When you’re sitting on a rower for that long, you’re going to need a little help getting through it. For Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir, that meant getting through it together. The longtime friends rowed right next to each other, and Dave Castro shared a funny story about an exchange they had mid-workout… or, almost had, rather.
“I tried to talk to Katrin but she didn’t reply,” Annie said. “I said, ‘We’re doing so good, Katrin. Tell me we’re doing good.'”
“You said that?” responded Davidsdottir. “I couldn’t hear you.”
Davidsdottir added that having Annie next to her brought her comfort during the inescapably long marathon row (which Thorisdottir, by the way, didn’t think was that bad). Beasts! Both of them.
Athletes are hopefully resting and recharging after what was, no doubt, the hardest day one in Games history. Dave Castro warned this one would be unlike all the others, but he says that about everything. This time, he wasn’t kidding. Day 1. Was. Ridiculous.
The four events — count ’em, FOUR — capped off with a marathon row, which we guess these competitors won’t be doing again anytime soon. At the end of the day, once the leaderboard was finalized, Mat Fraser was unsurprisingly in first, although not by much. Lukas Hogberg is a mere two points behind, not leaving much room for Fraser to get cozy.
Forty-two thousand, one hundred, ninety-five meters. That’s how many meters to sweet victory for Switzerland’s Lukas Esslinger?? and America’s @321gaux ??.
On the ladies’ side, Laura Horvath leads the pack with a 12-point margin, followed by Tia-Clair Toomey in second and Annie Thorisdottir in third. This is going to be a close race, though, because all of the current top eight (ish) women all enjoyed some time in first place throughout the day. They’re all hungry, and they’re all fully capable of being crowned Fittest on Earth.
All of the marathon rows and big lifts and event wins don’t come without a few downsides, though. For a couple of athletes, the Games ended for them not long after it started. During Event 1, Michele Fumagalli fell off her bike on the last turn during the last lap of the crit. The chain separated from her bike, so she picked it up and ran to the finish line.
While she seemed okay, it turns out she sustained a serious enough injury to need to withdraw. She explained in an Instagram post that she broke and dislocated her wrist and will need to undergo surgery. While she was understandably upset, she wrote, “… I know this will only make me a stronger and better person!”
Very unfortunate, but we admire her positive attitude.
Alexandre Caron also withdrew after the CrossFit Total. While attempting a back squat, he failed the rep and bailed out, seemingly unharmed and finishing the event. However, he later appeared to be experiencing some discomfort, and according to the leaderboard, he’s out of the Games.
While there were indeed a few disappointments, Day 1 was largely one of celebration. One athlete in particular people are talking about is Pat Vellner. Many have predicted we’ll see him on the top of the podium when all is said and done, but he got off to a rough start.
During Event 1, the chain popped off his bike and he had to stop on the side of the track to get a new one. Needless to say, this put him far behind and he ended up finishing in 35th place.
After a ninth, second, and fifth place finish in Events 2, 3, and 4 respectively, he’s already worked his way back up to sixth place overall. Never count Vellner out!
Day 1 didn’t disappoint. Athletes, rest up! The fun is just getting started.
Did Tia-Clair Toomey give anyone else goosebumps during Event 3? She hit the ground running Day 1, but perhaps nothing will compare to the insane results she achieved for the CrossFit Total — a combination of the heaviest successful squat, strict press, and deadlift. Toomey’s combined total was a whopping 875 pounds, giving her the event win. And let’s be honest — nothing beats this moment:
We still have one event left to go — the marathon row — but it’s safe to say this will go down in the books as the craziest first day in Games history.
Event 1 for the 2018 CrossFit Games is in the books, and it didn’t disappoint. Athletes competed in the crit — a 10-lap bike race around a 1,200m course. While they’ve been on bikes before (as recently as last year’s Games), they haven’t done it like this.
