The 2022 Rogue Invitational came to close on Sunday, Oct. 30, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, TX, with two very different endings. The men’s division featured nail-biting drama that went down to the final repetition to see who would ultimately wear the championship belt; the women’s division was, well, far less dramatic, with Laura Horvath practically clinching the belt prior to the final event.
For the men it was two-time reigning and defending Fittest Man on Earth® Justin Medeiros who won, making him the first person to win a Rogue title extending his streak to live competition wins to five dating back to the 2021 CrossFit Games.
[Related: Check out BarBend’s live leaderboard for complete coverage of the 2022 Rogue Invitational]
Event 10 Workout — “Heavy Grace”
For time:
- 30 Clean & Jerks — Men: 225 pounds | Women: 165 pounds
Event 10 Results
“Heavy Grace” is easy enough, 30 clean & jerks in as fast as you can. The twist: an increase in weight from 135 and 95 pounds, for men and women, respectively, to 225 and 165 pounds. The Rogue team presented three barbells in each athlete’s lane. Each athlete completed 10 reps before moving forward to the next bar, essentially making the event look more race-like and adding to the intensity.
The final bar was a special edition Rogue barbell dubbed the “Money Bar”, which featured a custom green paint job with dollar sign prints.
All athlete’s elected to do quick single reps under the heavier weight. Any missed attempts would prove to be crucial especially in the last set of 10 repetitions, a scenario we saw play out int he final men’s heat.
Men’s Results
- Jeffrey Adler — 3:12.84 (1:55)
- Roman Khrennikov — 3:27.51 (1:59)
- Chandler Smith — 3:43.19 (2:13)
- Jack Farlow — 3:51.60 (2:22)
- Justin Medeiros — 3:53.29 (2:23)
- Nick Mathew — 4:01.31 (2:2)
- Jayson Hopper — 4:02.20 (2:31)
- Björgvin Karl Gudmundsson — 4:03.11 (2:22)
- Samuel Kwant — 4:11.67 —2:29)
- Patrick Vellner — 4:19.97 (2:09)
- Ricky Garard — 4:25.15 (2:45)
- Tim Paulson — 4:27.66 (2:26)
- Noah Ohlsen — 4:31.04 (2:36)
- Lazar Dukic — 4:33.46 (2:42)
- Jorge Fernandez — 4:33.91 (2:44)
- Jonne Koski — 4:43.23 (2:36)
- Henrik Haapalainen — 4:50.19 (2:57)
- Cole Sager — 5:05.14 (3:03)
- Scott Tetlow — 5:17.37 (2:58)
- Saxon Panchik — 5:30.78 (3:10)
Women’s Results
- Kara Saunders — 3:31.89 (2:04)
- Olivia Kerstetter — 3:48.11 (2:19)
- Laura Horvath — 3:48.90 (2:11)
- Ellie Turner — 3:58.83 (2:16)
- Dani Speegle — 4:06.21 (2:20)
- Amanda Barnhart — 4:07.62 (2:33)
- Annie Thorisdottir — 4:10.99 (2:26)
- Gabriela Migała — 4:17.37 (2:37)
- Arielle Loewen — 4:27.26
- Manon Angonese — 4:36.90 (2:50)
- Emma McQuaid — 4:47.40
- Matilde Garnes — 4:55.88 (3:10)
- Emma Lawson — 4:58.10 (3:04)
- Danielle Brandon —5:19.57 (3:07)
- Alexis Raptis — 5:29.60 (3:14)
- Anikha Greer — 5:30.36 (–)
- Bailey Rogers — 5:57.95 (3:42)
- Carolyne Prevost — CAP+1 (4:01)
- Andrea Solberg — CAP +9 (5:39)
- Jaqueline Dahlstrøm — CAP+27 (–)
Women’s Event 10 Highlights
With a 35-point lead heading into a workout where she was considered one of the favorites, the final event basically became a victory lap for two-time Games runner-up Laura Horvath. She just needed to finish ahead of two-time Fittest Woman on Earth® Annie Thorisdottir to claim her first Rogue title belt.
She would end up placing third with a time of 3:48.90 while Thorisdottir placed seventh. Kara Saunders won the event with a time of 3:31.89, her first even win of the weekend, and that win propelled her into seventh on the overall leaderboard.
Sixteen year old Olivia Kerstetter ended what was a probably a frustrating competition for her on a high note, winning her heat and placing second with a time of 3:48.11. The two-time Games teen champion no doubt learned some valuable lessons in her first competition against the top women in the world. She placed 16th overall.
Ellie Turner placed fourth in the event and fourth overall, losing out to Emma Lawson via the tiebreaker. Dani Speegle placed fifth, finishing the competition with three top-five finishes in the final four events. Thorisdottir’s seventh place secured second place overall, the second-straight year she finished as the runner-up at the Rogue Invitational. Finally, Emma Lawson placed third overall thanks in part to two event wins for the 17-year old.
Men’s Event 10 Highlights
Patrick Vellner had little margin for error heading into the final event; he not only needed to finish ahead of Medeiros but also needed another athlete to finish between the two. If those two things happen it would give Vellner his second Rogue Invitational title.
He came out the gate smooth and steady as did Medeiros; both finished the first set of 10 clean & jerks neck and neck while Jeffrey Adler grabbed the early lead.
On the second set of 10 clean & jerks, Vellner got some separation from Medeiros and picked up a two-rep lead heading to the “Money Bar”.
Chandler Smith and Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson then advanced ahead of Mederios to set in place the scenario needed for Vellner to claim the Rogue Invitational title.
Vellner hit his first five clean & jerks before missing on his sixth attempt, opening up the window for Medeiros who then caught up with him. Vellner then missed another jerk, all but securing Medeiros the title as the 23-year-old American finished his 30th repetition and jogged to the finish line.
Adler would go on to win the event, his fourth top-three finish and only event win of the weekend to secure third place overall for the second-straight year. He did it at the expense of his fellow Canadian countryman, Vellner.
Vellner struggled to get his final three clean & jerks and saw not only his title aspirations pass him by but also a podium finish, placing fourth overall.
Roman Khrennikov bounced back after two bad finishes in the previous events to place second followed by Smith.
Smith’s fifth top-three finish of the competition secured him second place overall. After a disappointing 2022 Games season, Smith looks better than ever and should be among the favorites to contend for a Games trip in 2023.
More Rogue Invitational Content
The 2022 Rogue Invitational wrapped up on Sunday, Oct. 30, the last day of competition. Check out these articles from BarBend to catch up on on all the action:
- 2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman Results
- Hafthor Björnsson Sets New Weight Over Bar World Records of 20 Feet, 3 Inches
- Rogue Adopts Sandbag Ladder Format for 1-Rep Max Log Lift at the 2022 Rogue Invitational
- How to Watch the 2022 Rogue Invitational
Featured Image: Patrick Clark / Athlete’s Eye Photography