The list of pec injuries continued to grow this weekend. We have updated the list to include Week 3 injuries as well. As far as we can tell, there were 36 pec tears at Regionals (or in the days leading up to competition).
There has also been a lot of talk about tears versus strains. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a strain is “is damage to muscle fibers and to
the other fibers that attach the muscle to the bone. Other names for a strain include ‘torn muscle’, ‘muscle pull’ and ‘ruptured tendon’.” There are three degrees of strains (1st, 2nd and 3rd), all include some degree of tissue tearing.
Regardless of the definition, the fact is that 36 athletes (35 men and 1 woman) either withdrew from competition, were eliminated due to not meeting minimum work requirements or just couldn’t compete at the highest level.
The intent of the article is not to point fingers or to place blame on the programming, CrossFit, the athletes, the movement standards, the space between the rings or anything else. Instead, we wanted to provide a comprehensive list of athletes who were affected by a pec injury over the past month.
So with that, we have done our best to compile a complete list of every athlete who has injured their pec either preparing for regionals or while on the floor. If we have missed anyone in the list below, please drop us a note in the comment section below!
1. Alex Vigneault
Alex Vigneault was the first athlete that we knew about to injury his pec. Vigneault shared his injury with CrossFit the night before the start of the East Regional that he might not be able to compete. He would ultimately withdraw from the competition Friday morning before taking the floor. Little did we know this would be the start of numerous pec injuries.
2. Corey Lunney
Corey Lunney came out on fire on Event 2 at the East Regional. His ring dips were on a blistering pace until he felt a tear in his left pec. And just like that, Lunney’s 2017 CrossFit Games season was over.
3. Chase Smith
This was supposed to be Chase Smith’s year. Smith barely missed qualifying for the CrossFit Games last year, and he looked strong early on Friday. On Event 2, Smith was battling back and forth with Mat Fraser. But on the set of 15 ring dips, Chase fell to the ground in extreme pain and his season was over.
4. Christian Harris
Christian Harris went to the CrossFit Games last season with CrossFit Dymanix. He and the team finished just off the podium in 4th place. In 2017, Harris elected to compete as an individual. While Event 1 did not go to plan (he finished 34th), Event 2 was even worse. In the final heat Harris stopped in the middle of his ring dips after feeling a ‘pop’ in his right pec.
5. Kyle Cant
Kyle Cant started Event 2 in the second heat next to Cody Mooney. Cant would start with a strong round of 21 and would get past his round of 15 dumbbell snatches. However, on his round of 15 ring dips Cant would end up tearing his right pec. On the live stream Mooney is shown running back to do his set of 9 ring dips while Cant is holding his right pec. Cant’s weekend would be over.
6. Nick Paladino
This was Nick Paladino’s first season competing in the Open division. Paladino, the two-time CrossFit Games champion in the Teen 16-17 division, qualified for Regionals and started off strong with a 4th place finish on Event 1. In the warm-up area for Event 2, Paladino injured himself on the rings. He would go on to take the floor on Event 2 and took it easy to avoid further damage to his pec. He finished 22nd on the event and would go on to compete on Saturday. However, he would withdraw before Event 5 on Sunday.
7. Michael McKenna
Michael McKenna is one that hasn’t come up when trying to recount the number of athletes with a pec injury. McKenna withdrew after finishing Event 2 at the South Regional. In an Instagram post, McKenna said that he tore his pec on the 6th rep in the set of 9 ring dips. He managed finish the final three reps thanks to the crowd and adrenaline, but he knew he was done for the weekend.
8. Khan Porter
Similar to Nick Paladino, Khan Porter injured his pec in the warm-up area leading up to Event 2. Porter felt a tweak in his right pec and the pain got worse. After consulting with the CrossFit medical staff Porter decided to risk further injury by continuing to compete. His rationale…2017 is likely his last season competing as an individual. Porter made it through the entire weekend and was in the hunt through the final event. Porter would fall just short and ended up in 7th overall.
9. Antonio Barrias
Antonio Barrias competed in the Pacific Regional this weekend. You likely did not hear about his as he was not near the top of the leaderboard and he competed in the middle of the night if you are in the United States. Regardless, Barrias injured his shoulder on Event 2 and would not finish the final nine ring dips.
10. Adam Mansy
Adam Nansy is another Pacific Regional athlete you have not heard of before. Nansy “suffered a slight pec tear” while warming up for Event 2. He was unable to pass the medical test to take the floor and attempt the workout. Nansy would have to withdraw from the rest of the competition.
11. Eric Carmody
Eric Carmody finished 1st in the Asia region during the CrossFit Open. Carmody had a shot at sneaking into the top 5 at the Pacific Regional as he had qualified for the CrossFit Games back in 2014. But this year leading up to regionals, Carmody “sustained a chest strain” (i.e. pec injury) a week prior to competition. After consulting with several doctors, Carmody decided against competing and withdrew from the Pacific Regional.
