Regional Report: Athletes Wrap Up Day 2, Prep for Day 3

May 5, 2012

Jennifer Tan

Two teams remain in the Asia Region; Daniel Hershey and Feng Yi Chew remain on top in the individual competition.

Day 2 has seen an unwavering sense of spirit amongst the CrossFit community here in Seoul. With the dumbbell snatches proving to be a massive struggle for a large number of athletes, we have seen a surge of support from all angles; judges, coaches, fellow athletes and spectators stood through the high temperatures to spur on those brave enough to tackle Events 3 and 4.

Teams

Event 3

  1. Shogun CrossFit (11:00)
  2. Reebok CrossFit Asia (11:18)
  3. Chikara CrossFit (13:02)

Event 4

  1. Shogun CrossFit (28:31)
  2. Reebok CrossFit Asia (29:12)
  3. Chikara CrossFit ( – )

Overall Standings (Day 2)

  1. Shogun CrossFit
  2. Reebok CrossFit Asia

The two remaining teams in the Asia Regional had been swapping between first and second place, so naturally everyone in the audience was wondering who would triumph over this afternoon’s chipper. Reebok CrossFit Asia had a clear strategy by rotating athletes through the movements. Owner Jamie Light spoke of the “big improvement from last year” with regard to the Regional. He said the team experienced a big turn around with new members now on board. Unfortunately for CrossFit Asia, Shogun moved through the stations smoothly from the start and this consistency was what gave them the winning edge.

Men

Event 3

  1. Joseph Rank (3:49)
  2. Brice Collier (4:02)
  3. Marcus Smith (4:17)


Event 4

  1. Daniel Hershey (20:56)
  2. Brice Collier (22:10)
  3. Michael Mogard (22:36)

Overall Standings (Day 2)

  1. Daniel Hershey
  2. Brice Collier
  3. Joseph Rank

Heat 1 of the men’s second workout of the day induced cries from the crowd for Asia’s oldest competitor, 42-year-old Bilaal Broadway from CrossFit Fahrenheit, who, despite being unable to finish the workout, performed incredibly well. “The WOD was universal, loved it! Nice way to end the day.”

Strong winds sent barriers and mats sailing, but the athletes soldiered on through the workout without distraction. The chipper proved itself tough for even the well-conditioned athletes, with only Daniel Hershey managing to complete Event 4. Though he had been chasing Brice Collier’s tail throughout the entire workout, his last set of butterfly pull-ups sent him sailing past the finish line to the delight of his entourage from CrossFit Misawa.

Women

Event 3

  1. Christen Wagner (8:34)
  2. Nicole Tainatongo (9:08)
  3. Maura McGraw (10:02)

Event 4

  1. Feng Yi Chew (22:27)
  2. Christen Wagner (22:44)
  3. Maura McGraw (23:52)

Overall Standings (Day 2)
1.     Christen Wagner
2.     Feng Yi Chew
3.     Candice Howe

Maura McGraw and Feng Yi Chew did not let a single athlete overtake them from start to finish of the women’s fourth event of the weekend, leading their respective heats by considerable margins. Chew managed to string together all 50 back squats, much to the frantic cheers of the crowd. She later wisely broke up her first set of shoulder-to-overheads into sets of 5, keeping herself in a strong lead.

Nicole Tainatongo and Candice Howe struggled but stayed at a neck and neck pace for the vast majority of this brutal workout. Howe caught up with some vicious kipping pull-ups, but sadly this still wasn’t enough to reach Chew's lead. Chew was still smiling at the end of Event 4, and when asked about her approach, she replied, “Coach Matt [Swift] told me to relax and fly.”