On a historical day for the sport, the 2021 Dubai Crossfit championship kicked off in a way never previously seen with both events for the day taking place at the indoor Ski slope at the Dubai mall. A first for the sport. 

 

The occasion also proved a historical one for 27-year-old Ricky Garard who took first place in both events and leads the men competition with a perfect 200pts. Garard burst onto the scene in 2017 coming 3rd place at the Crossfit games and putting the world on notice that he is the future of the sport in the process. However, Garard went on to fail a performance enhancing drugs test in the months that preceded the games, costing him a 4-year suspension from all competition. The Dubai Crossfit Championship is his first event back.

 

Garard opened the competition with victory in event 1A with a time of 14:59 ahead of Roman Krennikov and Lazar Dukic. The event titles Stay Frosty consisted of 5 rounds of 500m ski followed by a run up and down the indoor ski slope and saw just 5 men complete the event inside the 16 minute time cap.

 

On the women’s side British veteran Samantha Briggs took event 1A by just one-hundredth of a second over Swedish competitor Mikaela Norman with times of 16:47 and 16:48 respectively. Polish athlete Gabriela Migala took her form from the Rogue Invitational into the event to finish third.

 “The first round I gave it like 80% speed on the way down, didn’t fall so each round gave it a little more and then the last one was just all out”.

 

In event 1B however, a full-slope run wearing a weighted vest (20lb/14lb), just four second separated Kristen Holte who took the win with 1:57 and Rebecka Vitesson 2:01 with Laura Horvath sat in between just 2 seconds behind Holte. On the men’s side however, event 1B continued in near identical fashion to 1A as Garard with a time of 3:05 toppled Khrennikov with a time of 3:24 while Jeff Adler finished third.

 

“I knew I could come here today and possibly get the 200pts so just had the execute and believe in myself and I’m a good runner so take my opportunities where I can” commented Garard who will look to progress on day 2 as the competition moves to the Dubai tennis stadium.