The 2018 CrossFit Games are still going, but unless something *incredibly* unexpected happens, we already know who our first-place podium finishers are.
For the third straight year Matt Fraser has put himself in an incredible position going the last event. This year, as long as he completes the minimum work requirement on Event 11, he will be crowned The Fittest Man On Earth for the third year in a row.
On the women’s side, in order for Tia-Clair Toomey to lose, Laura Horvath will have to win Event 11 and Toomey will have to fall outside of the top 25. While rookie Horvath showed that she has what it takes to win an event when she won Battleground, Toomey hasn’t fallen outside of the top 14 in any event since 2017. So the odds are definitely in Toomey’s favor.
That said, the winners haven’t been officially announced, and Fraser and Toomey have yet to complete Event 11.
What do you think? Will they win or will the unexpected happen?
Today’s events for the 2018 CrossFit Games started with the Madison Triplus: a 500m swim, 1,000m paddle, and 2,000m run. While she didn’t maintain the lead the entire time, Tia-Clair Toomey proved it didn’t matter and ended up taking the event win.
Getting back into the water with the paddleboard, Toomey was actually in third, behind Kristi Eramo and Amanda Barnhart. The latter two women chose to paddle on their bellies. Toomey, however, knelt. This might have been the game-changer, and Toomey ended up passing both women in the water.
By the time the run came along, Toomey and Eramo were side by side, but Toomey created the space she needed to comfortably take first.
In her interview afterward, she said she chose to row from her knees because it was more efficient. While women rowing on their stomachs were likely relying on their shoulders, doing so from a kneeling position allows you to use your hips more.
Well done, Tia!
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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.
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.
She seemed to almost come out of nowhere. Tia-Clair Toomey had only been training in CrossFit for two years when she took second at the 2015 CrossFit Games. People called her Rookie of the Year, but she was set on proving her podium finish wasn’t merely a fluke. And she did. The next year, she took second once again, effectively showing the world she knew what it would take to get to the top, and she wasn’t scared of it.
Her consecutive second-place finishes were impressive, to say the least; but that wasn’t the end of it. Not nearly. Toomey, a former track and field athlete, would go on to win the coveted title of Fittest Woman on Earth at the 2017 Games. She also represented Australia as its top-ranked female weightlifter in 2016 and competed at the Summer Olympics in Rio. She is the only athlete to have competed at the Games and the Olympics in the same year, becoming perhaps one of the first athletes to prove that it ispossible to excel to the top in both sports simultaneously.
But wait — there’s more. Most recently Tia competed at the Commonwealth Games as a 58kg Olympic weightlifter and walked away with a new personal best and the gold medal. It was an awe-inspiring event that gave all of us the chills. She won the 2018 Pacific Regionals, and we can’t wait to see her crush it at the Games.
It isn’t just her athletic prowess that’s captured the attention of millions. It’s also her quiet but fierce ambition. Toomey has always kept her head down and eyes forward, focused on what’s in front of her. This is one gal who’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get dirty. Through her social media, she has selflessly invited all of us along on her journey, sharing her best fitness tips, her success, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
Tia-Clair Toomey has done Australia (and… the world) proud, and The WOD Life was thrilled to get to speak with her one-on-one via email. Here’s what she had to say about her athletic career, regret, and thoughts moving forward.
The WOD Life: What’s your greatest memory of your career thus far?
Tia-Clair Toomey: This is hard, because going to the Olympics and winning the CrossFit Games were both an unreal experience. However, the greatest memory of my career thus far is hugging Shane (my husband and coach) in the crowd after I was announced the fittest. It wasn’t that I won. It was because we had set out to achieve a goal together as a team and in that moment, it finally became a reality. Embracing Shane was by far one of the most amazing memories I have ever had because it was so personal and very special. Something we will always keep close to our hearts.
TCT: My biggest lesson has been to believe in myself, even though so many people say it on a daily basis. It wasn’t until after the 2016 CrossFit Games that I realised how true that saying really is.
TWL: If you could go back in time, would you do anything differently?
TCT: No. Of course, there are experiences I wish had gone differently at the time; but because of my journey, I believe those experiences are what helped guide me to where I am today. I truly believe you learn more from losses than you do wins, and my goal is about seeing how far I can grow as an individual.
TCT: By surrounding myself with good people. My friends and family are what keep me grounded and if it wasn’t for their support throughout my journey, I wouldn’t have achieved my goals. They make training fun. When I feel down, they pick me up; and when I lose focus, they remind me of how good I really have it.
TCT: 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.
Want to get abs of steel like the one and only Tia-Clair Toomey? Train like the champion. Set up two boxes and grab some kettlebells, and you’re on your way to a stronger core. Just don’t fall off.
What’s more fun than lifting heavy? That would be… nothing. Even when we know we shouldn’t be lifting heavy, we do it anyway. All-around badass Tia-Clair Toomey took to Instagram to remind us that sometimes, the best thing you can do is strip off some of the weight and focus on your technique.
It’s a reminder we all need. Nobody is perfect, and practicing technique at lighter weights is vital if you want to improve. It’s easy to forget that, though, when you’re focused on PRs and the accomplishments that lay ahead.
Today, we challenge you to go light. Pull back, zero in on your weakness, and refine your technique. What will you be doing in the gym today?
What. A. Weekend! In the blink of an eye, the Pacific Regional has come and gone. After months and months — truly, years — of preparation, athletes gave it everything they had. For a select few, this ended with their spot secured to the Games. Here are just some of the heartwarming and inspiring messages Games-bound Pacific athletes have left for their fans.
Congratulations to everyone, regardless of what the leaderboard says. You motivate us all to be better!
Champions never rest, and the fittest woman on earth knows this. That’s the only reason we can think of why Tia-Clair Toomey managed to get a workout in even on the morning of her wedding — barefoot and in curlers. Now that’s dedication, and we love her even more for it.
Kettlebells add an entirely unique element to training. They don’t only demand you have the strength to lift and move them. You also need to be able to keep them stable — holding kettlebells overhead is vastly different from holding a barbell overhead. If you want to put these skills to use, try out this simple but spicy workout from Tia-Clair Toomey made of double kettlebell snatches and double kettlebell overhead walking lunges. It’s a total body workout and a lot tougher than it looks, so consider starting light!
Tia-Clair Toomey is making headlines again, this time for her awe-inspiring performance at the Commonwealth Games. She competed for Australia in the 58kg category and walked away with gold, thanks to an 87kg snatch (a personal best) and 114kg clean and jerk, for a total of 201kg. With calculated weight jumps and extreme precision, she narrowly beat out Canadian weightlifter Tali Darsigny by just one kilo.
Toomey has once again defied the odds, taking gold at the Commonwealth Games and being crowned the fittest woman on earth. And let’s not forget she went to the Olympics. She’s certainly come a long way from her first weightlifting competition.
Nobody can deny the hours (and hours and hours and hours) Toomey puts in at the gym, and all the hard work has paid off. Many congrats to you, Tia! Well deserved.
If you’re the average athlete, you take a short breather after the Open to rest and recover. If you’re Tia-Clair Toomey, you jump right into preparing for the Commonwealth Games. Between April 4th and April 15th, athletes will gather in Gold Coast City for what guarantees to be the biggest sporting event the Gold Coast has witnessed. In other words, it’s a big deal.
Toomey wasted no time switching gears from the CrossFit Open (where she finished 12th) back to Olympic weightlifting. Based on some of her recent Instagram posts, we’d say she’s looking strong and ready to compete (again).
