Day 3 of the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games was one for the history books. The adaptive athletes demonstrated resilience and drive across three days of fierce competition in their bid to become the Fittest on Earth.
Men’s Lower Extremity
Ole Kristian Antonsen was in the lead going into the third and final day of competition, 50 points ahead of 25-year-old Séraphin Périer in second. Antonsen was calm, cool, and collected on his double-unders in Event 7 and walked away with his fourth event win, thereby extending his lead over Périer to 75 points.
Learn more about Antonsen’s story in “Forged by Fire.”
Event 9 was the first event for the adaptive competitors inside the Coliseum. Rugby player and physiotherapist Elliot Young jumped out to an early lead, making short work of his handstand push-ups and holding on for his second event win. Young was in fourth place going into the final event, 40 points behind 28-year-old Felipe Maturana Infante. The event win awarded him enough points to shift the leaderboard in his favor. Young finished in third place overall.
Day 3 Men’s Lower Extremity Final Standings
1. Ole Kristian Antonsen (565)
2. Séraphin Périer (510)
3. Elliot Young (415)
4. Felipe Maturana Infante (390)
Women’s Lower Extremity
The women faced a challenge in Event 7. While none of the competitors were able to finish under the time cap, Valerie Cohen picked up her fifth event win and extended her overall lead. Going into Event 9, Cohen had first place clinched with a 160-point lead over second place. But that didn’t stop her from leaving it all out on the Coliseum floor. She won Event 9 and finished the competition with six event wins.
But Cohen wasn’t the only competitor to rile the crowd in Event 9; the grit and determination of Amy Bream, a 29-year-old kickboxer and coach, set the stadium ablaze with positive energy. Bream is new to the sport of CrossFit and only started training in January of 2021. The push presses in Event 9 were a challenging weight for Bream, but with seconds left on the clock, the rookie approached her bar with a look of determination on her face and finished one more rep before the final buzzer sounded. The tearful embrace between Bream and fellow competitor Beth Tannatt after the close of the event displayed the true heart of CrossFit competition.
Day 3 Women’s Lower Extremity Final Standings
1. Valerie Cohen (655)
2. Natalie Bieule (470)
3. Sarah Rudder (345)
3. Beth Tannatt (345)
5: Amy Bream (265)
Men’s Upper Extremity
Mono-ropes made an appearance in Event 7 as the athletes tackled 324 double-unders. Casey Acree of Decatur, Illinois, continued his dominating performance and picked up his fifth event win.
Acree and 22-year-old Josue Maldonado had mathematically clinched first and second place, respectively, going into Event 9. But that didn’t stop Acree from taking his sixth event win with a time of 3:19.68.
Day 3 Men’s Upper Extremity Final Standings
1. Casey Acree (655)
2. Josue Maldonado (490)
3. Logan Aldridge (305)
4. Victor Castro (285)
5. Xabier Osa Mendes (225)
Women’s Upper Extremity
Anne Laure Coutenceau went two for two with event wins on Day 3. The 31-year-old French competitor performed her first CrossFit workout in 2016 and has been hooked ever since. Coutenceau won Event 7 and finished Event 9 over a minute ahead of Sabrina Daniela Lopez, who finished second in the event.
Day 3 Women’s Upper Extremity Final Standings
1. Sabrina Daniela Lopez (575)
2. Eileen Quinn (435)
3. Anne Laure Coutenceau (415)
4. Elizabeth Bride (390)
5. Charlotte Coburn (145)
Men’s Neuromuscular
In 2018, 25-year-old Brett Horchar was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Three years later, he not only competed in his first-ever CrossFit Games — he established one of the largest point spreads in CrossFit Games history.
Horchar went into Day 3 sitting at the top of the leaderboard with four event wins and a 220-point lead over second place. He was the only competitor to complete Event 7, clocking in with a time of 12:31.60. He closed out the final day of competition with a sixth event win in Event 9.
Day 3 Men’s Neuromuscular Final Standings
1. Brett Horchar (675)
2. George Simonds-Gooding (365)
3. Jcruz Gudino (365)
4: Sylvania Harrod (290)
5. Mijail Pedrini (290)
Women’s Neuromuscular
Meanwhile, the athletes on the women’s side of the Neuromuscular division were locking horns in the tightest race out of all the adaptive divisions. Just 25 points separated first and second, 40 points separated second and third, and 45 separated third from Rebecca Shingledecker and Ebby Isbill, tied for fourth after Day 2.
Shannon Ogar found her double-unders in Event 7 and took the event win, which moved her to the top of the leaderboard, 40 points ahead of 23-year-old Letchen Du Plessis. Going into Event 9, Du Plessis needed an event win and one competitor to finish ahead of Ogar to regain the lead. Du Plessis did her part and took the event win. But Ogar delivered as well and finished second in the event. Ogar finished at the top of the leaderboard, just 15 points over Du Plessis in second.
Day 3 Women’s Neuromuscular Final Standings
1. Shannon Ogar (515)
2. Letchen Du Plessis (500)
3. Alisha David (395)
4. Ebby Isbill (305)
5. Rebecca Shingledecker (265)
Photo by Meg Ellery
Cover photo and podium shots by flsportsguy photography