Athletes completed four rounds for time of a 660-meter run followed by 10 hang squat cleans with a 225 lb (102.5 kg) short barbell. Unlike some of the earlier events, success depended as much on race strategy as physical capacity. Athletes had to decide whether to push the pace on the runs, attack the barbell, or find a balance between the two while avoiding an early blow-up.
Heat 1
Dylan Hamming wasted little time establishing himself at the front of the field. He moved efficiently through his opening set of hang squat cleans, while most of the athletes around him were forced to break the 10 repetitions into one or two sets.
Robinson also settled into a strong rhythm, and the pair gradually separated themselves from the rest of the heat.
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Hamming continued to extend his advantage throughout the workout, making the 225 lb barbell look remarkably easy despite the accumulated fatigue from the repeated runs. Such was his pace that he eventually lapped Henrik Haapalainen, an impressive achievement against the five-time CrossFit Games competitor.
Behind the leaders, Fowler, Souza, and Ty Jenkins battled fiercely for position over the closing stages. Hamming crossed the finish line in 15:03.30 to comfortably win the opening heat.
Heat 2
The second heat exploded into life as the athletes attacked the opening run. Jeff Adler immediately took control of the pace, with Ricky Garard sitting just behind him. Jay Crouch and Roman Khrennikov also positioned themselves near the front, setting up what quickly became one of the fastest races of the event.
Crouch looked exceptionally smooth on the hang squat cleans, making the heavy barbell appear almost effortless. While both Crouch and Adler strategically broke their sets, Garard completed his opening round of cleans unbroken to maintain the lead.
As fatigue began to build, the race tightened. Crouch, Adler, and Garard all started breaking their squat clean sets in the second round, while Khrennikov and Justin Medeiros steadily worked their way into contention.
Crouch was consistently the first athlete back to the barbell after each run, with Adler never far behind. Medeiros gradually increased his pace and eventually moved ahead of Adler, while Garard slipped back into the chasing pack after his aggressive start.
Everything came down to the final lap.
Medeiros, Crouch, and Adler returned to the competition floor almost shoulder to shoulder, setting up a dramatic race to the finish. The final set of hang squat cleans became an all-out sprint as the three athletes battled for the event win.
Crouch held his composure under pressure, cycling the final barbell reps efficiently before crossing the line in 14:15.05 to claim the victory. Medeiros finished a close second, with Adler rounding out the top three after one of the most exciting finishes of the 2026 CrossFit Games so far.
