2010 CrossFit Games - Women's Event 4 "Sandbag Move" Final Heat

The sandbag sprint in Aromas was brutal, and the 2010 CrossFit Games found competitors moving bags vertically again.

This time, they were moving 600/370 lb. of sandbags down a set of stairs, over a wall, into a wheelbarrow, across the stadium, over the wall and up the stairs. If CrossFit is about being able to do work, this event proved it.

While some of the smaller competitors struggled to get the weight over the wall, most competitors managed the task. A few dumped wheelbarrows sabotaged athletes, but most were able to move the weight with little difficulty, though some competitors took several trips across.

Heather Keenan Bergeron had the top time after Heat 3: 8:55.

"I followed the plan. We had a little plan worked out... We wanted to make as few trips as possible. I wanted to get it all over in one carry, so I just went slow. I didn't run at all. Then it was just get as many as you can up in as few trips as possible."

She also dumped her wheelbarrow at the end of her trip across the arena and believes it saved her a lot of unloading time.

In the final heat, Annie Thorisdottir smiled her way across the arena with a full wheelbarrow and a good lead. One of the taller athletes, the Icelander had no trouble getting the weight over the barrier. Kristan Clever had a disaster with the wheelbarrow and, despite her strength, is shorter and took more time at the wall.

Thorisdottir didn't stop smiling as she raced up the stairs two at a time, and she was rewarded for her good spirits with the top time: a hot 8:04, 34 seconds than her closest competitor, Christy Phillips (8:38). Rebecca Voigt was third in 8:59.

Clever finished in 20th place (11:20), opening the door for Thorisdottir to jump atop the overall standings by three points.

Blair Morrison raced Moe Kelsey in the first men's heat in an event that was up Morrison's alley after he spent a year training with odd objects in strange places in Europe.

"I guess a little bit," he said when asked if his hardcore training helped him. "Not enough, though. I couldn't beat Moe. He was stronger. He carried more bags up."

Kelsey, a firefighter, is used to carrying loads up and down stairs, and he set the best early time: 7:37.

Tommy Hackenbruck, a former construction worker, also used his work experience to crush the workout. He bested Kelsey's time with 6:57 and was the first one under 7 minutes.

That time stood through Heat 3, withstanding a charge from Patrick Burke. Burke, who served in the Marines, said the workout was harder because of where it fell in the schedule.

"It's just the end of the day," he said. "Muscles are sore. You don't want to warm up. It's that whole mental thing."

The final heat found Rich Froning Jr. out to a large lead, with Mikko Salo in hot pursuit. Behind them, Matt Chan had two spills with the wheelbarrow.

"I thought I had it stacked right both times! Fucking motherfucker!" Chan exclaimed on the steps after the event. Brandon Phillips also had two dumps and a broken wheelbarrow but persevered to finish the workout in one of the great moments of the Games.

Froning maintained his lead and took second overall with 7:14, then took a seat in Row S for a moment before heading down to encourage Phillips. Salo was third in 7:24.

Current results after four events:

Top 5 Men
1. Rich Froning Jr. (25)
2. Graham Holmberg (34)
3. Matt Chan (45)
4. Mikko Salo (48)
5. Patrick Burke (58)

Top 5 Women
1. Annie Thorisdottir (23)
2. Kristan Clever (26)
3. Christy Phillips (36)
4. Julie Foucher (38)
5. Valerie MacKenzie Voboril (41)

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