This was the first time a Hungarian athlete went to the Reebok CrossFit Games, and what a debut. Laura Horvath was propelled to CrossFit stardom this weekend after winning multiple events, finishing second overall, and winning 2018’s Rookie of the Year. She was the youngest individual athlete in the entire competition.
You can watch her being presented with the award in the clip below, right after CrossFit Mayhem gets their gold medals for the team competition. Horvath’s section begins at 4:31:59. The announcer said what was on our minds at the outset: “I think we all have an idea of who that rookie is gonna be.”
The Hungarian CrossFit athlete made her debut at the Reebok CrossFit Games this year and it wasn’t long before her name was on everyone’s lips. Immediately catapulting from obscurity to internationally renowned athlete, by the end of the first day — which many have called the most difficult day of the entire event — she had come third in the muscle-ups and was first overall, leading many to wonder if there was a chance she could win the Games in her very first visit to the arena. (Stranger things have happened.)
At the end of Day 2, Tia-Clair Toomey had muscled her way to the top of the leaderboard but Horvath continued to surprise, coming first in both the two-stroke pull and the “Aeneas” on day three.
Here’s how the points shook out at the end of the Games
- Tia-Clair Toomey (1154 points)
- Laura Horvath (1090 points)
- Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir (1020 points)
[See how the men’s podium finishers scored in our wrap-up here.]
Horvath was closer to Toomey in points than Katrin Davidsdottir — that’s two-time Fittest Woman on Earth™ Katrin Davidsdottir — was to Horvath.
This was a spectacular showing for the 21-year-old, and given her inexperience and her youth (she’s three years younger than Toomey and four younger than Davidsdottir), there’s a good chance the best is yet to come for Laura Horvath.
Featured image via @laurahorvaht on Instagram.
