Saxon Panchik fills another vacant spot at Rogue Invitational

Saxon Panchik is once again competing at the Rogue Invitational this year, though not in the way he had hoped. For the second consecutive year, the American receives a so-called backfill invitation, stepping in to fill a vacant spot.

That spot opened up after Justin Medeiros was involved in a motorcycle accident last week. The two-time CrossFit Games champion is therefore unable to compete at the prestigious event in Columbus, Ohio.

Panchik earned his invitation through his position in the Rogue Points System, a ranking based on performances at selected competitions. He ranked high enough to be first in line for the vacant spot.

For Panchik, the Rogue Invitational is an opportunity to compete against the world's best outside the regular CrossFit season. Whether he will advance further than last year will become clear in the coming weeks.