Competitors were packed together like sardines, needing to maintain razor focus not only on their own performance but that of the athletes surrounding them. Why? Safety. Remaining stable on these bikes wasn’t the easiest, so just imagine taking those turns. Dave Castro warned there was a high probability of crashing, and he was right. One wrong move and an athlete could lose control and crash — and they did. Through the men’s and women’s races, we saw a few athletes go tumbling to the ground, like Brandon Luckett. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured.
There was a noticeable strategy here. You might have noticed athletes actively trying to stay in second. This was for a reason. As one of the commentators noticed, this is the best place to be. The person in first does the most work. So, from both the men and women, we saw a pattern: stay in second and then try to get ahead in the last moments.
How cool was it seeing Dave Castro lead the competitors into the race?! Laura Horvath led the pack for the majority of the time, but in the end, in one hell of an adrenaline-pumping moment, Kristin Holte sprinted her heart out and took the event win.
Horvath finished second, and Katrin Davidsdottir — who sat comfortably in second for most of the race — finished third. Tia-Clair Toomey was not far behind in fifth.
The women did an amazing job setting the pace for Event 1. While we did witness a few spills, these competitors showed outstanding control and consistency. The athletes prioritizing strategy as much as fitness really shined. We all saw Sara Sigmundsdottir — a phenomenal athlete — push ahead to the front a little too soon and then possibly tire herself out, ultimately finishing in 21st.
The Men
What a race! While the women largely kept their heads down and pedaled, the men seemed to be interacting more. It appeared as though they were working together to not only make it through the turns safely but to also take turns near the front of the pack — this according to the commentators. They also seemed to be more outwardly competitive with each other, constantly looking to their left and right to see who they were up against.
Pat Vellner got a rough start. After his chain popped off, he had to stop on the side of the circuit and get a new bike. He did his best to catch up but finished in 24th place. Noah Ohlsen also hit rough waters after his pedal came loose. He too had to stop to replace it and finished in 29th. In the end, Adrian Mundwiler took first, James Newbury finished second, and Lukas Hogberg took third. Champion Mat Fraser took fourth. Also notable is Brent Fikowski, who enjoyed some time in second place during the race but finished in ninth.
The day has only just begun. Next up we’ve got Event 2 — 30 muscle-ups for time. Event 3 is the CrossFit Total and Event 4 is the epic marathon row. We hope the competitors are taking their active recovery seriously!
The Games are almost here, and most of us will be tuning in from the comfort of our own homes. If that includes you, there are a few ways to watch the CrossFit Games.
Also, CBS (CBSSports.com) and their sports app will be live streaming the events.
The Games are taking place starting August 1st through August 5th in Madison, Wisconsin — but remember, that’s Central Daylight Time! If the live stream starts at 10:00 a.m. CDT on the 1st, for instance, that will be 1:00 a.m. on the 2nd, AEST. You can set reminders on their Facebook page so you’ll receive a notification when the action starts.
You can’t stop Mat Fraser. He made his first Games appearance in 2014, earning the title Rookie of the Year. He quickly proved he not only deserves a spot on the competition floor but also that he’s here to stay. His back-to-back second-place finishes in 2014 and 2015 had people thinking Fraser would always be second best, but he set out to prove them wrong — and he did. In 2016, he earned the title Fittest Man on Earth. And then he did it again in 2017.
This year, Fraser is returning to Madison to once again demonstrate his athletic prowess and maybe even stand highest on the podium when all is said and done. The WOD Life caught up with Fraser via email to talk about his goals, motivation, and more. Here’s what he had to say.
The WOD Life: What is your ultimate goal as an athlete?
Mat Fraser: Obviously the ultimate goal for me every year is winning the Crossfit Games. I concentrate on working the hardest I can every day to be ready to be my best at the Games. That’s the only thing I can control. I can’t focus on winning. The only thing I can control is the work every day, so that is what I do.
TWL: What were the biggest lessons you learned from the Games last year that you’ll take into the competition with you this year?
