While it’s not official yet, Cameron Pernich and Alessandra Pichelli are atop the leaderboard of the 2016 CrossFit Liftoff. Scores are still being validated and there is the possibility that someone’s score is not showing up, it’s unlikely at this point.
Pernich finished with a 315-pound snatch, 405-pound clean & jerk and completed 403 reps on the 15-minute metcon. Pernich is known in the CrossFit and NPGL communities for his raw strength. He finished 30th in the North West region during the 2016 CrossFit Open with his worst finish coming from 16.1, the long 20-minute metcon. It appears that he has been working on his engine during the year as his 403 reps on the metcon placed him 12th worldwide for that event.
CrossFit Games veteran Nick Urankar sits in 2nd place, only 15 points behind Pernich. In third place is Alexander Tkachenko. Tkachenko is from the Ukraine and finished 195th in the Europe region during the 2016 CrossFit Open. Similar to Pernich, 16.1 was Tkachenko’s worst Open performance.
Pichelli, a CrossFit Games veteran, is in 1st place after a 210-pound snatch, 245-pound clean & jerk and 360 reps on the metcon. Her lifts gave her enough cushion to hold off Emily Bridgers’ 391 reps on the metcon. Bridgers is in 2nd place and Sarah Hopping Estrella is in 3rd.
Sargis Martirosjan, a 105kg weightlifer from Austria, is leading the men’s snatch with a 385-pound lift. United States’ lifter, Cameron Swart, leads the clean & jerk with a 464-pound lift.
On the women’s side, Andreea Aanei leads the snatch event with a 231-pound lift while Dina Barakat leads the clean & jerk with 285 pounds. Aanei, from Romania, competed in the +75kg weight class at the 2016 Olympics. Barakat hails from Egypt and competes in the 75kg weight class.
Rich Froning and Sam Briggs, winners from last year’s event, are not on the leaderboard. Also, Caine Wilkes and Sarah Robles, who won the weightlifting events and totals, also are not on the leaderboard at this time.
