Day two of the Oceania Semifinal by the Torian Pro featured major highlights and standout performances at the top of the leaderboard. 

Individual athletes took on two events on Saturday, giving them ample opportunity to make moves to cement their spot heading into the final push for a 2024 CrossFit Games invite. 

• Going into Saturday: Maddie Sturt sat in first place, with rookie Michelle Hayes in second and Grace Walton in third. On the men’s side, Ricky Garard took first in Event 1, while Jay Crouch and Bayley Martin took second and third, respectively. 

The two events on tap for Saturday proved challenging for some athletes, while others appeared poised and in control as the rabid Australian fans packed Pat Rafter arena. 

• Event 2 included double-unders, toes-to-bar, and heavy front squats (225 pounds for men, 155 pounds for women). Event 3 was a seven-round workout that came down to athletes’ ability to maintain legless rope climbs under fatigue while also holding pace on an echo bike and box jumpovers. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CrossFit Games (@crossfitgames)

[Related: Powerbuilding Workout Routine]

Women’s Division

Maddie Sturt had a phenomenal day two, winning both events well ahead of the rest of the field. 

• She is a four-time Games veteran and it showed. She stayed composed during both events and, thus far, at least, followed through on what she came to do — make it back to the Games after several years of struggles. 

It was clear early on that Sturt’s had a plan for Event 2 and executed it with surgical precision. She made smart breaks on her toes-to-bar and held onto the barbell for the front squats. 

• “It’s pretty crazy. It’s definitely unfamiliar territory for me, so it’s awesome,” Sturt said during a post-event interview, referring to her sweep of the first three events of the week. Sturt added that she had been able to stick to her plan and run her race. 

After starting day two in third place, Grace Walton took two second-place finishes on the second day to advance up the leaderboard. The fan-favorite grew in popularity after a phenomenal 2024 Open performance and has thus far proven she belongs at the top in Oceania. 

• In a post-event interview, Walton said she tried going fast in Event 2 during training and “died,” but she still chose to throw caution to the wind and send it during the real event. It was a move that paid off.

Daisy McDonald also had a jump on day two, going from eighth place to third. Her third-place finish in Event 2 was a major accomplishment for the young athlete looking to make her way to the Games for the first time. 

In fourth is Danielle Ford, a four-time Semifinals athlete. Simone Arthur rounds out the top five of day two. 

Athletes in trouble: After a great Event 1, rookie athlete Michelle Hayes slipped down to seventh place during a difficult second day. Katelin van Zyl (8th), a pre-competition favorite to win or podium, is still on the outside looking in but could have a chance if she pushes hard on the final day with 300 points still up for grabs. 

Women’s Leaderboard After Day 2

[Related: Best Weightlifting Belts]

Men’s Division 

Bayley Martin is doing everything in his power to leave no doubt in his bid for a second consecutive trip to the Games. 

• Martin sits atop the leaderboard in a comfortable spot after a successful Saturday. He carded a second- and first-place event finish and has a three-point lead. 

Ricky Garard came out with guns blazing in Event 3, but Martin slowly started to creep up in round three of the seven-round workout. Martin continued to push the pace, taking Garard down by three seconds. 

• Garard said during the post-Event 3 interview that he paced based on feel and came out hot, but “this little springy boy [pointing to Martin] stayed with me and snuck in at the end.”  
• When asked about going up against Garard, Martin said playfully, “He’s just another competitor, right? It’s good to have him back, and it’s good to have him here because he’s going to perform at the Games, and that’s what I want to do as well.” 

Jay Crouch, winner of two Torian Pro crowns, sits in second place after day two of competition. 

For Event 2, Crouch came out strong and stayed strong. His quick toes-to-bar cadence and efficient transitions proved to be a winning strategy and resulted in an event record with a time of 11:22. 

• “I knew I had it in me,” said Crouch during a post-event interview. Separately, he (jokingly) apologized to the crowd for letting Garard “beat him down so hard, not putting on a race, and not making it exciting.” Crouch finished the event about 30 seconds back. 

Ricky Garard is tied for second place after he faced a few stumbles during Event 2 and burning bright too early in Event 3. 

• Garard is back to competing after facing several roadblocks, including a serious shoulder injury that took him out of the 2023 season.

Peter Ellis is in fourth place, and Luke De Jonge is in fifth. Both young athletes are trying to make their first individual Games appearances (De Jonge went to the Games in the teen’s division in 2017). 

Athletes in trouble: CrossFit OG Rob Forte (13th) dropped down the leaderboard after Event 1 and will have quite a bit of ground to make up for on the final day of events. Jake Douglas (24th) made his Games debut last year but is having a tough competition weekend thus far. 

Men’s Leaderboard After Day 1

[Related: Best BCAA Supplements]

The Bottom Line

Moving day always proves to be one of the most exciting days of competition and gives athletes on the bubble a chance to make big moves and big mistakes. 

With three workouts left on day three, there is quite a bit more room for error or triumph. 

Featured image: @CrossFitGames / Instagram