David Newman | Rx Smart Gear CEO
Officials from the Guinness Book of World Records were not on hand to validate Laura Horvath’s scorching time of 11:24.19 Semifinal Event 2, but there were enough media, judges, spectators and competitors there to validate this feat, the fastest women’s time from all 7 Semifinals.
During the workout (5 rounds of 100 double-unders, 20 toes-to-bars, and 10 front squats), Laura beat the top 350 women in the world, and she even beat three of the top men’s scores. We’re proud to have worked with Laura for the past three years and to see how her proper rope length and seamless transitions, facilitated by the signature RXSG Toe Tap and Alec Smith grips, helped her execute such a dominant performance in the Semifinals.
Shop Laura's Top Picks
Laura has been using our ropes since she started CrossFit in 2015,
and she told us she saved her money for months to buy her first EVO Speed Rope in 2017. She said she wanted the best, and the following year, she took 2nd at the Games.
In 2021, when we started coaching Laura, she was following the standard sizing guideline: her height plus three feet.
But once we improved her form, she was able to drop down to 8’4”, and then again to 8’ 2”, which not only improved her mechanics and reduced her fatigue, but also increased her cycle rate. This was pivotal in Event 2, where she flew through the double unders, completing nearly two per second.Another component of her success was her calm, smooth, and quick transitions, facilitated by the RXSG Toe Catch and her Alec Smith grips. As soon as she finished her last double under, she would catch the rope on her toe and place the rope handles neatly in front of her, meaning she never tripped over her rope or struggled to untangle it the following round.
Because the Smith grips don’t have finger holes, she could pop them out of their elastic grip keeps, cover her palms, and immediately hop on the pull up bar. When she finished the gymnastics, she’d tuck the grips back in the elastic and start her front squats.
WATCH LAURA'S REVIEW
Prior to the 2022 Games, I asked Laura if she wanted to learn Crossover double unders and triple unders.
Within 30 minutes, she was stringing together double-digit sets of both. That year, crossover double unders actually appeared at the Games, but Laura didn’t advance to the final round to show off her new skill. This year, she got her revenge. Her incredible speed on the rope and quick, smart transitions helped propel her to become the world record holder for Event 2, and we can’t wait to see how she performs in the Games.