• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum

‘Moments From Madison,’ Part Four: The Capitol

December 13, 2023 by

The athletes’ slow and grinding climb up the steps to the Wisconsin State Capitol captivated fans during the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games and became a symbol for the city that gave CrossFit a home for six years. 

In the final installment of our “Moments from Madison” series, we revisit “The Capitol” and remember some of the biggest moments from the men’s and women’s side. 

Remind me: The event started on the field with 20 pig flips (510 pounds/310 pounds for men and women, respectively), followed by a 3.5-mile run through Madison. Once the athletes completed their run, they had a 200-meter Jerry bag carry and ended with a 200-meter Husafell carry. They finished the event at the top of the steps of the Wisconsin State Capitol. 

Fans lined the streets and the steps leading to the finish line, but athletes had a lot to do before that point. This was the first event on the third day of the competition, so athletes had already faced four grueling workouts up until this point. 

  • On the women’s side, the typical powerhouses like Dani Speegle, Laura Horvath, and Ellie Turner took the lead on the pig flips. But as they got into the run, athletes started to feel the lower back fatigue from the pig and the endurance athletes started to shine.
  • Haley Adams, an athlete known for her endurance, went flip for flip with Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr during the second heat and unsurprisingly pulled ahead on the run with almost no other women in sight. However, it was Amanda Barnhart who ultimately finished her pig flips first. 
  • Adams held strong on the Jerry can and Husafell bag until the stairs. She started to lose her grip carrying the bag overhead and on her upper back and moved to a bear hug carry. It wasn’t long before she began to break down. 
  • Gabriela Migala managed to pull ahead of Adams and took the event win. But it was Rebecca Fuselier who stole the show. Though she was the last athlete to finish the event, the crowd roared around her, and her efforts epitomized the sport and instantly became the most memorable moment of the weekend. 

Fuselier finished the event in 54:42, roughly 21 minutes slower than Migala, who won the event on the women’s side. Over on the men’s side, things were off to a similar start. In heat two, Roman Khrennikov powered through the pig flips and was first to the run, followed by fellow “big boy” Jayson Hopper. 

  • As the run progressed, we saw Khrennikov, Ricky Garard, and Lazar Djukic group up and keep very similar paces. At the time, analyst Chris Hinshaw commented that athletes who stayed in a pack had a better advantage than running alone: “Let’s work together until we get to those heavy implements.” 
  • Djukic pulled away and got to the Jerry bags immediately, knowing his fellow competitors were on his tail. Managing grip failure was the name of the game for the back half of this workout. 
  • Khrennikov went back out in front of Djukic, running to the Husafell bag. But as Khrennikov dropped before heading up the stairs, Garard looked over and swiftly passed him. It’s important to remember this was Garard’s first Games appearance since his 2017 ban, and he returned with a vengeance. While the two battled back and forth for a bit, Garard would pull ahead and win the event. 

Garard took third overall at the Games and proved he’d been putting in the work. Unfortunately, an injury kept him out of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games. 

The bottom line: “The Capitol” was one for the books and a moment at the competition that fans and athletes will remember for a long time. New memories will undoubtedly be made at the Games’ new home in Fort Worth, TX, next year, but “The Capitol” was a culmination of the CrossFit legacy built in Madison.

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap