Roman Khrennikov Receives ‘2023 Spirit Of The Games’ Award After Competing With an Injury

The 2023 CrossFit Games were considered one of the most successful editions in the history of the competition. We got to see tight races and incredible event performances, but also some very inspirational moments. The most epic one came from Roman Khrennikov, who was awarded the ‘2023 Spirit Of The Games’ title due to his incredible perseverance on the final day of the competition.

Having dominated for three full days, Roman Khrennikov was 13 points ahead of Jeffrey Adler. So, coming into the fourth and final day, the Russian athlete was ready to battle for the title. Only three events remained, but he injured his foot on the first workout already. It was also clear that his injury was pretty severe once Roman was seen in a wheelchair.

While many would withdraw from the competition, Roman Khrennikov decided to continue competing in the final two events. The second event of the day required him to perform double-unders with a heavy jump rope, which was impossible to do with his injured foot, or at least that was what everyone thought. Roman picked up the jump rope and completed the exercise by just jumping off one leg.

The final event of the competition also saw Roman Khrennikov struggle since he was not able to put almost any pressure on his foot. So, after the final day, Roman dropped from first place to third, which meant that he still received a bronze medal.

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Roman Khrennikov Receiving ‘2023 Spirit Of The Games’

The ‘Spirit Of The Games’ is given to an athlete who comes out as the biggest inspiration and role model to those watching the competition. So, due to his display of character, mental toughness, and pain endurance, Roman Khrennikov received this award.

When asked about what pushed him to endure the pain of the final two events and persevere until the end, Roman Khrennikov revealed that it was mostly due to his son.

“I want to be a hero for my son and have him see me fight to the end”

Going back to the 2022 CrossFit Games, Roman Khrennikov had to travel to the USA in February in order to compete. However, his wife remained in Russia and gave birth to his son in April. Unfortunately, Roman was unable to meet his child until four months later, as he could not go back to Russia until he took part in the Games.

So, Roman found a higher purpose at the 2023 CrossFit Games, as his son was finally there to watch him compete. However, after his injury, Roman did not want to let his son see him surrender before the end. This pushed him to endure the final two workouts.

After the ‘2023 Spirit Of The Games’ was awarded to Roman Khrennikov, CrossFit’s Chief Brand Officer, Nicole Carroll, revealed how much his perseverance meant to the fans.

“This year he looked poised to win it all, but the challenges continued, and today, he inspired all of us with an unwavering display of courage and a first-class display of character when he stepped back out onto the competition floor.”

“He embodies the generosity of spirit and courage that marks our community — that binds us together and makes us better.”

Watch Roman’s interview here:

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Roman khrennikov’s Performance At 2023 CrossFit Games

Day One

Ride: Fourth-Place
Pig Chipper: First-Place
Inverted Medley: Fifth-Place

Day Two

The Alpaca Redux: First-Place
Ski-Bag: Ninth-Place
Helena: Fifth-Place

Day Three

Cross-Country 5k: Third-Place
Intervals: 17th-Place
Olympic Total: 16th-Place

Day Four

Muscle-Up Logs: Fourth-Place
Parallel-Bar Pull: 20th-Place
Echo Thruster Final: 20th-Place

Roman Khrennikov proved how much everyone needs to have a purpose in life, and his purpose is his family. One can only imagine how disappointed and crushed Roman was after injuring himself on the final stretch of the 2023 CrossFit Games, but he did not let the setback stop him from giving it his all. So, now, despite not becoming the Fittest Man On Earth, Roman has touched the lives of thousands of people around the globe.