He had six top-5 finishes including an event win in Dubai to hold off Ricky Garard and Jeffrey Adler.
One of the newest additions to the Mayhem Athlete stable, expect him to improve as he gets into the competition programming and under the tutelage of Rich Froning and his coaching staff.
Comebacks are right on track
Among the storylines at Dubai was the various athletes choosing this event to test their fitness after a long lay-off. Sara Sigmundsdottir led that group showing that her repaired ACL is close to 100% if not completely healed. In her first live, in-person competition in almost two years, she placed seventh, just one point out of sixth and 16 points from fourth. She showed signs of vintage Sigmundsdottir including setting a competition PR in the clean and jerk event on Friday. She recorded seven top-10 finishes and most importantly gained confidence.
Willy Georges made his return after shoulder surgery that took away his 2021 season. He placed fifth thanks to three top-5 finishes. The shoulder held up under the heavy overhead pushing and pulling that this competition is known for.
Look for both of these athletes to build upon this event and concentrate their efforts on the 2022 CrossFit Games season and returning to Madison, Wisconsin.
Final Leaderboard
- Laura Horvath (783) | Roman Khrennikov (845)
- Kristin Holte (750) | Lazar Đukić (753)
- Gabriela Migała (723) | Ricky Garard (744)
- Samantha Briggs (706) | Jeffrey Adler (705)
- Jacqueline Dahlstrøm (704) | Willy Georges (653)
- Andrea Nisler (691) | Henrik Haapalainen (647)
- Sara Sigmundsdottir (690) | Giorgos Karavis (640)
- Emily Rolfe (665) | Elliot Simmonds (636)
- Emma Lawson (653) | Luka Đukić (617)
- Thuri Helgadottir (618) | Simon Mantyla (609)
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