2023 CrossFit Games Event 6 “Helena” Results

August 4, 2023 by Phil Blechman

The final event for day two of competition for the Individuals at the 2023 CrossFit Games got underway in Madison, WI, on Aug. 4, 2023. Two-time reigning Fittest Man on Earth® Justin Medeiros continued to mount his comeback from the worst two events performances of his Games career to start his competition.

Roman Khrennikov wore the leader’s jersey for the Individual men for the third consecutive event on day four of the Games. Alexis Raptis conceded the leader’s jersey to Laura Horvath in “Ski Bag” after Horvath scorched the competition floor. Below are the results for “Helena.”

2023 CrossFit Games Event Six — “Helena”

Three rounds for time:

Run 400 meters
12 Bar Muscle-Ups
21 Dumbbell Snatches — Women: 35 pounds | Men: 50 pounds

Adler Simmonds — Image courtesy of CrossFit LLC

Individual Men’s Results — “Helena”

Jeffrey Adler — 7:56.98
Will Moorad — 8:05.63
Lazar Đukić — 8:08.12
Noah Ohlsen — 8:12.55
Roman Khrennikov — 8:13.25
Patrick Vellner — 8:16.52
Chandler Smith — 8:17.72
Jay Crouch — 8:18.36
Uldis Upenieks — 8:19.90
Ant Haynes — 8:21.29
Brent Fikowski — 8:21.42
Bayley Martin — 8:22.93
Björgvin Karl Gudmundsson — 8:23.20
Jelle Hoste — 8:23.49
Henrik Haapalainen — 8:23.73
Samuel Cournoyer — 8:27.87
Colten Mertens — 8:29.18
Dallin Pepper — 8:30.75
Fabien Beneito — 8:31.52
Jonne Koski — 8:34.95
Kalyan Souza — 8:37.56
Spencer Panchik — 8:40.15
Samuel Kwant — 8:41.89
James Sprague — 8:45.15
Nick Mathew — 8:46.52
Luke Parker — 8:48.08
David Shorunke — 8:48.28
Kaique Cerveny — 8:48.52
Michal Wesolowski — 8:50.12
Justin Medeiros — 8:51.24
Cole Sager — 8:51.53
Cole Greashaber — 8:52.72
Jack Farlow — 8:56.08
Alex Vigneault — 9:05.14
Moritz Fiebig — 9:06.76
Jake Douglas — 9:19.90
Jayson Hopper — 9:39.51
Arthur Semenov — 9:45.03
Bronislaw Olenkowicz — 9:45.51

Individual Women’s Results — “Helena”

Jamie Simmonds — 8:27.12
Emma Cary — 8:38.61
Alexis Raptis — 8:38.61
Arielle Loewen — 8:42.74
Emma Lawson — 8:44.92
Bethany Flores — 8:46.27
Paige Powers — 8:50.70
Alex Gazan — 8:53.66
Seher Kaya — 8:55.34
Elisa Fuliano — 8:56.06
Danielle Brandon — 8:56.63
Shelby Neal — 9:03.67
Karin Freyová — 9:03.96
Emily Rolfe — 9:05.60
Laura Horvath — 9:06.79
Caroline Stanley — 9:07.14
Abigail Domit — 9:09.82
Paige Semenza — 9:12.09
Katrin Davíðsdóttir — 9:13.31
Manon Angonese — 9:14.12
Baylee Rayl — 9:14.32
Rebecka Vitesson — 9:17.19
Emma Tall — 9:18.60
Annie Thorisdottir — 9:20.16
Kelly Baker — 9:22.96
Sydney Wells — 9:24.97
Gabriela Migała — 9:26.85
Feeroozeh Saghafi — 9:30.39
Ella Wunger — 9:33.67
Alexia Williams — 9:37.90
Christine Kolenbrander — 9:38.61
Matilde Garnes — 9:43.44
Amanda Barnhart — 9:47.67
Shahad Budebs — 9:49.24
Emily de Rooy — 9:51.92
Olivia Kerstetter — 10:07.18
Victoria Campos — 10:16.80
Michelle Basnett — 10:49.80
Ellie Turner — CAP + 28
Emma McQuaid — withdrew

[Related: 2023 CrossFit Games Withdrawals]

Individual Men’s Helena Recap

Heat one featured athletes on the wrong side of the cut line entering the event and needed big finishes to move up the leaderboard — only the top 30 athletes advance to the weekend’s events. Vigneault and Cerveny were the first to finish the initial run and begin the first round of muscle-ups.

Wesolowski joined the two front-runners on the snatches before the rest of the heat joined them. Ceveny held a lead of about half a dozen strides on the second run. Souza caught up by the second round of muscle-ups and took over the lead by a rep in the second round of snatches.

The two South Americans were all alone out front during the final run. Souza appeared less gassed, and it translated to a two-rep lead in the last round of snatches. Souza crossed the finish line first and set the time to beat at just over eight and a half minutes.

Heat two was led by Haapalainen and Ulpenieks from the start. Haynes, Beneito, and Farlow attempted to keep pace, but the two European athletes churned through their snatches and raced back out to the track.

Upenieks took over the lead by the end of the second run, and Haynes caught up to Haapalainen. All three were ahead of Souza’s split time through the second round of muscle-ups.

Haynes and Upenieks led the field on the final run, but Haapalainen appeared to turn on the jets to not fall behind. The trio closed the final run three quarters past the sixth minute.

Upenieks had a slightly faster cycle rate on the muscle-ups to take a single-rep lead to start the last round of snatches. They stayed the pace, and Upenieks crossed the finish line first to take the heat.

Lazar Đukić led heat three around the first run. The pack behind him was led by Ohlsen and Moorad. Đukić held a two-rep lead through the muscle-ups to the snatches following his 4:14-mile pace in the first lap.