12. Kosta Ilic
Kosta Ilic was never in contention for a spot to the CrossFit Games out of the Pacific Regional, but that might be because he suffered a partial pec tear 17 days leading up to competition. On top of his pec injury, Ilic’s back locked up on Event 1. Ilic was able to complete the minimum work requirement on Event 2 (round of 21) and continued onto Saturday. Ilic made it through Saturday although he was experiencing significant pain. He would decide on Sunday morning to withdraw.
13. Haydn Wolfsbauer
Haydn Wolfsbauer suffered a grade 1 pec tear a week before competition began in Wollongong, Australia, for the Pacific Regional. Wolfsbauer would start Event 1, but would be pulled off the floor by medical staff. He would end up withdrawing from Event 2 after further examination by CrossFit’s medical staff.
14. Nick Urankar
Nick Urankar did one ring dip before he knew for certain his 2017 CrossFit Games season was over. Urankar injured his pec in the week leading up to the Central Regional. He was pretty sure he was going to be unable to finish the ring dips, but took the floor hoping for a miracle. Unfortunately, that miracle would not come and Urankar would not complete the minimum work requirement and was eliminated from competition.
Urankar would hang around the Music City Center venue the rest of the weekend and even got talked into doing some Olympic lifts at the USA Weightlifting booth. While he joked that he couldn’t do a single push-up, cleaning almost 400 pounds and snatching 301 pounds did not hurt. Watch the videos we captured live below!
15. Dan Bailey
Dan Bailey crushed Event 2 taking 2nd in the heat. So it was quite the shock to hear that Bailey had withdrawn on Saturday morning. Bailey told CrossFit that it was too risky to continue on with the competition, especially with 45 ring muscle-ups looming on Sunday.
16. Sam Dancer
Sam Dancer shared that he had a slight pec tear two weeks before the start of the Central Regional. He announced this after completing the events on Friday and said that he was healthy and ready for Day 2. But watching Dancer in person on Sunday, the ring muscle-ups were definitely affecting him. He would massage his pec after coming down from the rings in the later rounds and was wincing in pain. After the weekend was over, Dancer said he didn’t further injury himself, which is good news.
17. Kevin Schuetz
Kevin Schuetz said he was prepared for regionals this year. His times in practice were competitive, but the ring dips caught up with him on Friday afternoon. Schuetz would end up tearing his pec. He finished the event and came back Saturday to compete in Event 3, however he would withdraw before hitting the floor for Event 4.
18. Ryan Sowder
Ryan Sowder finished all six events at the Central Regional finishing 30th overall. Sowder did all of this while contending with a strained pec all weekend. Sowder’s worst finish, as expected with his injury, was Event 2 where he took 38th. His next worst finish was Event 5 with the 45 ring muscle-ups.
19. Matt Rattay
If you watched Heat 2 of Event 4 at the Central Regional you likely say Matt Rattay nearly running on his hands on the two 30-foot handstand walk segments. That amazing performance almost never happened. Rattay’s pec “felt like someone stuck a knife in it” while warming up for the event. That would be Rattay’s final event of the weekend.
20. Christian Lucero
Christian Lucero was destroying the California Regional through two days. Two event wins, a 2nd place and 5th place finish put Lucero easily in 1st place and well on his way to qualifying for a return trip to the CrossFit Games. Then Event 5 happened. On the first set of 21 ring muscle-ups, Lucero came down in pain and holding his pec. That would be his last rep, just one minute into Sunday. Lucero would not meet the minimum work requirement and would be disqualified from the competition.
21. Henry Lopez
Henry Lopez started the California Regional off with a great start. A 7th place finish on Event 1 put Lopez in good position until he felt a “gunshot to my left pec” on the 7th rep of the round of 9 ring dips. Just several reps away from finishing the workout, Lopez’s time at the California Regional was over.
22. Nolan Gouveia
While a 38th place finish on Event 1 wasn’t going to help Nola Gouveia’s bid to qualify for the Games, he never would have expected to have to withdraw after tearing his pec on the next event. Gouveia would not finish the round of 21 and would have to withdraw from the competition.
23. Ben Stoneberg
The West Regional starts in three days, but one athlete is already battling a pec injury. Ben Stoneburg, a four-time CrossFit Games veteran, has been “dealing with a pec issue since last Monday. With almost two weeks to heal, keep an eye on whether Stoneberg is able to make it through Event 2 and be competitive all weekend long. [UPDATE: Stoneberg attempted Event 2, but called it after attempting one ring dip. Stoneberg indicated that he did not want to risk further injury and believes he can return to training in the next couple of weeks.]