MF: The competition gets better and harder every year. I knew I had to work just as hard if not harder to be ready to compete at the level I hold myself to. I always take away some areas I need to work on at the Games every year. I did that.
TWL: If you could go back in time, would you do anything differently?
MF: I don’t really do that. I own anything I do. Would I do some things differently? Yes, but that is the way it goes in sports and life. I learn from my mistakes and our weaknesses and work at them to either not make those mistakes again or make my weaknesses strengths.
While Fraser’s strength, speed, and versatility are undeniable, the Games won’t come without a fight, especially considering Pat Vellner’s abilities. In fact, it was Vellner who took first in Regionals — not that this guarantees a Games victory.
Any way you cut it, Fraser is going to give every other player a run for their money. Competitors, be prepared: Fraser is here to dominate.
This season, Fraser is partnering with TheraGun, a neuro-muscular treatment device used as vibration therapy for your nervous system that can significantly speed up recovery. After trying it for the first time, Fraser recalls, “I remember I turned to my manager and I was like, ‘I need one of these.'” After getting his own, he says “it was just an absolute game-changer.”
If you’re an athlete, you know how crucial recovery is — and how every second counts. TheraGun helps speed up the process and make the most of your active recovery so you can get back to the gym.
As soon as we knew cycling would be part of Event 1 for this year’s CrossFit Games, whispers spread of a triathlon, but Dave Castro finally debunked that rumor. Instead, Event 1 is a criterium, also known as a crit, which is a type of bike race. Competitors will have to complete 10 laps for time within a cycling circuit at Alliant Energy Center.
It’s that time of year again. The 2018 CrossFit Games are just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than trying to predict what the podium will look come Sunday? Once again, the women’s side of the competition is where all the excitement will be. Who could forget the epic finish to last year’s Games between Tia-Clair Toomey and Kara Webb (now Kara Saunders)?
I wish the same could be said about the men’s side of the competition, but the reality is everyone is competing for second place. If the result is anything short of Mat Fraser standing atop the podium, that would be one of the biggest upsets in Games history.
Finally, the team competition will be second fiddle to the individual competition no more. Since the format has changed, teams were reduced from six members to four for this year, so expect the unexpected with an all-new series of tests and challenges.
Yep, there is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks. Here are our predictions for all the podium finishes in the men’s, women’s, and team competitions.
What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Mat is the overwhelming favorite to take home the title of Fittest on Earth for the third consecutive year. He is far and away the most well rounded, dominant athlete in our sport. Really, he is in a league all his own. Whatever you think you are good at, Mat is better. Good at barbell cycling? Mat is better. Good at endurance runs? Mat is better. Even if you do somehow manage to beat Mat in a workout, he is still only finishing a few strides behind you, which makes it nearly impossible to close the points gap against him.
If he stays healthy, there is no doubt he will be standing atop the podium come Sunday.
I think Pat Vellner would be the first person to tell you that his Games last year did not go exactly according to plan, yet he still managed a third-place finish. He took a lot of chances — some paid off, others not so much (like the Run-Swim-Run, a 36th place finish).
Hopefully, this year, he can strike a better balance between when to push the pace and when to pull back. Maybe he has already learned his lesson. Looking at the overall Regional leaderboard, Pat actually edged out Mat for the top spot. Perhaps the men’s competition is not as black and white as we all think.
People underestimate Fikowski (who is half Australian!), and we don’t know why. With a fourth-place finish in 2016 and second place in 2017, he’s no novice. He dominates his region year after year, he had a win for Event 5 at Regionals, and his dedication in the gym is unquestionable.
Not much is standing between him and a spot on the podium. If he can maintain his consistency, he will do some serious damage. In fact, Vellner and Fraser might want to sleep with one eye open. Fikowski is hungry for a win.
New name, same Kara. This is finally the year of Kara Saunders. Last year, after making some serious life changes, a happy, more relaxed Kara showed up in Madison and finished second overall — a measly two points out of first place.
