Khrennikov and Horvath bag top honours at Dubai CrossFit Championship

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Christmas arrived a week early for Russia’s Roman Khrennikov and Laura Horvath of Hungary as they returned home with very lucrative first-place cheques of $50,000 each from the Dubai CrossFit Championship.

Khrennikov, one of the CrossFit’s rising stars, took top honours in the men’s section with an aggregate score of 845 points, 92 more than second-placed Lazar Dukic (753 points) of Serbia, while Australia’s Ricky Garard finished third with 744 points. Dukic takes home $30,000 for his runners-up finish, while Garard received $20,000 for third place.

In the women’s segment, Horvath, with an aggregate of 783 points, finished 33 clear of Norway’s Kristin Holte (750 points) to take the winner’s cheque of $50,000, while Gabriela Migala of Poland finished third on 723 points and will take home $20,000.

Supported by Dubai Sports Council, this year’s Dubai CrossFit Championship, which had a toal prize purse of $333,000, took place from December 16 to 18, with all the action on the opening day taking place at Ski Dubai before moving to Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium for the final two days.

The Championship featured 40 of the world’s fittest – 20 males and 20 females - and was broadcast live on Dubai Sports TV and online on Dubai CrossFit Championship’s website and YouTube channel.

The Dubai CrossFit Championship has been attracting athletes of the highest calibre since its inception in 2012, and has been showcasing Dubai’s fitness culture around the world. The 2018 edition of the Championship featured 114 athletes and offered Dhs2.2 million in prize money, and attracted more than one million views online.

A 60-minute documentary - Fittest in Dubai – was also produced on the four-day 2018 Dubai CrossFit Championship, tracing the action and athletes, and was available on a number of prominent streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon, as well as Emirates Airline’s in-flight entertainment.

Dubai CrossFit Championship is organised under the framework of Dubai Sports Council’s goal to promote health, happiness and fitness, both locally and internationally.

This year, the Dubai CrossFit Championship also took place under the umbrella of the newly launched initiative #DubaiDestinations, which highlights the exceptional experiences, events and activities offered by the emirate.

The unique new initiative, which complements broader efforts to enhance the UAE’s profile as a leading global destination, invites people to discover Dubai in a special and unforgettable way through its many experiences ranging across adventure, entertainment, food, art, culture, sports and fitness, and more.

#DubaiDestinations brings together a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders including the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), Dubai Holding, Dubai Sports Council and the Government of Dubai Media Office to showcase the emirate’s destination offerings.