What is the CrossFit Games?
The CrossFit games has just began, but for many of us, CrossFit as a sport is relatively unknown. So we’re going to break down ‘what it is’ and give our predictions ahead of the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games!
What is the CrossFit games?
The games are essentially the Olympics of CrossFit. The pinnacle of the sport, and best of all, anyone can get there! It starts with the CrossFit Open and whittles down competitors in quarter finals and semi finals to an elite group of 40 men and 40 women. These are joined at the games by teams, adaptive divisions and age group competitions.
In the elite men and women division, athletes compete over 5 days ad usually around 12-15 events (I say usually because secret events pop up – one year after a full day of events, one last event popped up, and it was 26.2 miles on the rower 😫). These events are workouts such as swimming, benchmark WODs, trail runs and more!
Winning an event gets you 100 points and the person who accumulates the most points over all events is crowed the winner and Fittest on Earth.
If you want to see previous CrossFit games, search CrossFit on both Amazon and Netflix and you can find documentaries by ‘The Buttery Bros’ that show the whole event in a couple hours.
How to Watch in 2021
“Tune in to the CrossFit Games YouTube, Facebook page and Twitch” and you can find all the information on the Games website and app.
⏰ Just remember, it’s hosted in America so it’s all on Eastern USA time.
Who should I watch?
The British name competing is Sam Briggs. ‘The Engine from England’ is competing in the elite division at the age of 39. She won the games back in 2013, and although old enough to compete in the Masters division (35-39), is instead throwing it down with the elites. In the twilight of her career, Sam has done incredible to reach the games in the elite division, and is still fit enough to take some event wins! Good luck Sam!
Predictions
Predictions disclaimer: Bar Tia-Claire Toomey who will win the Womens, the podiums are up for grabs…so this could be very very wrong.
Mens
Mat Fraser, who has won the last 5 games has retired, and last years second place athlete hasn’t qualified. So these predictions are based partly on logic, partly on form and partly because I like these dudes.
- 1st Place: Pat Vellner – with a bronze and silver games medal already around his neck, he seems the logical choice. Along with this, he has consistently beaten the rest of the field in live competition in the last few years. But, he’s clumsy, often starts the games badly and his last two games appearance have been sub-par. But regardless, we’re still saying Patty V for the win.
- 2nd Place: Scott ‘the fittest man to never get a medal at the CrossFit games’ Panchik - After 10+ years in the sport, he has just announced this is his last games. Surely that fire is going to be enough to take him over the line this time. I had him down for a top 5 but when he announced that this is his last games, he made the cut.
- 3rd Place: Chandler Smith – this one is more want than expectation. Chandler wasn’t impressive in the semi-finals but may have been waiting to peak at the Games. He is one year out of the military and now training full time, he’s a powerful and strong athlete with a lot more to show. He’s also confused to no longer eating junk, dialing in his training and he is a genuine nice guy.
But, this year is wide open and you could also argue previous second place finishers Noah Ohlsen and Brent Fikowski could show up this year and get back to the podium. And based on that, medallists BK Gudmundson and Justin Medeiros are also in with a shout. And just to completely cover off the predictions, rookie Jayson Hopper destroyed the field in the semi-finals, so he’s one to watch.
In short, I’m sticking with Pat, Scott and Chandler. But I don’t know.
Womens
The women’s field is STACKED, with a raft of athletes. with a load of athletes that could finish 2nd right the way through to 10th.
- 1st Place: Tia-Claire Toomey - I’ll bet any CrossFit workout that Tia wins. She is the reigning champ and the greatest female CrossFit athlete of all time. She’s a great swimmer, lifter, runner and she might just be a superhero.
- 2nd Place: Hayley Adams - After just losing out on a medal last year, she has finished just behind Tia at the semi-finals. Many people regard her as the ‘next champion’ when Tia steps back and leaves the sport and I think this is her year to prove it.
- 3rd Place: Laura Horvath - She’s had a couple of tough years after getting bronze on her games debut. But those years have been working on strength and getting rid of some weaknesses. She’s strong, got a great engine and can adapt to all the different events at the games.
And then like the men, any of these athletes could 2nd, 3rd or 10th. Look out for two time champion Katrin Daviddottier, as well previous medallists Kristin Holte and Kara Saunders who I almost put on the podium. And if that’s not enough to look out for, both Brooke Wells and Amanda Barnhart have new coaches, and 16 year old Mall O’Brien blew away the field at the semi finals.
We’d all love to see Annie Thorisdottir on the podium, but she gave birth less than a year ago, so just to be at the games is amazing!