If last year was tumultuous at times, this year, the ship has been steadied. Lifestyle and training all seem to be dialed in and ready to peak for the Games this year. In fact, this was the first time in three years Kara did not win the Pacific Regional. The reason is that her sole focus is taking the crown in 2018.
This was the hardest decision of this article, because honestly? We know Toomey could walk away with the crown just like Saunders could.
Tia dominated her regional this year like she never has, and she’s undoubtedly hungry to maintain her title as reigning champ. Plus, we know she’s mentally in the best place she’s ever been and has truly found the joy in the sport — and that right there is a recipe for success.
We can totally see her finishing near the top because of the confidence boost that finally is breaking through and how much having already won the crown can light a fire in you. We won’t be the least bit surprised if she has a Mat Fraser-like dominant performance against the field.
Look for her to be competing for the top spot come Sunday. The race between her and Saunders is going to be a tight one.
Only an athlete like Katrin can call a fifth-place finish at the CrossFit Games a down year. But when you stood atop the podium the two prior years, it makes a little more sense.
Katrin seems reinvigorated, more focused than she has ever been. Honestly, she seems even more determined than the years she actually won the Games. If Regionals were any indication — five first-place finishes in six events — Katrin is ready to kick butt and take names.
What do you get when you take the second place overall finishers at the Games last year and add another Games veteran to the team? Simply put, another championship. I don’t think anyone in the functional fitness world would be shocked to see Rich Froning-led Team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom standing atop the podium when everything has been said and done.
An already stacked team made themselves even better after adding 2016 Individual Games Competitor Tasia Percevecz to the mix. Expect nothing short of dominance all weekend long.
2nd Place: Don’t Stop
Definitely not the best team name out there but by far one of the best teams overall, Team Don’t Stop boasts three individual Games competitors on their roster. The biggest strength of this team — trash talking. They called their shot in the South Regional and dammit did they deliver. I have no problem with trash talking as long as you have the legs to back it up.
Team Don’t Stop seems like the type of team that rises to the occasion. That will find another gear to inch just ahead of the nearest competition. We may not have seen the best of this team just yet.
Team Invictus X ran away with the West Regional — five top-three finishes in six events — and managed a second place finish overall in the cumulative standings across all regions, second only to Team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom.
Team Invictus X, just like every team on this list, boasts some incredible athletes, but what separates them from the pack are the wildcard athletes on their roster. Take Sam Dancer, undoubtedly one of the strongest athletes in the game. If the programming goes their way, do not be surprised to see them competing for a top spot come Sunday.
This was hard. Hard because in its relatively short lifespan, the CrossFit Games has had its fair share of memorable moments over the years. Moments of triumphant victory and earth-shattering defeat. Moments displaying the sheer will of the human spirit and some giving us a glimpse of the future. But that’s why we love sports, right? The unscripted drama, the unpredictability, the pressure in the biggest moments are just some of the reasons we keep coming back for more.
It was harder than expected to narrow this list down to just five moments (which is exactly why I cheated and threw in two honorable mentions). The nature of the sport is a highlight reel of the human condition and that determination is on display every time the athletes take the floor. So, after much deliberation, here are my top five moments in CrossFit Games history in no particular order.
Honorable Mentions
Julie Tears Her Achilles
Heading into the 2015 CrossFit Games season, Julie Foucher wasn’t just the favorite to walk away with the title in the newly formed Central Super Regional, but to contend for the title at the Games as well. After taking 3rd at the Games the year prior, and with a professional career as a doctor looming on the horizon, Julie decided this would be her final year as a serious CF competitor.
Unfortunately for Julie, during event three at Regionals, a workout that included 100 box jump-overs, she ruptured her Achilles, effectively ending her professional CF career. Rather than withdrawing from the competition, she decided to press on, do what she could and cement her legacy as one of the most badass women in the sport.