Đukić, Moorad, and Ohlsen were the first to the second run in that order. Their pace was well ahead of the split needed to overtake Upenieks’ time to beat.

Đukić advanced his lead by a rep through the second round of snatches. His strategy of full-sending the runs was paying off. Đukić had a full camera frame to himself re-entering the arena for the final muscle-ups. However, the cycle rate by Moorad was too fast for Đukić to fend off, and in the final moment, Moorad stole the heat.

The penultimate heat ran the first lap as a pack at the pace set by Panchik. Vellner and Panchik were the first athletes to touch the bars, though the pack as a whole ran a split five seconds behind the previous heat.

Everyone tackled the first round of snatches together, with only Mertens in the rear by a rep. Martin and Vellner were out front for the second run. Hoste hopped to the front by taking the lead in dramatic fashion via shoulder-bumping Martin.

That trio led the pack to the snatches. Noticeably, Medeiros fell toward the back of the heat. Vellner and Hoste traded the lead in the final run as they darted to the final round of muscle-ups.

The crowd erupted as Vellner grabbed his dumbbell first for the final snatches. He crossed the finish line to win the heat in a quarter after eight minutes.

Khrennikov set the pace for the opening lap of the final heat. This heat was advantaged significantly over the rest of the men’s field as they ran after all the women’s heats were completed, meaning the temperature was lower outside as night fell.

Koski was the first athlete through the muscle-ups. Crouch took over the lead with a faster cycle rate in the snatches. However, Khrennikov was the first to finish and raced out for lap two.

Adler joined Khrennikov at the front of the run and overtook Khrennikov before reentering the arena. Adler held his single-rep lead over Khrennikov through the second round of muscle-ups.

Adler extended his lead through the final run. He had plenty of breathing room to win the heat but knew the top time to beat set by Moorad earlier in the evening. The night belonged to Adler as he crossed the finish line in an event-winning time of

Individual Women’s Helena Recap

The first heat for the women ran before the final heat for the men. The first muscle-up after the first run was scored by Stanley, but Budebs was the first to the snatches.

A costly regrip plus no-rep cost Budebs the lead and allowed Angonese to take the lead into the second run. Angonese was joined by Stanley and Domit; they were well ahead of the rest of the heat.

Domit hit the second round of snatches first. Angonese and Stanley stayed within a rep and eventually caught up — Domit’s cycle rate as the taller athlete was slower on the snatches.

Angonese held a comfortable lead in the final run. Domit overtook Stanley a dozen strides behind Angonese. Domit chewed into Angonese’s lead during the final run, and it would be a nail-biter to win the heat.

The trio reached the final snatches before halfway past eight minutes. Angonese’s cycle rate was impressive thus far but slowed on the home stretch. Stanley’s did not and was enough to take the lead and the heat.

Caroline Stanley — Image courtesy of CrossFit LLC

Wells and Wunger set the pace on the run for the second women’s heat. Once to the muscle-ups, Kaya’s cycle rate was enough for a one-rep lead entering the first round of snatches.

Kaya held a short lead on the first run, but Wunger and Wells dissipated it entirely by their return to the arena for the second round. It was clear that Kaya and Wunger had the faster cycle rates on the muscle-ups, but Wells had the fastest split in the runs.

A repeat of the previous round, Kaya had a large lead entering the run, but it was chiseled to almost nothing by Wunger, Wells, and Neal, who joined the party at the front of the heat.

Kaya was first in the final round of snatches, and it appeared that it would hold through to the end of the heat. It ultimately was as Kaya claimed the heat with a time to beat of just under nine minutes.

Heat three for the women was led by Semenza. Cary didn’t give her much breathing room as they reached the muscle-ups together. Ellie Turner was at the back of the pack with a limp in her run — clearly, something was wrong, with the commentary team noting the tape on Turner’s lower back.

Cary was out to an early lead on the second run. Fuliano kept her company. No one else was close.

The second round was Cary’s feature performance. She extended her lead to five reps by the snatches on Fuliano. It was Cary’s heat to lose. She didn’t let up the pace and ran the final round in the lead alone.

Heat four ran the first lap as a group, with Rolfe setting the pace. She, Simmonds, Davíðsdóttir, and Flores pulled a few reps ahead through the muscle-ups.

Simmonds’ cycle rate was a pair of reps faster than anyone else. She separated from the pack by a handful of reps. She began the second lap alone.

Simmonds had an eight-rep lead entering the final round. She would undoubtedly win the heat. The question became whether her time could overtake Cary’s from the previous heat. It was, as she crossed the line at just under eight and a half minutes.

Migała led the final heat through the first lap. It was effectively run as a group. Horvath, wearing the leader’s jersey, took a single-rep lead on through the snatches, but it remained anyone’s heat.

The second lap was complete by the four-minute mark. Horvath, Loewen, and Lawson were the first to reenter the arena. They completed their muscle-ups simultaneously before Lawson caught a no-rep on the snatches.

Loewen led the third run. Lawson and Horvath in order evenly spread the distance behind Loewen. Lawson closed the gap by the time they re-entered the arena for the final round of muscle-ups.

Raptis joined the leaders as Horvath struggled on the final round of muscle-ups. Loewen’s cycle rate was seemingly unmatched, but Raptis, out of nowhere, emerged as the first to finish and cross the line.

Heading Into the Weekend

Medeiros’ potential to three-peat is still alive, but it remains an uphill battle. At the time of this article’s publication, there are two events scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 5: the “Cross-Country 5K” and the “Olympic Total.”

The 5K is exactly what it says; athletes will run 5K in the fastest possible time. Likewise, the “Olympic Total” is just that; establishing max totals between a max snatch and max clean & jerk.

Featured image courtesy of CrossFit LLC.