Rajkowski Crushes Men's Open Race, a Doubles Revelation, and a Comedian on the Podium
HYROX Paris has already delivered its first verdicts. With an untouchable Sebastien Rajkowski, an unknown duo smashing the Men's Doubles, and a French TV personality making it onto the Women's Doubles podium, this first day at the Grand Palais held some surprises.
Men's Open Solo: Rajkowski Crushes the Race
Sebastien Rajkowski (30-34) has just set one of the best French open times. And most importantly, he did it with a near-perfect race.
His splits: Runs: 26:11 / top 0.4% worldwide Workouts: 25:01 / top 1.2% worldwide Roxzone: 4:51
A top-level runner who is also strong on the stations.
He has completed 14 races since his debut just over a year ago, including a victory in Bilbao 2026 (54:28) and a 3rd place in PRO DOUBLES Men in Ghent alongside Emeric Choisy (53:29).
In second place, Alan Duvigneau notably achieved one of the season's most impressive progressions: 1:19:32 in Paris 2025, 1:04:22 in Bordeaux, 1:00:06 at the EMEA Championships, and now sub-60 at 59:08. Over 20 minutes gained in 12 months.
Completing the podium, Alexis Bouchet broke the sub-60 barrier for the first time in solo, following strong results in PRO DOUBLES (56:11 in Toulouse).
The race podium:
1 - Sebastien Rajkowski (30-34) - 56:03
2 - Alan Duvigneau (30-34) - 59:08
3 - Alexis Bouchet (30-34) - 59:30
Men's Open Doubles
The pair Crepeau/Graignic started as favorites: an established PRO duo, already 5th in PRO DOUBLES Toulouse 2026 with 53:30.
The seasoned, stable duo was expected to take the top spot.
Then we discovered Morgan False. First HYROX race. Partnered with Auxence Denise, an athlete who, in 2025 in Bordeaux with a different partner, clocked 59:48.
Result: 53:30. First place. 16 seconds ahead of the PRO duo.
Let's look at their splits: Runs: 25:35 - best run time (1st out of 585 teams, top 0.2% worldwide) Workouts: 23:23 - top 22%, solid but not exceptional Roxzone: 4:32 - 1st out of 585 teams, lightning-fast transitions
So, good room for improvement on the stations. Auxence Denise gained 6 minutes and 18 seconds by changing partners. The French scene might have just inherited a new top-level duo.
The rest of the podium:
2-Charles Crepeau / Maxime Graignic (25-29) - 53:46
3-Axel Wattiez / Paul Wattiez (30-34) - 54:59
Crepeau/Graignic still performed admirably. The duo continues to rack up solid results since the start of the season. Frustrating to lose by a hair, but their consistency bodes well for the future.
Women's Open Doubles: Braban/Lahmi Dominate, Ariane Brodier Joins the Party
Aurélie Braban and Florie Lahmi posted a time that nobody truly expected. 1:02:27, 2 minutes and 37 seconds ahead of second place.
Florie Lahmi was the presumed driving force of the duo on paper. Her resume speaks for itself: 9 races, a 4th place solo finish in Ghent 2025 with 1:06:57, and consistent top 10 performances in the AG 35-39. Aurélie Braban is a regular in the PRO format, notably with 1:13:14 in Malaga in 2026. On paper, the pairing was promising. In reality, they delivered a masterclass.
The mainstream revelation: Ariane Brodier, 2nd with Lucie Rose 1:05:04.
Those who have followed Hyrox for a while might already know Lucie Rose's name. But for the broader French public, Ariane Brodier sounds more familiar: actress, comedian, TV presenter (Fort Boyard, Vendredi tout est permis, Tubissimo, Mot de passe…), in a relationship with international rugby player Fulgence Ouedraogo. The duo isn't new. Brodier and Rose had previously raced together in Marseille in 2024, completing the race in 1:07:40 (13th in Women's Doubles 30-39). A year and a half later, they return to Paris and shave 2 minutes and 36 seconds off their time, climbing onto the podium of one of the biggest Hyrox events in France.
The podium:
- Aurélie Braban / Florie Lahmi (40-44) - 1:02:27
- Lucie Rose / Ariane Brodier - 1:05:04
- Louise Balloy / Angélique Roukia (30-34) - 1:06:12
This first day delivered some big performances, but the rankings aren't finalized yet. The men's open waves resume today, and the next doubles waves will take place on Sunday.
Stay tuned today for the start of the Pro Men's and Women's competitions, featuring a strong lineup as we presented here.
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