The first day at the Torian Pro proves that the ticket to the final games will be a fight to the finish for the men of Oceania

Yesterday, the Torian Pro Tanks faced off against Trials 1 and 2 in the Oceania Semi-Final. In a word, the men’s classification for the second day is: Surprising.

The details: With 184 points, Zac Thomas dons the metaphorical leader’s jersey and red shorts after Day 1 Down Under. The athlete, who finished 29th in Torian Pro last year and has not been to the Games, was not a favorite for the weekend.

• After winning Test 1 by a significant 15 seconds and placing fifth in the triceps and shoulder burner, Thomas is proving that 2023 may be the year he makes waves.

Currently sitting in second place, Jay Crouch had what would best be called a Justin Medeiros Day. As it goes, the last two years the Fittest Man On Earth has maintained dominance even though he rarely wins trials, proving that consistency is, in fact, the key to CrossFit dominance. After a third and fourth place on Day 1, Crouch is currently in second place.

• With 180 points, Crouch it is a stone’s throw from Thomas.

While only 4 points separate Thomas and Crouch, the next best athlete, Reilly Smith sits 32 points behind Crouch with 148 points. And, just 13 points separate the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th place finishers.

Oceania has been allocated only three places for the Games per division, and if Day 1 is any indication, it looks like it will be a fight to the finish for the third-place spot.

General classification after day 1:

1. Zac Thomas: 184 points
2. Jay Crouch: 180 points
3. Reilly Smith: 148 points
4. Bayley Martin: 142 points
5. William Kearney: 140 points
6. Jake Douglas: 136 points
7. Peter Ellis: 135 points
8. Zane Shellabear-Healey: 132 points
9. James Newbury: 121 points
10. Luke McMahon: 120 points

Test 1

During Test 1, Jayson Hopper’s top score of 22:18 was crushed by the fast-moving bobsleds in Brisbane. Both Zac Thomas and Zane Shellabear-Healey beat the HWPO athlete’s time by 27 and 12 seconds, respectively.

Jay Crouch, James Newbury and Reilly Smith take third, fourth and fifth place during this long test.

Although it is difficult to compare floor endurance competition by competition, in general, these athletes from Oceania moved and slid, whether pulling sleds or transitioning between stations.

Test 1 positions:

1. Zac Thomas: 21:51.06
2. Zane Shellabear-Healey: 22:06.42
3. Jay Crouch: 22:31.77
4. James Newbury: 23:01.69
5. Reilly Smith: 23:06.59
6. Rob Watt: 11.23.37
7. James Thomas: 23:34.92
8. William Kearney: 23.34.29
9. Matt Gilpin: 23:43.84
10. Lucas McMahon: 23:45.02

test 2

Test 2 ended with three athletes who fell outside the top 10 during Test 1 at the top: Bayley Martin, Peter Ellis and Riley Martin.

After finishing 16th in Test 1, a Test win was exactly the boost bubble athlete Martin needed to stay within striking distance of those three Games qualifying spots.

In fourth place in Test 2, with 42 burpee repetitions, is Jay Crouch, the Games favourite. In reality, it looked as if Crouch was going to win the test until a costly knockdown in the ring without a replay during the third and final interval set him back.

In particular, the women’s top score in Paper 2 absolutely demolished the top man’s score. Women’s event winner Jamie Simmonds recorded 55 burpee box jumps in the event.

Test 2 positions:

1. Bayley Martin: 49
2. Peter Ellis: 46
3. Riley Martin: 43
4. Jay Crouch: 42
5. Zac Thomas: 39
6. Jake Douglas: 39
7. Andres Sambell: 37
8. Darcy Hancock: 33
9. William Kearney: 33
10. Reilly Smith: 31

Athletes on the vault: CrossFit community staple James Newbury currently has a manageable 27 points outside of a qualifying position. Decked out in khaki shorts, pickup trucks and a backwards hat, Newsbury arrived at Test 1 looking like he was headed to a barbecue with his best friend Khan Porter. But if there is something that the Australian has taught us, it is: look good, feel good, perform well.

Former Youth Division Games athletes Johan Roberts and Hiko O Te Rangi Curtis will compete individually for the first time this weekend. Both are sitting in the bottom 10 after Day 1.

Missing in action: Absent from both the floor and the leaderboard is four-time Games athlete Zeke Grove. At press time, Grove has yet to take to social media to explain his absence.