BATHURST’S Ash Corby has improved eight positions from her 2017 result to finish 22nd at the CrossFit Pacific Regionals.
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In her second trip to the Pacific Regionals – the last qualifying stage before the CrossFit Games – Corby was an outstanding performer in a field stacked with bigger and bulkier contenders.
Corby finished around the middle of the 40-strong pack across her six workouts.
Her best result was a 13th in the opening workout, which involved a three kilometre row, 300 double-unders and a three mile run.
Across the three days of action Corby was cheered on by a passionate band of supporters from CrossFit 2795.
“It was definitely a step up from last year. Bringing in all the workouts that we’d been doing day in and day out played to my strengths a bit,” Corby said.
“Being one of the smallest competitors in the field meant I’d be one of the underdogs, with the heavyweights there, but I stayed calm and collected.”
Corby’s opening workout performance on the Friday put her on the cusp of a top 10 place.
The classic ‘Linda’ workout (a deadlift/bench press/squat combination) later in the day pushed Corby to the limit. She hit the 17 minute time cap and finished 27th.
Saturday’s opening workout was a muscle-up, single leg squat and handstand walk challenge.
Only 11 of the 40 competitors finished what was statistically the most difficult workout of the event. Corby was again 27th.
Corby improved her chances of a top 20 overall finish later in the day when she was 21st in a snatch and burpee-based routine.
The Bathurst athlete rated that performance as her favourite over the three-day event.
“I was probably coming last at the beginning. You had to do 10 snatches, 10 burpees, 10 snatches and 10 burpees at a heavier weight before it went to a lighter weight,” she said.
“I had to squat snatch every time because it was over my body weight. Once I got to the smaller bar I put the gas on and caught up to all the girls during the burpees because that’s my strength.”
Corby returned on Sunday for her final two workouts and finished 23rd in each event.
Corby was thankful for the support from the travelling Bathurst contingent.
“I tried to put on a show for the guys who came down to watch,” she said.
“On the Saturday and Sunday the stadium really filled up. That crowd was definitely bigger and louder than last year.
“After last year I thought ‘Oh if I make it back here that’d be pretty cool’ but after this year I definitely want to be back again. It was so much fun.”
Defending CrossFit Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey was the winner.