Latin America Scouting Report: Men

January 31, 2012

Thomas Patton

Latin America might still be lacking in numbers of competitors, but we are definitely not lacking in talent.

 

Latin America might still be lacking in numbers of competitors, but we are definitely not lacking in talent. Drama in the region for the 2012 CrossFit Open is unfolding daily as impressive statistics come into the light. The male dark horses are being uncovered even a month-and-a-half before the Open begins. The hidden talent in the men’s division has not been able to remain quiet, as their friends excitedly post these impressive scores all over Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Deadlift PRs, a sub three-minute “Fran,” and a 25-plus “Cindy” are among the most mentioned and impressive benchmarks commonly heard. In a region where there were only 125 men in the 2011 Open, and only 37 out of 60 who showed up for Regionals. 2012 promises to be much bigger, much more exiting, and extremely impressive.
 
Carlos Bonifaz
An 18-year-old soccer player who just recently has become a CrossFitter, Bonifaz has been training for only eight months and holds a 445-pound deadlift and a 6:22 “Annie.” He is currently training all out for the 2012 Open with three daily workouts and an extra emphasis on rest, recovery, and flawless nutrition. He competed in the local Ecuador Throwdown and came away with 2nd place. He later competed on a team in another local meet that took 2nd, as well. Bonifaz, currently studying to be a chef, definitely plans to add “hardcore” and “firebreathing CrossFitter” to his resume.
 
Winther Toala Gomez 
Also from Ecuador, Gomez’s name will be remembered well beyond the 2012 Open and Regionals. The 20-year-old coach at CrossFit Amaru has been very passionate and an avid CrossFit spokesperson. To other people, Gomez personifies the CrossFit lifestyle. He holds a 360-pound deadlift PR, a 5:40 “Annie,” and can run a 5K in 18 minutes. He competed in the Ecuador Throwdown with an impressive 7th place out of 160 competitors, where he stole the applause of every spectator present because of his charisma and commitment. Fans from Ecuador assure us that he will excel in the 2012 CrossFit Open and Regionals as well.
 
Alvaro Lopez
A 26-year-old trainer at CrossFit PTY in the Republic of Panama, Lopez left with an 8th place finish last year at the Latin America Regionals after only 10 months of CrossFit experience. He started training right away in hopes of making an impressive comeback in the 2012 Open. His hardcore training, multiple workouts per day, Olympic lifting lessons from the best coaches in his country, excellent nutrition, discipline and focus, have allowed him to obtain a 2:58 “Fran,” 2:20 “Grace,” 25-round “Cindy,” 435-pound deadlift, 235-pound clean, and 185-pound snatch. Lopez has still yet to reach his peak, and his numbers are nothing short of impressive. His second year in the CrossFit Open will most certainly cause sensation, admiration, and probably a position at the top.
 
Batuque Iribarren
Iribarren is a 24-year-old coach at CrossFit Tuluka in Argentina. He is no stranger to the cheers and excitement of the crowd after taking 5th place at the 2011 Latin America Regional and coming in 7th in the region in the 2011 Open. After another year of training and the fact that the 4th place finisher is moving to another region, Iribarren is more than capable of sneaking in to that top three at Regionals. Coming from a Circus, Capoeria, Gymnastics, Jiu Jitsu, and MMA background, he has been focusing on his lifts and PRs these past months. After three years of CrossFit, he is ready to stand at the podium and create some trouble for the other men aspiring to be the fittest in Latin America.