CrossFit tournament in Astana

CrossFit tournament has been held in Astana gathering over 80 participants from Kazakhstan and Russia, Tengrinews reports citing Vesti.kz.

The tournament was dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of the Victory in the World War II.

CrossFit tournament was divided into two stages: qualifying and final. The qualifying stage included a 400-meter race, chin ups, clean and rowing. 18 participants qualified for the final stage. In the final stage, the participants had to squat with 8 barbells from 43 kg to 118 kg in 2 minutes, deadlift with 87 kg barbell and complete other exercises.

After a four-minute break, the participants had to skip rope (100 double jumps), make 28 kg kettle swings, 25 kg barbell lift, 30 ring push-ups and lunges for 60 meters with dumbbells.

“The tournament was made to be difficult to make participants push themselves. It is nearly impossible to reach the final exercises, but they will try to do it. The future champions must go as far as they can. The load is crazy. But only well-prepared participants have reached the final stage,” the head judge of the tournament Ruslan Seilov said.

Photo © Vesti.kz

Indeed, the audience did not see the final exercise dumbbell lunges and only 2 out of the 18 participants reached the rings.

The first place of the CrossFit tournament was given to the Russian athletes Alexander Salmanov (Chelyabinsk) and Sergey Koltovsky (Moscow). Talgat Isskendirov from Astana took the third place. Kazakhstan’s strongest cross fit athlete Valentin Lukanovsky from Astana landed on the 5th place at the tournament.

“I knew that the level of participants would be very high. There was lack of experience in the final stage (on behalf of Kazakh athletes). Take Koltovsky for instance, he is practically the champion of Russia. We have to work a lot to feel more confident at tournaments. But we still can put up a fight. I became fifth here and third in Novosibirsk. Later on I will be able to compete at regional tournaments. I think, we will be winning these tournaments in future. Kazakhstani athletes are gaining momentum,” Lukanovsky said.

Winners of the tournament. Photo © Vesti.kz 

By Gyuzel Kamalova