Nothing solidified this more than watching her finish the next event, a 250-foot handstand walk, unbroken, while her casted foot waved in the air to the deafening cheers of everyone in the stadium. Because this moment happened at Regionals and not the Games, I knew I couldn’t “officially” include it, but there’s no way you can talk about top CF moments in history and leave Julie off this list.
Josh Bridges and the Killer Kage
2011 was Josh Bridges’ formal introduction to this world. Known before only from posting insane times on the main CF site’s comment section, Bridges exploded onto the scene and took 2nd overall at the Games to some guy named Rich. The ending of the Killer Kage event was the moment the Josh Bridges we all know and love was born. It’s something we’re all too used to at this point: lifting weight way over what you think his frame could handle, a dramatic finish and that patented Bridges celebration — a celebration which spawned the classic CF commercial.
More than that, it was the moment I knew this fitness program as an actual sport had some legs. I watched this event live with my friend who at the time had no interest or idea what the sport even was. When Bridges made the final turn on the monkey bars and chased down Matt Chan like a real-life Spiderman, my friend stood up and cheered. It was in that moment I knew maybe CF had something here.
The List
1. Annie’s First Muscle-Up
Annie Thorisdottir — yes, that Annie Thorisdottir — got her first muscle-up during the 2009 CrossFit Games. Think about that for a minute: a woman, competing at the highest level in our sport, unable to do a muscle-up. By today’s standards, that’s unheard of. Yet, heading into the final event of the 2009 CF Games, Annie Thorisdottir (who was currently sitting in 2nd place at the time!) had never done one.
The final chipper had, you guessed it, muscle-ups right smack in the middle. Failed attempt after failed attempt ensued. Annie, refusing to give up, tried and tried again until finally — and after a bit of coaching from her judge — got over the hurdle and did her first muscle-up on the biggest stage. Two short years later she would be standing atop the podium for the first time.
2. Rich Plus Ropes
Monday 180212
5-4-3-2-1 reps for time of
15-ft. rope climbs
Clean and jerks
If there were a list of infamous fitness videos, Rich Froning falling off the rope during the 2010 CrossFit Games final would be right at the top. Rich was leading the field going into the final event before hitting a roadblock in the form of a 20-foot rope. His inability to climb the rope cost him the title of Fittest on Earth that year.
Flash-forward to a year later, the first night event at the Games gets announced, and to the commentators’ delight, the workout calls for 15 rope climbs coupled with varying weights of clean and jerk. The narrative was written; the questions and doubt began to rise. Everyone always remembers the video of Rich falling off the rope, but nobody remembers the night event a year later. Froning not only learned how to climb the rope, he learned how to do it better than everyone else. He dismantled the field in that workout and continued to do so for rest of that competition — a trend that basically continued for the next four years.
3. Spealler Does Whatever It Takes
Chris Spealler is a legend when it comes to the sport. Don’t let his 5’5”, 140-pound frame fool you. When Spealler stepped out on the floor, he was as fierce a competitor as they come, routinely lifting weights and doing things on the floor that left the crowd scratching their head in awe of what they were witnessing.
No better moment so clearly defined this than watching Spealler push a sled stacked to the brim with plates during the 2011 CrossFit Games. Everything was in play. His arm, legs, even the side of his head were all used to get the sled moving. How’s that saying go? “An immovable object meets an unstoppable force?” Spealler vs. the sled provides the answer.
4. Jen Smith Finishes
Jen Smith entered the 2016 CrossFit Games following heartbreak the previous two years at the Regional level. In 2014, she missed qualification by two spots. In 2015, she missed it by only one! After qualifying, 2016 was set to be her triumphant return.
Then, in a devilish twist of fate, she tore her plantar fascia halfway through the first event. After consulting with the medical staff and considering all the endless work and sacrifice it took to finally get there, Jen Smith, and her unyielding will, decided to continue the competition. There was no better moment at the 2016 CrossFit Games than watching her take on Murph. After hobbling off the start line (and for the rest of the opening mile), she completed all 100 chest-to-bar pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats (all with a 14-pound vest) before heading out on her second mile.
