In a sit-down interview during the Dubai CrossFit Championship last week, six-time CrossFit Games athlete turned coach, Michele Letendre discussed Laura Horvath’s disappointing performance during the competition which put her in ninth place overall before she withdrew due to an injury.

“This weekend is not really going well for her,” Letendre said. “Laura is a different athlete from my other athletes in the sense that she needs maybe a little more guidance and a little more decision making for her.”

“I’m going to put my foot down a little more and become a bit more disciplined,” said Letendre.

Letendre repeatedly referenced the off-season months after the CrossFit Games, which Horvath spent a good portion traveling.

“She traveled a lot and I think right now she’s understanding what that means,” Letendre continued. “This weekend wasn’t the most successful preparation, but that being said she showed a lot of guts this weekend and I’m happy about that.”

“Obviously right now it sucks, it’s hard to look Laura in the face and say like ‘hey you’re not going to qualify.’ What she’s going through right now is the building block to becoming a real champion, a real winner, so I think she’s going to mature a lot with this…I think this is a really important part of, of her career. As much as I don’t ever, ever want any athlete, even less my own to go through some hard times like that but it’s an important part to learn, and to move forward, and to really understand what your priorities are.”

Horvath, who isn’t currently registered for any other sanctioned events, can still qualify for the 2019 CrossFit Games through the Open. She was crowned the Fittest in Hungary for the past three years and in 2018 was the 18th fittest worldwide, two spots under that top 20 spot needed to secure an invitation to the Games.