Pat Vellner had a disappointing finish at the WFP Finals last month. After taking a 3rd place finish at Tour Stop 2 in Mesa, Vellner was working his way up the season leaderboard. But while in Copenhagen, things didn’t get off to a good start with a 29th and 28th place finish on the first two swim events.
Then on Friday evening during the 1RM Snatch event, Vellner attempted a 133kg (293lb) snatch where he missed it behind while in the bottom of his squat. He immediately grabbed his left shoulder.
While Vellner remained in the competition, he never finished an event better than 18th the rest of the way. He finished 25th in Copenhagen and dropped down to 14th on the final season leaderboard.
Vellner did, however, retain his Pro Card for the 2026 season.
As he rolls into 2026, Vellner is working to rehab his shoulder and get back onto the competition floor.
His first in-person competition will be at the 2026 Wodapalooza where he will compete in the elite individual division again. Vellner has won the elite individual division three times (2019, 2020 & 2021) and has never placed outside the top 5.
The other big question heading into 2026 is whether Vellner will make another run at the CrossFit Games. Vellner sat out the 2026 Games season following the death of Lazar Djukic in 2024.
