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Sara Sigmunds­dottir Explains What Happened at the Games

There are always those athletes who you can’t wait to see crush it at the CrossFit Games. One of those athletes is Sara Sigmundsdottir, largely because in the past, she’s come *this close* to a podium finish. And let’s face it: Iceland’s women know how to do CrossFit. So, that’s why it was such a surprise that after the first phase of the 2020 CrossFit Games, Sigmundsdottir finished in 21st place out of 30 athletes, meaning that she wouldn’t be moving on to the second and final stage of the competition.

Indeed, there was a reason that things went the way they did for her, and she took to Instagram to elaborate. In a series of three posts, she started off by saying that she makes no excuses for her performance, and it was way below her standards. Not surprising, because Sigmundsdottir has always had an incredible attitude and mindset.

Here’s the first post.


But here’s the thing. Back in May, box jumps left her with one gnarly injury, which turned into an infection, which turned into very low levels of cortisol. Here’s the original post from back in May. Ouch.


And more recently, Sigmundsdottir explained how it escalated, ultimately affecting her Games performance.

So, yeah, you could kind of say that her competitive season didn’t go exactly as planned. Her to-do list moving forward?

These athletes have been training for years; and each season, everything culminates with the Games. Imagine the disappoint of not being able to perform the way you wanted, the way you’ve been training for that entire competitive year. It must be a crushing blow.

But this isn’t the first injury Sara’s experienced before. (Remember when she broke a rib… twice?) She never let it get her down in the past, and she’s not starting now. Take care of yourself, Sara! You’ll be back and stronger than ever.

Main image: Sara Sigmundsdottir/Instagram

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2020 Games Update: Who’s in the Top 5?

With four events in the books and three remaining, CrossFit Games competitors are continuing to fight for one of the top spots on the leaderboard, as only the five best men and women will continue on to the second phase of the competition at the ranch. Nothing is promised and the leaderboard will undoubtedly look at least a little different after tomorrow, but here’s where things currently stand:

Women

  1. Tia-Clair Toomey: 380 points
  2. Brooke Wells: 324 points
  3. Amanda Barnhart: 281 points
  4. Kara Saunders: 271 points
  5. Dani Speegle: 260 points

Men

  1. Mat Fraser: 360 points
  2. Noah Ohlsen: 281 points
  3. Bayden Brown: 280 points
  4. Jeffrey Adler: 262 points
  5. Jonne Koski: 245 points

Toomey and Fraser are sitting even more comfortably in first place at this point.

Event 3 in particular (Damn Diane) really separated the athletes. For example, we had Toomey, who knocked it out in record time and even beat Fraser’s time. (BTW, this is the first time in Games history that the same athlete won the first three events.) Her moves were calculated down to every second — the sign of a real champion.

On the other hand, other athletes struggled immensely, especially with those strict deficit handstand push-ups. Laura Horvath, for example, wasn’t able to complete the workout before the time cap. There’s no doubt she’s a skilled athlete, but the handstand push-ups got the best of her, with too many failed reps.

With one day left, we’re excited to see who’s going to move onto the second stage: the in-person competition. Stay tuned.

Main image: Noah Ohlsen/Instagram

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Tia-Clair Toomey and Mat Fraser Leading the Pack (So Far)

The 2020 CrossFit Games have started with a bang, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the reigning champs — Tia-Clair Toomey and Mat Fraser — have hit the ground running and are enjoying standing in the lead. Here’s what we’re looking at, as of right now:

Men

  1. Mat Fraser: 188 points
  2. Bayden Brown: 172 points
  3. Griffin Roelle: 168 points

Women

  1. Tia-Clair Toomey: 200 points
  2. Kara Saunders: 188 points
  3. Kristine Best: 164 points

What some of us perhaps didn’t see coming was Kara Saunders rising to the top like this, so quickly after having her beautiful daughter. She’s almost always been near the top of the leaderboard over the last couple of years, and even with pausing to have a baby, it’s almost like she didn’t skip a beat. If anyone was counting her out because she’s a new mom, think again! She’s here to kick butt, and she is not playing.

As we already know, the leaders should never get too comfortable, especially this early on. The leaderboard is a constantly evolving beast. We’ve still got five events to go, and this is only the first phase of the Games. These competitors will have to give everything they’ve got for the remainder of the competition if they want to make it to the ranch for the big show.

Main image: Kara Saunders/Instagram

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HQ Has Reduced the Number of Athletes to Compete at the Games

The competitive season has been up in the air due to coronavirus and the constantly changing landscape. There were whispers of events moving to the internet, including the main event. But then HQ shared that it was their intent to bring the CrossFit Games back to the ranch in Aromas, where it all started.