When she returned to the stadium, she was greeted by a roar from the crowd unlike anything before. The final buzzer went before she could officially cross the finish line, but that didn’t stop her. She marched across the field, arms raised in the air and finished the workout to an even louder cheer. She had come too far to stop now.
5. Toomey by Two
This was a finale years in the making. In the two years prior to this one, Katrin Davidsdottir wore the crown as fittest on earth, with Tia-Clair Toomey standing right beside her playing second fiddle. Both years the margin was razor thin, the final workout wrapped with both women sitting on the mat waiting to see how the points would shake out.
But this year was different. A fitter, more confident Tia showed up in Madison not to have the title given to her but to take it for herself. After jockeying back and forth all weekend atop the leaderboard, Tia found herself in first place with one event remaining. She was in the driver seat.
What unfolded in the final event was, in my mind, the single most exciting race in Games history. The workout finished with a 90-foot overhead lunge with 35-pound kettlebells. Everyone could see what was happening. Tia marched down the floor, weights overhead, Kara Saunders, the woman right behind her in the standings, trying to chase her down. Tia gets a no-rep and drops the weight on her final step. A dive across the finish line and we were back exactly where we were a year ago. Both women sat on the floor, waiting for the bean counters to tally the score. But like I said earlier, this year was different. This was Tia’s year and she prevailed by the thinnest of margins — a mere two points – to finally claim the prize she had been waiting three years to hold.
Functional fitness already has a reputation for being “intense,” thanks to its hardcore, next-level workouts. Add in four-person deadlifts (with an axle bar), handstand walking obstacle course races, and team worming, and the Team segment of the CrossFit Games reinforces that nomenclature.
Next week, 40 teams will be taking the competition floor, and five of them are hauling to Madison from the Pacific region.
They were ranked the 18th fittest team during the 2018 Open, after a little mix-up at the beginning of the season. “One of the men that was meant to be on the team didn’t choose Reebok CrossFit Frankston as his team during the sign up process,” wrote Rob Forte on Instagram. It’s for that reason that Forte “decided to keep the dream alive and go on the Reebok CrossFit Frankston team.”
ICYDK, Forte, a former motocross racer, is a seven-time Games athlete after finishing in the top three in his region since 2011. Under his lead are Jay Crouch, Madison Tatt, and Sara Drain, who finished 29th, 22nd, and 40th in the Open, respectively. At 19 and with experience competing in the Teenage Boys 16-17 division 2015-2016, Crouch is the youngest on the team and is ready to learn from Forte: “Not everyday you get the opportunity to be in a solid team though, especially with a guy I’ve looked up to for a long time,” he wrote.
The women on the team, while surprisingly MIA from social media, are also impressive. Tatt, age 23, improved her Open standing from 43rd in 2017 to 21st in 2018, a leaderboard jump that’s almost unheard of at this level. Tart, age 32, has snagged 25th to 20th place in the Pacific region during the Open since 2015 and has helped Reebok CrossFit Frankston compete since 2014.
With strong deadlifters all around, Event 1 should be an especially good event for this team.
Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne came in 155th in the world during the Open, but they’ve sent a team to the Games every year since 2014. This will be the third time that Faughlin, age 29, will be competing with CrossFit Melbourne, the fourth time for both Flavel and Goodwin, and the fifth time for Kemp.
There’s something undeniably endearing about this team, thanks to Flavell’s mermaid hair, the fact that Kemp has the line, “Beginner kick boxer who dabbles in CrossFit” in her Instagram bio, and the way they celebrate.
Also worth noting is this team seems to train as a squad of six far more than other Games teams; it’s this family vibe and level of in-syncness that’s likely to thank for the way they beast on the worm. Worm workouts and gymnastics workouts are where this team excels (they came in 5th worldwide for their collective 18.3 score).
