After the completion of Semifinals in other regions, it was time for the 2023 CrossFit Asia Semifinal, which took place from June 1 to June 4 in Busan, South Korea. With a diverse range of countries boasting talented athletes, the Asia Semifinal showcased an exciting display of fitness. Ultimately, Arthur Semenov emerged as the winner in the men’s division, while Seher Kaya claimed victory in the women’s division.
During the 2023 CrossFit Asia Semifinal all athletes battled for one of the top two positions in all three divisions since that would secure them a spot at the 2023 CrossFit Games. However, to earn the spot in the top two the athletes had to perform well in all seven workouts of the Semifinals.
2023 CrossFit Asia Semifinal Leaderboards
Men
Arthur Semenov was very secure in his top spot from the start, as he opened up with a win in event one. Moreover, he claimed three more event victories, finishing with four first places out of seven events.. However, the battle for second place was still thrilling, as Sedaghat and Haynes were separated by only 13 points.
- Arthur Semenov — 612 points (Qualified For CrossFit Games)
- Morteza Sedaghat — 573 points (Qualified For CrossFit Games)
- Ant Haynes — 560 points
- Ilyas Kuliev — 543 points
- Andrei Fedotov — 540 points
- Anatolii Borisenko — 524 points
- Seungjong Kim — 479 points
- Kang Kyungsun — 472 points
- Ruslan Miftakhov — 439 points
- Eren Kim — 402 points
- Anton Yakovlev — 384 points
- Danny Voronov — 368 points
- Jeongheon Yeo — 341 points
- Ram Dover — 327 points
- Meysam Rohani — 323 points
Women
Seher Kaya was even more dominant than the men’s champion, Arthur Semenov. She also won four events, but also placed in the top five in all three other events. This resulted in a 129-point lead by the end of the competition and arguably the greatest individual display across all semifinals.
- Seher Kaya — 664 points (Qualified For CrossFit Games)
- Shahad Budebs — 535 points (Qualified For CrossFit Games)
- Anastasya Dodonova — 525 points
- Dawon Jung — 525 points
- Or Cohen — 498 points
- Kamila Takeyeva — 490 points
- Dema Zebdieh — 460 points
- Alina Aleksandrova — 442 points
- Anastasia Smirnova — 425 points
- Gaeun Kim — 412 points
- Milana Yakovleva — 402 points
- Minjeong Kim — 399 points
- Hedieh Veisi — 393 points
- Ahha Иbahoba — 376 points
- Florence Wong — 375 points
Teams
Interestingly, much like the men and women’s champions, the winner of the Teams division won four out of seven events as well. The CrossFit Fly High Kolesnikov Team easily won the 2023 CrossFit Asia Semifinal with ease, claiming the title and securing a ticket for the CrossFit Games
- CrossFit Fly High Kolesnikov Team — 590 points (Qualified For CrossFit Games)
- CrossFit Marvel Black — 525 points (Qualified For CrossFit Games)
- Stud CrossFit Team Stud — 485 points
- Red Tower CrossFit — 455 points
- CrossFit Erada 1 — 455 points
- CrossFit We Can Do It TeamBusan — 400 points
- CrossFit Pangyo Avenue Swaggers — 390 points
- CrossFit Mobilus Chinatown Sour Patch Kids — 370 points
- CrossFit Club 49 — 340 points
- Yangsan CrossFit Team Thor — 315 points
Related: 2023 CrossFit Europe Semifinal Results — Lazar Đukić & Gabriela Migała Win
Individual Division Tests (Workouts) Recap
TEST ONE
For time:
- 3,000-meter Echo Bike
- Hand-Over-Hand Pull (84 feet)
- 2,000-meter Assault AirRunner
- Hand-Over-Hand Pull (84 feet)
- 1,000-meter SkiErg
- Hand-Over-Hand Pull (92 feet)
Time cap: 30 minutes
Women: 180 pounds
Men: 225 pounds
Men’s Results
- Arthur Semenov— 23:40.00
- Ilyas Kuliev — 23:48.00
- Anatolii Borisenko — 24:29.00
Women’s Results
- Raisa Blinova — 24:44.00
- Seher Kaya — 26:59.00
- Anastasya Dodonova — 28:27.00
TEST TWO
As many reps as possible in 3 minutes of:
- 5 Ring Complexes (1 Toe-To-Ring, 1 Muscle-Up, 1 Ring Dip)
- 20 Single-Leg Squats
- Max Burpees Over Box
*Complete 3 rounds, resting 1 minute between rounds.