However, a number of Sanctionals have already cancelled because there was no feasible way to bring athletes and spectators together for the competition — social distancing and all. And the Games must abide by the same rules. That explains HQ’s recent announcement that the pool of competitors invited to the Games will be reduced rather substantially.

Check out their latest Instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_-usvDH9nm

Of note, regarding the Open…

The top 20 men and 20 women worldwide will receive invites to Aromas. If an athlete declines their invite, the invite passes to the next athlete.

For the Sanctionals that were already held…

The ten Sanctionals that were able to host in-person competitions this season will be invited to send their champions to this year’s CrossFit Games.

Here’s the thing, though. Remember that if a Sanctionals winner had already qualified for the Games through the Open, that Sanctionals invite would be passed to the next athlete. However, because the field of competitors is now reduced, some invites that had been extended pre-coronavirus may now be going back to the original invitee, as Open invites get priority over Sanctionals invites.

Additionally, for the remaining Sanctionals that had either postponed or hadn’t made a call yet as to what they were going to do, they’re pretty much a moot point now, as the winners wouldn’t qualify for the Games anyway, based on this announcement from HQ.

Team competitors received some bad news.

There will not be a team competition at the 2020 Reebok CrossFit Games.

However, note that athletes who had originally turned down an invite as an individual competitor will have the opportunity to claim this spot once again.

And lastly, the change that brought so much excitement and diversity to the Games has to be put on hold this year.

Last year, CrossFit Headquarters expanded the field of athletes in attendance at the Games to include the fittest athlete in every eligible country. In light of current constraints, it will not be possible to host the previously invited 239 national champions in Aromas. The national champion race will reset in 2021 with invites extended to champions who earn top placement in the upcoming CrossFit Open.

All of this means that only the top 20 men and 20 women from the Open will get an invite, plus 20 Sanctionals winners from the competitions that have already happened. However, none of this takes into consideration travel restrictions, which could once again alter who we see in Aromas.

While this might be a huge disappointment for some athletes, we can’t forget that one alternative was not having the Games at all (which, to be clear, could still actually happen).

Still, the update is noteworthy, as it reduces the number of competitors attending from well over 300 to just 60 (top 20 men from the Open, top 20 women from the Open, top 10 men from Sanctionals, and top 10 women from Sanctionals).

In other words, a good majority of those who had planned to be there (or hopefully be there) will be forced to sit it out this year. HQ plans to reset and go back to normal for 2021.

Main image: Tia-Clair Toomey/Instagram

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What Does it Cost to Get to the Games?

We already knew that Games-level athletes make tremendous sacrifices to get where they are. It takes countless hours in the gym, grueling workouts, flawless nutrition, and serious wear and tear on the body. But there’s one more thing we don’t often talk about: the financial cost.

Make no mistake about it: Many athletes are forking over major cash to get to Madison, especially considering we’ve got people coming from all over the globe this year.

For instance, Morning Chalk-Up spoke to Emma McQuaid, coming from Ireland. McQuaid confirmed that flights, accommodation, and a car alone will add up to nearly $5,000. That doesn’t even include her food.

And for Hong Kong’s fittest man, Ant Hayes? That number is closer to $10,000.

For some athletes, like McQuaid and Hayes, sponsors do step in to help. And that can certainly be said for big names like Tia-Clair Toomey and Mat Fraser. Ironically, these are the same athletes who currently have the best chance of walking away with a podium finish — and a big check.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwxvSKzhm05/

Don’t think that’s stopped the rest of them from paying up, though. These inspiring athletes have given everything to secure their spot in Madison, and not even the hefty price tag is going to get in the way. Carmen Bosmans, who’s the national champion of Belgium, told MCU, “If I’m out on day one — after party starts early.”

We continue to be in awe of these remarkable competitors and can’t wait to see what happens in Madison.

Main image: Mat Fraser/Instagram

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Camille Leblanc-Bazinet is Going to the Games on a Team

camille leblanc-bazinet

We were looking forward to seeing 2014’s fittest woman on earth Camille Leblanc-Bazinet throw down on the competition floor for the Asia CrossFit Championship, but she recently announced on Instagram that she is no longer planning on attending.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwACjaRhaZR/

Don’t count her out just yet, though, because she’s actually going to be competing at the Games on Team ROMWOD/WIT, where she’ll be replacing Jamie Greene, who’s now competing as an individual after becoming the national champion of New Zealand in the Open. Leblanc-Bazinet will be joining now-teammates Jessica Griffith, Alec Smith, and Cody Mooney.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvzJ_Wkn28f/

This likely explains Leblanc-Bazinet’s performance in the 19.5 Open workout. She logged just one rep.

