Day 2 of the 2025 CrossFit Games delivered everything fans love about the sport: high-stakes drama, massive lifts, wild sprint finishes, and leaderboard shake-ups across both divisions. With four events packed into a single day, athletes were pushed to the brink—mentally, physically, and emotionally.
From jaw-dropping one-rep max back squats to frantic bodyweight sprints performed under heavy vests, competitors had no margin for error. Some, like Mertens, Campbell, and Sprague, rose to the occasion with career-defining performances, while others struggled to keep pace in the chaos.
Here’s a full breakdown of everything that went down on Day 2.
Individual Event 4 – Albany Grip Trip
5 rounds for time of:
- 400-meter run
- 12 deadlifts
- 100-foot handstand walk
Final round has a 150-foot handstand walk instead.
Women: 220-lb deadlift
Men: 350-lb deadlift
Men’s Division: Crouch Captures Victory in Style
The men kicked off Event 4 with a noticeable twist—deadlifts were performed using an axle bar, adding a layer of complexity that tested grip strength and pulling power.
In Heat One, Nick Mathew surged ahead early, cycling the axle bar deadlifts with speed and control. Zach Rozema and Spencer Mertens held their own, looking composed throughout, while Jack Leahy impressed with confident movement and notably fast transitions. Leahy charged into the final 150-foot handstand walk without resting after his last deadlift set, but despite the aggressive push, he couldn’t catch Mathew at the finish line.
Heat Two featured a clash of titans as Jay Crouch and Jason Hopper entered the workout tied on points. Hopper wore the leader’s jersey, but it was Crouch who quickly asserted himself, being first off the runner and setting a blistering pace throughout the transitions. Dallin Pepper Hatfield, Jeff Adler, and Guilherme Domingues Souza gradually gained ground during the second run, each showing calculated intensity.
The real mover was James Sprague, who quietly climbed the leaderboard with consistent performances on both the deadlifts and handstand walk.
Ultimately, Jay Crouch secured the win, capping off a commanding performance. He was followed by Brazil’s Souza, who trains in the UAE and looked strong across all modalities. In his post-event interview, Crouch expressed confidence heading into the back squat 1RM that followed, signaling he’s just warming up.
Women’s Division: Campbell Topples the Queen
Heat One of the women’s event opened with Muir, Walton, and Meza setting a high early pace. Walton—the Australian making only her second CrossFit Games appearance—exhibited steady and confident pacing in every segment. Ten-time Games veteran Brooke Wells and fellow Aussie De Rooy methodically moved their way up the standings, eventually joining Walton in the top three.
Walton took the heat win with a time of 18:00.39, marking a career-defining moment for the young athlete.
In Heat Two, the usual heavy-hitters emerged early. Toomey, Cringle, and Campbell set off hard, with Kersetter and Meha rounding out the top five through the opening round. Haley Adams also looked particularly composed throughout the event.
The spotlight soon turned to a head-to-head showdown between Toomey and Campbell. Despite it being only her second Games, the British athlete Campbell showed zero intimidation, attacking the deadlifts unbroken and surging ahead on the final handstand walk.
A pivotal no-rep for Toomey in the final section opened the door, and Adams capitalized, passing her to take second place. Toomey settled for third as Campbell stormed through the finish line for the win, making a statement that she’s here to challenge for the podium.
Individual Event 5 – 1RM Back Squat
The second day of the 2025 CrossFit Games continued with raw power in Individual Event 5: the 1-rep-max Back Squat. The arena echoed with energy as athletes tested their limits under the barbell—some rewriting their narratives, others watching their leaderboard placings slip away.
Men’s Division: Mertens Crushes 570lbs for the Win
The men took center stage first, and the battle under the bar was ferocious from the very start. In Heat One, all eyes were on Big Bron, who moved with precision and strength, showcasing clean low-bar technique. He nailed a 500 lb squat to claim the heat win. Close behind, Agustin Richelme Fernandez made a strong impression with a 490 lb lift, though his attempt at 505 came up short. Jack Leahy registered a respectable 485. Meanwhile, Luzes failed at 445, and Fiebig’s bold 530 lb effort didn’t come together.
The intensity ratcheted up in Heat Two, where heavy hitters like Spencer Mertens wasted no time. He opened with a staggering 535 lbs, lifting with ease and sending a clear message. Rozema began strong at 500, and Nick Mathew continued his upward momentum by successfully squatting 515, then 535, and finally 555 lbs. Hatfield also cleared 500 but failed at 525.
Then came Mertens’ moment: a jaw-dropping 570 lb back squat, executed with confidence and power, sending the crowd into a frenzy. It was a statement lift that would ultimately secure him the event win.
In Heat Three, the leaderboard leaders entered the fray. Pepper, Sprague, Lightfoot, and Adler all took cautious first lifts in the 440–470 lb range. Roman Khrennikov and Justin Medeiros found their groove with strong lifts at 485 and 490, respectively. Hopper also cleared 485 but missed at 505. Despite valiant efforts, Crouch, who entered as the points leader, couldn’t lock out 495, capping his day at 485.
Medeiros capped off his lifting with a gritty 505 lb squat, but no one could catch Mertens. Speaking post-event, the American admitted, “Day 1 sucked. I’ve gotta get my ass to work and start climbing up that leaderboard.” With a win in hand and momentum building, he’s now back in contention.
Women’s Division: Von Rohr and Muir Lead the Charge
The women’s side of the event was equally thrilling, headlined by impressive performances from athletes with powerlifting pedigrees.
