"I saw her drop the bar and that was my cue to go."
Everyone was anxious for the start of Day 3 in Canada East where athletes would take on a the chipper with the fat bar.
Women
The story on the women’s side was, once again, the race between Camille Leblanc-Bazinet and Michele Letendre.
Heading into the final heat, only four women had finished the event. Lacey Van Der Marel posted the top time in heat three at 12:56, with Rachel Leblanc-Bazinet behind in 14;01.
Van Der Marel was looking forward to this event.
“All weekend I’ve been pacing myself,” she said. “I took it easier on the deadlift events and saved myself for this one. Gymnastics are my strength, and knowing that the next heat would post some good times helped me push through.”
The race was close, with Letendre and Leblanc-Bazinet once again alternating the lead. On the lunges, the two athletes remained 4 feet apart, moving their way down the floor. It wasn’t until the last 10 meters that Leblanc-Bazinet picked up the pace and created a gap.
“I saw her drop the bar and that was my cue to go,” Leblanc-Bazinet says.
Leblanc-Bazinet would finish in the record setting 8:08. Letendre, also besting Katrina Tanja Davidsdottir’s record with a time of 8:27. Leblanc-Bazinet’s time now stands as the new time to beat for all of the regions.
“I don’t know if I push her, but she pushes me,” Letendre said of Leblanc-Bazinet. “Usually, I don’t focus on any one else and go as fast as I can go, but when someone’s right beside you …”
Event 6
1. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet (8:08)
2. Michele Letendre (8:27)
3. Tina Popp (12:23)
Men
At the end of Day 2 for the men, it was still anyone’s game.
In the first heat, there were two athletes to finish. Francois Tremblay was the first to the shoulder to overheads, and continued to build on his lead.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Tremblay said after the event. “It was a good event for me.”
Lucas Proulx stayed close to Tremblay, pacing himself through the lifts and moved on to the lunges with a little more than two minutes to go. The young, tall athlete was able to lunge down the floor to finish with 4 seconds remaining.
“When I heard the crowd cheer I knew I could regret if it dropped the bar,” Proulx said.
In the final heat, the top men completed the event in dramatic fashion. Matt Lefave entered focused, while Albert-Dominic Larouche was looking to protect his first place spot.
The pressure was on.
Larouche dominated from the handstand push-ups. Using that momentum, he finished the event first in 9:48.
Following Larouche was Simon Paquette, who finished the walking lunges in 11:36. Brandon Crump wasn’t far behind, handling the heavy weight well for a smaller athlete and finished at 12:11.
Paquette new this one was important.
“I had to go on this (event),” he said. “It was a good one. It hurt, but it was good. But I’ll be needing a nap and ice bath before the next event.”
Event 6
1. Albert-Dominic Larouche (9:48)
2. Paul Tremblay (11:28)
3. Simon Paquette (11:34)
Team
Every team was trying to chase L’Usine CrossFit and CrossFit Select.
In the first two heats, only two teams finished the event in the allotted 15 minutes.
Outlaw North would be the first team of the heat to the mat at 12:59, followed by Driven just under the cap at 14:55.
Outlaw North athletes, Dave Buitenwerf and Christine Scozzari, who are also dating, said they were happy with the finish.
The final heat brought the intensity.
Team We Are Fitness finished the handstand push-ups first then headed to the toes-to-bar. They build a strong lead.
At the end of the shoulder-to-overhead, CrossFit NCR caught up. But it would be Firepower to hit the lunges first, followed by Lusine CrossFit. Then, CrossFit Select moved head of NCR, with fatigue clearly setting in.
CrossFit Firepower was the first to finish the event in 9:52. NCR followed with Lusine in third.
Team
1. CrossFit Firepower2. Select (22)
3. Firepower (37)