This will be a first for Camille, but we’re excited to see her (and her team) crush it at the 2019 Games!

Main image: Camille Leblanc-Bazinet/Instagram

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Josh Bridges Did Murph on the Great Wall of China

If you’re the average functional fitness athlete, you try to get through Murph scaled without collapsing. If you’re Josh Bridges, you do it RX’d and on the Great Wall of China, because why not? The Games competitor just couldn’t resist, and we bet it was the adventure of a lifetime. Side note: he probably also gave Dave Castro some new ideas…

Bridges is no stranger to gorgeous views, evidenced by the explorations he shares on Instagram. The athlete certainly doesn’t confine himself to the gym.

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Love getting on a trail whether it’s on foot or bike! Use your fitness! @blackmountainbicyclessd

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Main image: Josh Bridges/Instagram

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4 Athletes Will Get Passes to Compete at the Games

The 2019 competitive just took an interesting turn. CrossFit announced on Facebook that they will be selecting four additional athletes to invite to the Games, seemingly independent of how they perform during the Open or the sanctioned events. Here’s the full post.

We don’t have any other details at this point, leaving many of us wondering what “at-large athletes” even means. If these athletes don’t need to qualify through the Open or one of the sanctioned events, how will they be chosen? What are the requirements? Is anyone eligible?

Once again, the announcement leaves more questions than answers. Stay tuned.

Main image: Brent Fikowski/Instagram

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These Stats Show the Huge Difference in Each Country’s Fittest Athletes

With news that each country will be naming its fittest male, female, and team came a lot of excitement — and a lot of questions. It equates to not just a lot more competitors involved but also a wider range of skill levels. Why? Simple. The sport of CrossFit is still a new discovery in many countries, meaning each country’s top athletes aren’t necessarily Tia-Clair Toomey or Mat Fraser.

My Fitness Analytics wanted to measure just how big the gap is, exactly, so they did. They went country by country and determined the highest placing male and female in the scope of the Open. These are the athletes who would, as of 2019, be named the fittest and receive an invite to the Games. They shared their findings in a Google spreadsheet.

In the U.S., the top athlete in the Open ranked first. In Canada, the best male athlete ranked second. For France, it was third. Iceland was 12th, and Australia was 31st.

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Where it gets interesting is when you look at the countries with the bottom-most rankings.

In Fiji, for example, the top male athlete ranked 71,168 in the Open. In Bulgaria, he ranked 42,911 in the Open.

These are athletes who would, based on the new Games format, still receive an invitation.

None of this is to say that some athletes aren’t as deserving of an invite as others, but it does raise some important questions. How do you come up with a competition that’s fair to all athletes, when the gap in their skill set is so wide? Can you have a fair competition at all?

Greg Glassman has touched on this topic already, explaining that there will be some kind of elimination that will further narrow down the athletes.

While we don’t have all the answers yet, one thing is for certain: 2019 is going to look very different.

Main image: Brent Fikowski/Instagram

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The Granite Games Will Now Be a CrossFit Sanctioned Event

Since Greg Glassman announced Regionals and the Invitational were being eliminated as of the 2019 competitive season, we learned that in their places, HQ will run a series of events that will help determine who will get an invitation to the Games. The first ever CrossFit sanctioned event announced was the Dubai CrossFit Championship, previously known as the Dubai Fitness Championship. We know now the second CF sanctioned event on board: the Granite Games, according to a press release from CrossFit.

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CrossFit, Inc. confirmed the second CrossFit-sanctioned event: the Granite Games, a four-day competition, which will take place June of 2019. – Along with the recently announced @dxbfitnesschamp, the Granite Games is a newly sanctioned event that will award CrossFit Games spots, while continuing the Granite Games tradition of giving back to local communities and strengthening participants’ bond with fitness. – “@TheGraniteGames is our second sanctioned event partner and part of a new chapter for CrossFit,” said Greg Glassman, CrossFit’s Founder and Chairman. “Through sanctioned events like this one, we’ll be able to keep pace with the explosive growth and interest in the Games, and better serve our affiliates, trainers and athletes at the same time.” – @CrossFit-sanctioned competitions are replacing CrossFit’s Regional events and will become a direct pathway for the top men, women, and team finishers to receive invitations to compete in the #CrossFitGames. – The partnership with the Granite Games builds upon the success they have realized over the past eight years. The Granite Games also have a rich legacy of supporting local and national non-profit organizations through programs like revenue sharing and Fitness Education Scholarships. – Details regarding the 2019 Season will be released in the annual Rulebook. Stay tuned for more announcements.

