Regional Report: Asia Struggles With Dumbbell

May 5, 2012

Jennifer Tan

"I'm not going to let the dumbbell win."

The haze of the morning sun was already glaring down on the University grounds here in Seoul as Day 2 of the Asia Regional kicked off. Athletes were feeling sore but relatively well rested, and there was a buzz in the air concerning the heavy dumbbell snatches waiting to be tackled by athletes, coaches and spectators alike. Many athletes had not to this day even seen a 100 pound dumbbell, let alone attempted to snatch one, and this became evident as the workouts began. A strong sense of camaraderie amongst the athletes worked its way through the morning, with the top finishers standing by to cheer on those who were struggling.

Team
Event 3

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


Team Shogun CrossFit steamed ahead on Event 2 with Reebok CrossFit Asia hot on their tails. Chikara ground their way through the dumbbell snatches, which were obviously proving to be more than challenging, but this only spurred them further on to fight until the end. The crowds were quick to get into the mood and were a lively chorus from start to finish, with many spectators commenting on how admirable it was to have gotten to this stage in the competition.

Men
Event 3

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


The men of Asia entertained the audience with their solid work on the snatches. Cody Hunter of Reebok CrossFit Sentinel had a huge fan base steering him through every rep, which no doubt contributed to his impressive 1st place finish in Heat 1. Brice Collier spoke of his well thought-out strategy, which earned him 2nd place. “My aim was to be as engaged as possible throughout the movement–my hamstrings are aching now, but I want to save my quads for later.”

Joseph Rank (also from Sentinel) sent tongues wagging with the fastest time to date (worldwide) on Event 3.

Women
Event 3

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


The women’s workout saw similar trends to yesterday’s handstand push-ups and heavy cleans. For some athletes it was just too much to take on, and the weight just did not go up. In spite of this, these women showed no signs of giving up and put on a big fight until the end, with a couple managing to PR with one or two reps. Christen Wagner progressed through the dumbbell snatches smoothly and steadily, as did Maura McGraw (Reebok CrossFit Asia) and Nicole Tainatongo (CrossFit 671). Tainatongo spoke of her approach to the workout, “I’m not going to let the dumbbell win.”