Jen Muir, well-known for her strength background, made light work of her opening lift at 325 lbs. She followed up with a dominant 345, then hit 355 with apparent ease, all while her fans held up signs scrawled with “Gimme Gimme Muir!” Her poise and power had the entire arena buzzing.
In Heat Two, Greer rose to the challenge and matched Muir’s 355 lb lift. Brooke Wells, in a confident showing, hit 330, keeping herself well within striking range on the leaderboard.
The final heat brought even more fireworks. Von Rohr opened with 325 lbs, then surged to 360 lbs to claim the event win outright. Toomey, the six-time Games champion, started with 315 and finished with a strong 335. Kerstetter and Sturt also put up solid numbers, with 310 and 325 respectively. Meanwhile, Annie Campbell, fresh off her Event 4 victory, lifted 285 and appeared to be playing the long game, conserving for the next challenges ahead.
With massive lifts, dramatic failures, and personal bests, the 1RM Back Squat event reshaped the leaderboard and reignited the energy at the 2025 CrossFit Games.
Individual Event 6 – Throttle Up
For time:
- 35-calorie ski erg
- 28 chest-to-bar pull-ups
- 24 burpee box jump-overs
Women: 16-lb vest, 20-inch box
Men: 22-lb vest, 24-inch box
Men’s Division: Sprague Hits the Jets for His Second Career Win
The first heat saw Newman, Fiebig, and Koski take the top three positions, with Newman setting the tone for the event early.
Heat Two brought even more speed. Clements put in a clinical performance to finish in 3:17.41, narrowly edging out Bosshard and Mertens. Impressively, every athlete in this heat finished the workout in under four minutes—highlighting just how tight the margins were in this sprint-style test.
But it was in Heat Three that fireworks exploded. James Sprague came out flying, taking the early lead and never looking back. Pepper, Hatfield, and Adler gave chase, but Sprague held his pace and composure, surging across the line first in his heat—and fast enough to win the event overall.
It marked the second event win of Sprague’s young Games career, reinforcing his reputation as one of the sport’s fastest rising stars.
Women’s Division: Loewen Wins an All-Out Throwdown
In a rare move for CrossFit programming, the machine reps remained the same for both men and women in this workout, placing added demand on the female field.
In Heat One, Raptis and Meza moved with fluidity through the ski erg and chest-to-bar pull-ups. Raptis set the pace for the rest of the women’s field, taking the win in 4:05.33—a benchmark that would be challenged in the following heats.
Heat Two brought the energy up a notch as Haley Adams, Brandon, and McGonigle went head-to-head. It was McGonigle, the teenage Irish athlete and youngest competitor at the 2025 Games, who powered ahead in the final stretch to claim a memorable heat win.
Then came the final heat—a stacked race featuring Cringle, Kerstetter, Toomey, and Campbell. The women went out hard, and the race remained tight across all three movements. A costly no-rep on the box jump-overs tripped up Campbell just as she was gaining ground. In the final push, it was Loewen who broke away to claim the heat and overall event win, with Toomey following just behind in second.
Individual Event 7 – Hammer Down
Starting 7 minutes after IE6:
- 35-calorie C2 bike
- 28 bar muscle-ups
- 24 burpee box jump-overs
Women: 20-inch box
Men: 24-inch box
Men’s Division: Garard and Mertens Make Major Moves
In Heat One, Fiebig once again showed early dominance, being the first athlete off the C2 bike and onto the bar muscle-ups. While Koski gained ground on the final burpee box jumps, Fiebig held on to secure the win, resisting any last-second sprints from his heatmates. Newman, who had emptied the tank in Event 6, struggled here and came in last—his pacing gamble clearly catching up with him.
Heat Two began with a strong start from Clements, but it was Mertens who took control. With aggressive pacing and smooth transitions, Mertens pulled away to claim a commanding victory in 4:27.63. Behind him, Ibarra and Jenkins raced to the finish, crossing the line nearly in sync in one of the tightest battles of the day.
The intensity peaked in Heat Three, where James Sprague launched out of the gate, nearly tearing the handle off the bike to get it going. Pepper led the charge onto the pull-up bar, but Ricky Garard took the spotlight with lightning-fast bar muscle-ups and smooth movement onto the burpee box jumps. With Medeiros and Pepper chasing hard, Garard dug deep to take the overall win for Event 7, capping a dramatic and chaotic finish that left every athlete utterly spent.
Women’s Division: Campbell and Raptis Shine Bright
In the women’s field, Heat One saw Raptis stay hot from her Event 6 performance. She was first to the bar muscle-ups with Choi, Meza, and Kanyo not far behind. Moving with precision and urgency, Raptis claimed her second consecutive heat win, proving she’s a serious contender in back-to-back workout structures.
Heat Two turned into a grind for the top spot as Domit, Gluck, Neely, and Muir all surged to the rig with almost identical times. The real race unfolded on the box jumps, where Gluck and Domit went rep for rep. In the final moments, Gluck edged ahead to take the heat win.
In the highly anticipated final heat, Cringle flew off the bike, but it was Campbell who turned on the gas through the bar muscle-ups, beating Toomey to the burpee box.
Toomey pushed hard to close the gap, but Campbell refused to yield. With composure and speed, Campbell captured her second event win of the day, followed by Toomey in second and Cringle securing third.
Hammer Down delivered exactly what it promised—pain, drama, and wild lead changes. As the sun set on Day 2 of the 2025 CrossFit Games, several athletes had reshaped the leaderboard, proving that even when you’re exhausted, there’s still work to be done.
Final Leaderboards After Day 2 of the 2025 CrossFit Games
Female Leaderboard
Male Leaderboard