Chris Hogan
Kieran Hogan
Ashlee Stones
Kelly McFarlane
Back-Up
Morgan Wardrope
Josh Harris
CrossFit 121 finished the Open with a 73rd worldwide rank and after Regionals will be going to the Games for the first time this year. This team is certainly not one of rookies.
C. Hogan has ranked in the top 44 in the region since 2012 and competed as an individual at Regionals from 2012 through 2017. His 44th region rank this year is likely why he decided to go team with Kieran, his brother. Kieran is similarly very experienced as a 10-times Regionals competitor and previous Games athlete (when he competed with Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne).
McFarlane, age 36, is a beast with a top-five finish in the region in the 35 to 39 division in the Open the last two years. Stones, age 29, is less experienced than McFarlane, but she did go to the Games in 2016 with Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne, too.
Dominique Johnson
Harry Woolford
Harriet Hobbs
Alessio Angelucci
Back-Up
Hanna Porseland
Christian D’Astoli
CrossFit Athlete finished 201st in the Open worldwide and then finished 4th during Regionals. Between their low-profile Instagram accounts and the fact that most have jobs beyond being full-time athletes, this is a team it’s easy to root for.
But don’t let this team’s humble demeanor fool you. CrossFit Athletic has finished in the top 15 at the Games every year. Johnson has gone team with CrossFit Athletic since 2015. Woolford will be returning to the Games for the second time after making an appearance in 2016, and Hobbs too went to the Games in 2016.
As an added bonus, Angelucci can pull 540, so he should help his team crush the four-person deadlift workout. Fingers crossed Castro gives the men an opportunity to do some synchro chest-to-bar — they’re good at them.
Tegan Bartleet
Michael Paterson
Dylan Mitai
Rachel Palmer
Back-Up
Harrison Palmer
Brooke McCarthy
CrossFit East Tamaki is itching to get back to the Games — for the fourth time — and do some serious damage.
What’ll strike you about these athletes when they hit the competition floor is that they are, as a team, smaller than some of the other teams (proof). “Not the biggest athletes out there, nor the strongest, our personal best lifts would be impressive in 2011. But when it’s time to move, don’t count us out,” Mitai wrote about his team. And what’s that old saying? Small is mighty. That holds true for CrossFit East Tamaki.
Paterson and Palmer were both on the team when CrossFit East Tamaki went to the Games in 2016 and 2017. Mitai and Bartlett went in 2016 with a different team.
Dave Castro is dropping hints left and right, and recently, he posted yet another intriguing photo on Instagram. All he said was that it was connected to individual Event 3. What could it be?…
We now have the answer. CrossFit has updated their site to reveal the third workout of Day 1: the CrossFit Total. Competitors will cap off the day with a 1-rep-max back squat, 1-rep-max shoulder press, and 1-rep-max deadlift.
In a post on the CrossFit Games Instagram account, they explained athletes will have four minutes for each lift and can take up to three attempts. Their heaviest successful lifts for each will be combined to form their total.
We’ve only seen the CrossFit Total once before, and that was back in 2007. It will be interesting to see how athletes perform after Event 1 (which we know involves cycling) and Event 2 (30 muscle-ups for time). Castro additionally revealed team Event 1 would have the Concept 2 and four-person deadlift, plus the O course is making a return.
Regardless of if you’re into functional fitness or not, anyone can appreciate the CrossFit Games, which this year will likely include all sorts of fitness challenges, from Olympic weightlifting and ring muscle-ups to more unique challenges like hay barrel dodging and triathloning (rumor has it).
Whether you’re new to the sport or a die-hard barbell-slayer yourself, you can’t deny watching athletes compete for the title Fittest On Earth, and the $300,000 prize purse that goes with it, is more entertaining than your social media feeds.
In preparation for August 1st, we put together a list of the five badass women who qualified from the Pacific region who will be showing up and ready to slay.
