EVENT RECAP: Spartan World Championship 2024: Hvar, Croatia

The 2024 Spartan World Championship 100m and Sprint 5k in Hvar were jam-packed with heart-pounding moments and unforgettable performances. As their official compression sponsor, we wanted to celebrate the athletes who dug deep and performed incredible feats on October 10-13. Even more iconic about this weekend is that it was the first-ever Championship for the Sprint 5K & 100M distances.

“It’s all about now. If not now, when?” —Matt B. Davis

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Here’s what happened in the first-ever championship events:

The Events

100-Meter World Championship

The 100m is every ninja’s daydream, featuring a quick but deadly course of obstacles with two competitors going head-to-head in a knockout format to hit the buzzer first. It’s a quick race, “where champions are made in a matter of seconds.” But, despite the short format, the sheer number and technicality of the obstacles require speed, agility, and precision alongside strength, strategy, and execution.

The obstacles include:

🔸Off-set tracks
🔸Monkey bars
🔸Wall-climb
🔸Balance beam
🔸Hoops Wall-climb #2
🔸Stepping stones
🔸Rings
🔸Low net
🔸Ledges
🔸Rope swing
🔸Final ramp

And the prize pot? 20,000 Euros.

The Women’s Race

To start, eight women faced off two by two through the qualifiers, with Kasia Jonaczyk (POL), Tiana Webberly (USA), Jaleesa Himka (USA), and Mecca Cortizano (PHL) pushing through to the quarter-finals.

In the quarter-finals, Mecca Cortizano beat Kasia, the number one seed for the competition, after Kasia made some technical errors. Tiana Webberley beat Jaleese Himka by a mere 0.02 seconds. In the semi-finals, it was Kasia Jonaczyk to go to the podium.

The final round found Tiana Webberly facing off against Mecca Cortizano, who went out the gates so fast it almost looked like they would call a false start. However, she got caught up in the rings, and it was all over from there. Tiana Webberley took first place for the USA, and Mecca Cortizano held on to the silver place finish.

“I still can’t believe it. It’s incredible just to run alongside these amazing athletes. Each lady pushed me even harder and pushed me to go faster.” —Tiana Webberly

The Men’s Race

The men’s race also saw eight competitors go head-to-head, with Kevin Rodriguez (USA), Ahgie Radan (PHL), Iurii Prokudin (RUS), and Władysław Sokołowski (POL) moving forward in some neck-and-neck, photo finishes. The quarter-finals found Iurri and Władysław Sokołowski progressing, leaving Ahgie and Kevin to battle it out for third and fourth. In the semi’s it was Ahgie who came out on top for the podium finish.

In the final round, Iurii faced off with Władysław and, in an unpredictable turn of events, Władysław had a misstep and fell on the first obstacle, leaving the entire course wide open for Iurii to take the top spot on the podium.

“I've been working for so long to achieve this goal. It was my dream to become World Champion, and now, here I am.” —Iurii Prokudin

Sprint 5K World Championship

The Sprint 5K is another grueling event, featuring a massive race through the village of Hvar with obstacles along the way, including:

🔸Three swims: 80m, 100m, 200m
🔸Wall climbs
🔸Log carry
🔸Log swim
🔸Inverted wall
🔸Hercules hoist
🔸Sandbag carry
🔸Offset monkey bars
🔸Spear throw
🔸A-frame climb
🔸Bucket carry
🔸Z-wall
🔸Rope climb
🔸Rings
🔸Fire jump

The jam-packed course was also a beautiful one, taking racers through the old port of Hvar, swimming in crystal clear blue waters of the Adriatic sea, and all the way up to the ancient fortress that looks out to the ocean before winding back through the town.

The Men’s Race

Starting in a strong pack, the men entered the first half of the race with constantly shifting positions as they fought to put distance between each other. By midway through the course, just after the log carry and swim with the log, the European athletes took the lead. This included France’s Gregory Basilico fighting for the top spot.

As the men rounded the final few obstacles, it was clear that Stijn Lagrand (NL) would take the first-place podium position, followed by Gregory and Frank in second and third.

The Women’s Race

Although there were fewer sign-ups for women than men, we still saw some of the best in the world competing for the win. It turned out to be a highly competitive race. From the beginning, Nicole Mericle (USA) set a breakneck pace, quickly creating a 30-40-second gap between herself and the second-place woman.

Things got hairy for Nicole at the spear throw, where she missed the target, leading to an extra penalty loop with a bucket carry. The penalty gave Zuzana Kocumova (PL) the opportunity to take the lead and third-place competitor Klara Lokajickova (PL) the opportunity to close the gap.

For the final swim, Zuzana held the lead with Nicole right at her feet. After a failed attempt to overtake her in the water, Nicole opted to save her energy for the final few obstacles: a rope climb followed by rings.

It was at the rings, a notoriously game-changing obstacle after the spear throw, that Nicole had the opportunity to take back the lead. Zuzana, having burned extra energy trying to increase the gap during the swim, got stuck, ultimately completing a penalty loop for failing to complete the obstacle.

Across the line in first, second, and third were Nicole, Zuzana, and Klara.

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The Ultimate Spartan Weekend

The 2024 Spartan World Championship in Hvar was nothing short of legendary. Athletes from all over the world put on a show of strength, endurance, and pure willpower, with breathtaking Hvar as the backdrop. Whether the 100-meter sprint or the brutal 21K Beast, the competition was fierce and full of surprises. If there’s one thing we learned this weekend, Spartan isn’t just a race—it’s a way of life.

“I’ve done it, and it’s so great! I’m happy that I’m here.” —Klara Lokajickova