24. Brody Brock
Brody Brock made it through all six events at the East Regional back on the first weekend of competition. However, Brock partially tore his pec on Event 2, finishing in a respectable 4:04. After the injury, Airrosti told him that if he continued he would need to be “strict and controlled” the rest of the way. Brock did just that and was able to make it through Event 6, although he was never in contention.
25. Phil Hesketh
Phil Hesketh was looking to make his comeback in 2017. After fracturing his hand prior to the start of last season, Hesketh came in with a chance to qualify for the CrossFit Games. But the rings found their next victim with Hesketh. On his round of 15 Hesketh came down from the rings and grabbed his left pec. Medical staff then escorted Hesketh off the floor. While he met the minimum work requirement and could continue, it appears his season is over.
26. Adrian Mundwiler
During Event 1 Sean Woodland, one of the commentators at the Meridian Regional, mentioned that Adrian Mundwiler was dealing with a shoulder injury that he suffered in the week leading up to Regionals. Mundwiler would end up taking 4th in the first event. However, he would not be on the floor for Event 2 as he had withdrawn from the competition. Woodland added to his earlier comment that it was an injury to his right shoulder, pec area. So add Mundwiler to the growing list.
27. Ates Boran
Back on May 15, Ates Boran shared a photo on Instagram stating that he injured his pectoral muscle in preparation for regionals. He added that he was going to do everything possible to speed up his recovery with 20 days until he competed in the Meridian Regional. Boran would take 40th on Event 1 and would later withdraw from Event 2.
28. Davide Marini (maybe)
Davide Marini finished 39th in Event 1, but did not make it on the floor for Event 2. We don’t have an official reason for the withdrawal, but given how things have been going so far, a pec injury is the likely culprit.
29. Jeff Evans
Jeff Evans started Event 2 by crushing the 21 dumbbell snatches. They looked effortless. But on the first several ring dips, Evans became the latest victim of a pec injury. Evans came down from the rings grabbing his left pec. At that moment you could tell he knew his weekend was over.
30. Mitch Wagner
Mitch Wagner was off to a great start on Event 2. He was the first to the rings in the final heat of the West Regional. He knocked out three quick ring dips and then injury struck. Wagner then came down from the rings on his fourth rep and grabbed his pec. At that moment, his weekend would be over as he would be unable to complete the remaining ring dips to meet the minimum work requirement.
31. Raven Barrett
Raven Barrett competed back in Week 1 at the South Regional. She (yes, the first female to come forward with a pec injury) wrote below in the comments section that she had suffered a pec injury. We followed up with her to get more information about her injury.
Barrett said that she had no symptoms leading up to the start of Event 2. She was able to complete the event, but woke up the next morning and could not raise her arm over her head in addition to swelling in the anterior shoulder area. Airrosti worked on it before the start of Event 3, got it taped it up and contemplated withdrawing. Barrett said she did not go to CrossFit medical for fear of being asked to withdraw. It was her first regional appearance and wanted to be able to finish all six events.
Barrett would go on to complete all six events. She was time capped on Event 3, but was able to finish the three remaining three events under the time cap. Following regionals, Barrett has been avoiding using her arm in workouts and believes it will be a couple more weeks until it is healthy. She says there was and still is noticeable “bunching” in her pec region.
32. Marlon Azurdia
Marlon Azurdia is the 7th victim of the rings this weekend. After taking 26th on Event 1 at the West Regional, Azurdia was warming up for the dumbbell snatch and ring dip couplet when he injured his pec. Azurdia would not make the floor for the next event and his weekend would be over.
33. Dane Smith (Likely)
Dane Smith had a great 4th place finish on Event 2, but it looks like he might have injured his pec in the process (a la Dan Bailey). Unlike Bailey, however, Smith would take the floor for Event 3. He would struggle on it and would end up being time capped while still on the second set of wall balls. After the time cap, Smith would be seen grabbing his left pec and wincing in pain. While we don’t have 100% confirmation, it is very likely Smith has injured his pec.
34. Jonathan Gibson
Jonathan Gibson finished Event 2 under the time cap, but not without injuring himself before it was over. Gibson withdrew before Event 3 on Saturday because of a small pec tear. He pulled out to avoid further injury.
35. Chris Killian
Chris Killian strained his pec in the week leading up to the Atlantic Regional. During the warm-up prior to the start of Event 2, Killian felt it and adjusted his plan to just make it through the workout. Fortunately, it did not completely tear, however, Killian would be unable to make it past Event 5 and the 45 ring muscle-ups.
36. Mack Unruh
Mack Unruh is another athlete that injured his pec while on the floor of Event 2. Knowing that he would be unable to do the 45 muscle-ups on Sunday, Unruh’s goal from that point on was to just finish Day 2. He met his goal and ended up withdrawing before Event 5.