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The official CrossFit competition will span four days and will be held in June of 2019. The announcement certainly keeps in line with Glassman’s earlier explanation of wanting the sport to get back to its roots of community, since the Granite Games traditionally gives back to local communities and really encourages a love of fitness.

As for the other events, the only additional information we have at this time comes from an interview Glassman did with the Girls Gone WOD Podcast, shared by Morning Chalk Up. In it, Glassman revealed he’s spoken with Annie Thorisdottir about something happening in Iceland.

Glassman also spoke more about how the many athletes competing are going to be narrowed down, to make the competition more manageable and undoubtedly more nail-biting. Considering they have athletes in 162 countries competing — each country naming the fittest male, female, and team — the plan is to “cull the herd into a very watchable and exciting number of people. What could happen is early in the week put 200 [athletes] through a task that leaves ten, then watching ten for two days,” he said.

Similarly, the 160+ teams will be cropped from the sanctioned events.

Main image: Granite Games/Instagram

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This is the First Ever CrossFit-Sanctioned Event

Ever since Greg Glassman confirmed Regionals and the Invitational were no more, everyone wondered what exactly would take their place. We knew it would be a series of CrossFit-sanctioned events, but we hadn’t yet gotten many more details beyond that. Now, we know. CrossFit announced that the Dubai Fitness Championship will now be known as the Dubai CrossFit Championship, and it’s officially the first CrossFit-sanctioned event ever.

?? @dxbfitnesschamp “The Dubai CrossFit Championship marks the beginning of a new chapter for CrossFit,” said Greg Glassman, CrossFit’s Founder and Chairman. “The miracle of CrossFit happens in each one of our affiliates that help people get healthy and stay that way. Partnering with organizations like the folks in Dubai means we can really focus on that core mission. Through CrossFit sanctioned events like the Dubai CrossFit Championship, we’ll be able to keep pace with the growth of this international sport.” The Dubai CrossFit Championship, previously known as the Dubai Fitness Championship, has attracted CrossFit athletes of the highest caliber since its initiation in 2012, and continues to provide the excitement and challenge sought by athletes internationally, in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic and important global centers of commerce and trade. Full link in Bio #dubaicrossfitchampionship2018 #dcc2018 #crossfitdubai #crossfit @crossfit @crossfitgames1

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CrossFit, Inc. today announced the first-ever CrossFit-sanctioned event, the Dubai CrossFit Championship, a four-day, official CrossFit competition taking place Dec. 12-15, 2018, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event will bring athletes from around the world together to compete for a spot at the CrossFit Games. – The announcement is part of recent changes designed to refocus @CrossFit on its core mission of preventing and reversing chronic disease while expanding the opportunities for athletes to qualify for the #CrossFitGames through sanctioned events. – “The Dubai CrossFit Championship marks the beginning of a new chapter for CrossFit,” said CrossFit Founder Greg Glassman. “The miracle of CrossFit happens in each one of our affiliates that help people get healthy and stay that way. Partnering with organizations like the folks in Dubai means we can really focus on that core mission. Through CrossFit-sanctioned events like the Dubai CrossFit Championship, we’ll be able to keep pace with the growth of this international sport.” – Read the full release at Games.CrossFit.com. Link in bio. @dxbfitnesschamp

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On the heels of the Games, it’s already got athletes thinking ahead to the 2019 competitive season, considering the competition will award an invitation to the Games for the top male, female, and team.

Main image: Dubai CrossFit Championship/Instagram

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Big Changes Are Coming to the Games

Get ready, athletes: the 2019 season is going to look very different. In a recent interview with Morning Chalk Up, Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, shared that the Games would be taking on a new look. Because the logistics only get more challenging and the sport more expensive — and because it’s health at the core of the sport, not money — Glassman shared, “The plan is to restructure the company, de-emphasize the Games…change the very structure of the Games to something that’s more sustainable and fundamentally globalize the Games.”

The point is to get back to the roots of CrossFit: helping people find health in a fun and engaging way. Changing lives for the better. Growing a community of like-minded individuals.

So, what does that mean, exactly?

Well, the Open and the Games are staying put, although the Open is moving to October. Regionals and the Invitational? They’re gone.

And that’s not all.

At the end of the Open, every country that has an affiliate will crown the fittest in that country. The top man, woman, and team will be invited to the Games. Plus, CrossFit will work to hold outside events between November and June, and winners will also get an invitation to the Games.

If you do the math, all of this means there are significantly more spots available — 350, up from 80 this year.

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All this week, there were whispers and rumors of huge changes not only to the events but HQ’s team as well, and now we know why.

Why do you think of these changes?

Main image: Dave Castro/Instagram