The joy, the dedication, the athlete’s cheering squad — there’s something about watching the Games that is All The Feels. If you watched the 2017 Games, where Toomey was crowned the Fittest Woman On Earth, and didn’t get the chills (or tears) at *some* point… well, were you even really watching?
After being two-time runner-up (to Katrin in 2015 and 2016), seeing Toomey finally get gold proved hard work and dedication really pay off. Athletes admire her because functional fitness isn’t her only jam. She’s also an Olympic weightlifter. And yes, she went to THE Olympics— becoming the only athlete to ever have competed in the CrossFit Games and the Olympics in the same year. Talk about badass.
After winning the Games in 2017, in what was the most narrow victory in CrossFit Games history, we know she’ll be back to Madison for her fourth Games appearance to defend her title. Don’t think all she cares about is winning, though. In an interview with The WOD Life, Toomey told us her number one goal is “to be the best version of myself in everything I do. As long as I am trying to be better than what I was yesterday, I am confident that I will grow into a very satisfied individual.”
(Psst! Did you check out Toomey’s episode of The Journey with TWL?)
Obviously, if you’re going to watch Tia, watching Kara Saunders (formerly Kara Webb) — who took home silver last year and is headed to the Games for the seventh time — is inevitable.
The 2017 Games were exciting for both Saunders and Toomey, where Toomey only edged Saunders out of first place by two points during a dramatic day of head-to-head competition. (Seriously, I chewed my nails to nubs.)
And the 2018 CrossFit Pacific Regionals were an indication that on-the-edge-of-your-seats competition won’t subside in Madison. Toomey may have taken 1st overall, but out of the six total regional events, Saunders took home a “W” on Events 4 and 5 (and 2nd only to Toomey on Events 2 and 6).
There are smiles, and then there’s Justine Beath’ssmile. There are strong and shapely quads, and then there are Justine Beath’s quads. Whether it’s the body that is more machine than body, or her smile which lights up a room, there’s something about her that makes you want to watch her compete.
After missing out on the 2017 Games after she decided to sit the season out— citing with admirable honesty the mental, physical, and emotional strain of the sport as her reasons — fans (*raises hand*) can’t wait to see this Games vet back on the competition floor. (In 2016, she placed 38th at the Games as an individual, and in 2013, she helped CrossFit Active take 12th.)
Make sure you point Beath out to the non-athletes who catch you streaming the Games at the office: she was just starting out in 2009 when she began training in CF. Now she can clean and jerk 235. Talk about a glow-up. She defines strength in her own unique way. She hasn’t lost sight of what truly matters to her, though. Speaking to TWL, she said her top goal for the Games this year is “to have FUN and enjoy every moment.”
Welp, a trip to the 2018 Games is one hell of a graduation gift. That’s right — Courtney Haley (age 23) graduated in December, and now, less than eight months later, she’ll be showing up (with her 180-pound snatch and strong gymnastics background) to Madison.
Her performance on Event 3 at Regionals this year (think: handstand obstacle course race for days), where she beat out the two fittest women on earth to take home a “W”, has us hoping we’ll get to see her gymnastics skills again on the competition floor. (For further proof she’s a gymnastics goddess, check out this handstand video.)
While she went to the Games in 2015 with Team CrossFit Rocks, who took 30th overall, her relative lack of experience is likely why most (even avid) fans of the sport aren’t as familiar with this rookie. But her humble demeanor and mad skills will win you over.
If you could go back in time and start training at the age of 13, would you? That’s how old Madeline Sturt was when she started. Now, at 21, she’s headed back to the Games for the third (third!) time.
At Regionals, she proved endurance and gymnastics may be her strong suits (with a 3rd-place finish in Event 1 and Event 6), but she didn’t let the heavyweight workouts keep her from going to the Games.
She may be one of the youngest athletes stepping out onto the individual competition floor this year, but her maturity, impressive focus, ability to grind, and commitment to treating her body well will catch your eye.