*Score is total reps across the 3 minutes.
Women Wear a 10-pound ruck, 24-inch box
Men Wear a 20-pound ruck, 30-inch box
Men’s Results
- Andrei Fedotov — 47 reps
- Morteza Sedaghat — 40 reps
- Kang Kyungsun — 39 reps
Women’s Results
- Yuko Sakuyama — 44 reps
- Shahad Budebs — 36 reps
- Anastasya Dodonova — 35 reps
TEST THREE
For time:
Semifinals Linda — 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps of:
- Deadlifts
- Dumbbell Bench Presses
- Squat Cleans
Time cap: 17 minutes
Women: 220-pound deadlifts, 60-pound dumbbells, 105-pound squat cleans
Men: 295-pound deadlifts, 90-pound dumbbells, 145-pound squat cleans
Men’s Results
- Arthur Semenov — 14:13
- Ant Haynes — 14:48
- Morteza Sedaghat — 15:11
Women’s Results
- Seher Kaya — 15:59
- Yuko Sakuyama — 16:56
- Dawon Jung — CAP +164
TEST FOUR
For load:
- Run 800 meters
- Max Snatch
Time cap: 6 minutes
After the time cap for test four clocked out, the athletes had just two minutes to rest before initiating Test Five.
Men’s Results
- Arthur Semenov — 295 pounds
- Morteza Sedaghat — 290 pounds
- Kang Kyungsun — 290 pounds
Women’s Results
- Dema Zebdieh — 185 pounds
- Dawon Jung — 175 pounds
- Ahha Иbahoba — 175 pounds
TEST FIVE
For time:
- 8 Snatches
- Run 800 meters
Time cap: 6 minutes
Women: 125-pound snatch
Men: 185-pound snatch
Men’s Results
- Arthur Semenov — 03:13.38
- Andrei Fedotov — 03:18.00
- Morteza Sedaghat — 03:25.00
Women’s Results
- Seher Kaya — 03:25.00
- Omer Reshef — 03:41.00
- Anastasya Dodonova — 03:56.24
TEST SIX
For time:
- 20 Overhead Squats
- 500-meter Row
- Three Handstand-Walk Pirouettes
- Two Seated Legless Rope Climbs
- 20 Strict Chest-To-Wall Handstand Push-Ups
- Two Seated Legless Rope Climbs
- Three Handstand-Walk Pirouettes
- 500-meter Row
- 20 Overhead Squats
Time cap: 15 minutes (Men) — 16 minutes (Women)
Women: 125-pound Squat
Men: 185-pound Squat
Men’s Results
- Andrei Fedotov — 10:02
- Morteza Sedaghat — 11:12
- Ilyas Kuliev — 12:07
Women’s Results
- Seher Kaya — 13:31
- Shahad Budebs — 13:47
- Or Cohen — CAP +80
TEST SEVEN
Three rounds for time of:
- Echo Bike Calories (Men: 15 calories / Women: 10 calories)
- 20 Toes-To-Bar
- 60-Foot Sandbag Bear-Hug Carry
Women: 150-pound Sandbag
Men: 200-pound Sandbag
Men’s Results
- Ant Haynes — 04:30.60
- Arthur Semenov — 04:45.00
- Meysam Rohani — 04:46.27
Women’s Results
- Seher Kaya — 05:04.55
- Shahad Budebs — 05:25.15
- Or Cohen — 05:28.00
Related: 2023 CrossFit North America East Semifinal — Full Results
Everyone who qualified for the 2023 CrossFit Games will now have around two months to further prepare for the biggest event of the year in the CrossFit world. All 40 spots for all three divisions have been filled out and now only the technicalities remain. However, judging by how exciting the Semifinals were, the 2023 CrossFit Games also look to be a very tense and exciting show.