Regional Report: Platinum Pulls Ahead in Snatch Ladder

May 6, 2012

Dave Large

CrossFit Platinum establishes a solid lead going into the last workout.

Day 3 is under way in Africa. With just two workouts left to go, men, women and teams have two more tests before we can crown the Fittest in Africa.

Men

Event 5
 
Neil Scholtz (205.08)
Jason Smith (195.08)
David Levey (195.03)
 
Playing to his strength in the weightlifting disciplines, Scholtz dominated Event 5 as the only man completing the 205-pound bar. With three other athletes completing the 195-pound bar, the next two finishing positions were going to be decided by double-unders. Smith took a five-rep lead over Levey and in so doing moved up one spot on the Leaderboard.
 
Women
 
Event 5
 
Rika Diedericks (105)
 
As the only remaining athlete in the individual woman’s competition, Diedericks opted to just complete the opening stage on the snatch ladder with a view of conserving her energy for the final event of the day.
 
 
Team
 
Event 5
 
CrossFit Platinum (785lb)
Team Cape CrossFit (455lb)
 
With one point separating the two remaining teams, this event was going to be a decider as Platinum merely needed a win to consolidate their lead. With the teams needing to complete just one successful snatch, the weekend was far from over as they both pinned their hopes on their strongest members.
 
Ellie Hagopian of Cape CrossFit was the only female team member to accomplish the opening 105-pound bar. However, she failed on stage two.  
 
CrossFit Platinum’s Lisa Reichmann and Beatrix Snyman passed stage, but Reichmann faltered at the second stage. Snyman delighted the crowd by making the 125-pound lift on stage three, before failing on stage four. “I was fine with the 125 pounds, but when I reached 130 pounds, my technique just wasn’t there,” said the Johannesburg based athlete.
The men’s heat became a highlight of the weekend as Platinum’s Andre ‘Beast’ De bois passed the 235-pounds, the ninth bar. “This event played to my strengths,” said De bois, who also got further in this event than any of the individual men.