2024 CrossFit Games Africa Semifinal Winners and Qualifiers: Ruan Potgieter and Gemma Rader Victorious
With additional writing by Kay Wiese.
The Fittest in Africa have been crowned.
In a top-heavy, evenly matched field, athletes needed to perform flawlessly to earn a coveted CrossFit Games spot. This was even more important in Africa, as it was the only region allocated just a single ticket per division.
And there will be fresh faces in Fort Worth. Here’s a look at the podium:
Women:
- 1. Gemma Rader — 561 points
- 2. Christina Livaditakis — 555 points
- 3. Gilmari Reyneke — 534 points
Men:
- 1. Ruan Potgieter — 558 points
- 2. Josh Kernot — 498 points
- 3. Darren Zurnamer — 483 points
Team:
- 1. CrossFit Tijger Valley RELENTLESS — 492 points
- 2. CrossFit Humble Hungry Driven Team Quest Tigerfit — 488 points
- 3. Pack Life CrossFit Wanderers — 452 points
Women’s Division
Gilmari Reyneke came out hot with an Event 1 win. She kept her lead until Event 5, with Gemma Rader and Christina Livaditakis steadily gaining on her throughout the weekend.
A favorite to win the competition, Lividitakis fought her way back after starting with 12th place in Event 1. She made the steady climb from there with a second and third on day two, which put her in striking distance going into the final day.
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On the all-important day three, Gemma Rader moved into first over Gilmari Reyneke after a dramatic finish in the snatch ladder. Both Rader and Livaditakis hit the final rep at the same time, and a trip over the barbell from Rader gave Livaditakis a win in less than a second.
Going into the final event, Rader had a narrow three-point lead on Livaditakis. That is the difference of only one spot on the leaderboard, setting up a race to determine the winner.
With no room for mistakes, the top two athletes did not disappoint.
Rader got off the bike just ahead of Livaditakis. They both went unbroken on their 15 muscle-ups, but Rader picked up the dumbbells first. She stayed a few steps ahead, knowing that if she put those dumbbells down, her season would end there at the Emerald Resort and Casino.
With Livaditakis breathing down her neck, Rader gritted out the last lunges for the victory.
- “I don’t think I could’ve done more, to be honest,” Rader said in her post-event interview.
Remind me: Rader competed on a team in 2022 with CrossFit Yas Black, qualifying out of the Far East Throwdown in Asia. This will be the 32-year-old’s first appearance at the Games as an individual.
Men’s Division
Ruan Potgieter finished inside the top 10 in all six events. His lowest finish was ninth in the snatch ladder, which he made up for with three event wins.
Many thought Kealan Henry would come away victorious as the only athlete in the field with individual Games experience. But three finishes outside the top 10 proved to be too costly. Henry finished the weekend in fifth place.
Potgieter built a cushion going into the last event and made a statement by winning it convincingly. While all other athletes dropped the dumbbells the second their judge gave the okay, Potgieter held long after to show the crowd he had plenty more in the tank.
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In his post-event interview, Potgieter expressed his emotion and commented on his training after narrowly missing the Games multiple times.
- “I’m very excited. If I talk too much, I might start to cry. I worked a lot on the mental game,” Potgieter continued. “I worked on getting my mind stronger, and it paid off this weekend.”
This will be the 27-year-old’s first trip to the Games after knocking on the door the last four years. He has improved each year since 2021, finishing sixth, fourth, and second, and now breaking through in 2024 with the victory.
Worth noting: Africa did not send an individual male athlete to the 2023 CrossFit Games. Perennial Games athlete Jason Smith was disqualified, and no backfill spots were given.
Team Division
With only one ticket up for grabs, Africa saw a great deal of competition this weekend.
- Ultimately, CrossFit Tijger Valley Relentless claimed victory by just four points over CrossFit Humble Hungry Driven Team Tijgerfit.
The two teams spent the weekend battling it out, with neither finishing outside the top two in any event.
- At the end of the weekend, CrossFit Tijger Valley Relentless emerged victorious, taking home three of five event wins over CrossFit Humble Hungry Driven Team Tijgerfit.
The Bottom Line
Africa is the least represented region of the seven Semifinals, but the top athletes put up comparable scores to Asia and South America throughout the weekend.
The winners earned $10,000 and a ticket to the 2024 CrossFit Games. These competitors now have two months to prepare for their rookie debuts in Fort Worth, TX.
Featured image: CrossFit Games